The leaders of non-profits have been asked to apply for the third in a series of business accelerator programmes.Ignite Bermuda said it has reserved six spots on its latest class for the charity sector — and the deadline is 5pm today. Ignite, set up to help community leaders and entrepreneurs create jobs and diversity, said it would be wrong not to include the charity sector in its programmes.Social services agencies have taken a major hit since Covid-19 restrictions were imposed.Ignite helps enable community leaders and entrepreneurs to create jobs and diversity, and said it would remiss not to include the third sector — charities and helping organisations.The plight of the non-profit sector has worsened as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.The Co-ordinated Crisis Response Effort’s close out report showed that by mid-April the charity sector had suffered “cashflow crunches and employment impacts, with almost 20 per cent of staff employed by non-profits having been laid off, and an additional 31 per cent working on reduced hours.”The report said another 31 per cent were on reduced hours and 33 per cent of the sector were “offering reduced or no services”. Ignite said it wanted to help as non-profits continued to respond to and recover from the coronavirus crisis. The accelerator programme was designed to to be a catalyst for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs — company managers who promote innovation — and help leaders find new ways to develop their economies and communities.Ignite said non-profits added “so much value and positive impact in our community”.The organisation added: “Ignite is on a mission to include those non-profit leaders who are part of organisations focused on the future of work, innovation and developing an entrepreneurial mindset.” Ignite worked with the Inter-Agency Committee for Children and Families and Wavecrest, which works to boost the sector as a bridge between donors and organisations, to provide a four-week intensive training programme.The programme was designed to highlight best-practice models and encourage new ways of thinking for non-profit leaders in a changed environment. A total of 50 non-profit leaders are involved in Ignite’s first non-profit sprint programme, with support from the Cummings V. Zuill Leadership Award. Nicola Paugh, the programme co-ordinator at the inter-agency committee, said: “IAC had been hearing the positive feedback in the community regarding the tremendous support Ignite was providing its entrepreneurs.“We were also aware that Ignite has had an interest in supporting the non-profit sector and so we approached Ignite to see what could be possible. “We are grateful Ignite was willing to quickly work to put the sprint programme pilot together and we hope the non-profit have found the experience beneficial.” Sean Reel, the executive director of Ignite Bermuda, said: “We launched three weeks ago, bringing together a group of dedicated and enthusiastic non-profit leaders with a shared mission of being the change that Bermuda needs. I promised to give them the Ignite Bermuda best.”A poll carried out on the sprint programme found that 57 per cent of the non-profit organisations involved were now working on new collaborations. Ignite said the non-profit sector played a vital role in the community and leaders who wanted progress their organisation’s goals, surrounded by like-minded individuals should sign up.• The deadline for applications is 5pm today. For more information about Ignite Bermuda’s accelerator programme, visit www.ignitebermuda.com?