Solutions - Articles

The Entrepreneurial Union - Thumbnail

The Entrepreneurial Union

By Amy Wilkinson 7

Freelance workers, whose numbers are growing, are left without health insurance, a retirement plan, or a work community. The Freelancers Union meets these needs.

Peter deCourcy Hero - Innovations in Philanthropy

Technologies such as mobile phones and computers are increasingly becoming tools for philanthropic giving. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation audio lecture, former Community Foundation of Silicon Valley president Peter Hero discusses how global changes in philanthropy are providing opportunities in the online giving space. He considers how online giving can be made more robust, and how trends in this arena may allow for the strengthening of civic engagement around the world.

Mission-Driven Governance - Thumbnail

Mission-Driven Governance

By Raymond Fisman, Rakesh Khurana, & Edward Martenson 1

The prevailing governance model is fundamentally adversarial, pitting board members in a never-ending struggle with executives. This model does little to advance the organization’s goals.

Online Giving Marketplaces - Online Giving Markets: Niche or Revolution?

A pluralistic society boasts many independent centers of power and foundations have an instrumental role in supporting such diversity. Online giving marketplaces are further democratizing philanthropy by empowering donors to support the causes they care about. In this panel discussion, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, experts in the field consider whether such online spaces are simply useful adjuncts to the work of philanthropy—or whether they promise to revolutionize the sector altogether.

Jeff Mason - Improving Philanthropy Effectiveness

How do we know that the nonprofit organizations we support are actually effective? In this audio interview, host Sheela Sethuraman converses with Jeff Mason about his efforts, along with key organizational leaders, to develop an assessment tool that evaluates nonprofit management performances. Their work could become a major contribution to the world of philanthropy.

Online Giving Marketplaces - Philanthropy 101 - Online Giving Markets

Online giving marketplaces allow for the transfer of funds from interested donors and lenders to those who need them. In this new philanthropy space, it is as yet, unclear whether the donor is the "supply" or the "demand," and organizations are just beginning to experiment with the utility of such online functioning. In this panel discussion, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, philanthropy experts working at online marketplaces discuss how their organizations function and what differentiates them from others.

William F. Meehan III - Making Markets Work For Philanthropy

When it comes to online giving market places, the adage is: If you build it, few will come. So how do you drive enough people to such online spaces to make them work? In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, William Meehan, McKinsey senior director, talks about the opportunities and challenges in making online giving marketplaces successful, and what lies ahead in this new philanthropy field for organizations dedicated to making a genuine sustained impact in communities.