Articles on social change from the latest edition of SSIR
Read about the importance of developing and expanding human relational intelligence; why philanthropy should embrace pluralism; how small donations are essential for social innovation; how one social entrepreneur has helped revitalize post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan; and other topics in the Spring 2026 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review.
As AI begins to transform education, work, and social life, we need to focus on developing and expanding capacities essential for human flourishing.
For four years, small donations have declined across the nonprofit sector, threatening the future of social innovation. But with the right strategies, some organizations are bucking the trend and winning them back.
A year of turbulence has exposed the dangers of philanthropic monocultures and upended assumptions about impact, effectiveness, and scale. Embracing the varied intentions that motivate people to give offers a more resilient, pluralistic path forward.
One Kyrgyz entrepreneur had an ambitious vision for transforming his country into a vital, independent nation free from its Soviet past. He reverse-engineered that vision into a stepping-stone strategy that is already having enormous impact in Kyrgyzstan and beyond.
Researchers have developed plastic-like materials that dissolve in the ocean and could soon come to market.
The Kennedy-backed nonprofit Climate Emergency Fund supports disruptive activism to raise awareness of the climate crisis—and is looking to scale. | Open access to this article for non-subscribers is sponsored by an SSIR supporter.
Mexico's participatory guarantee systems are empowering small-scale farmers to compete with larger certified organic producers.
The San Francisco Bay Area mobilizes a regional response for crisis aid amid federal crackdowns on undocumented immigrants.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is seeking to improve his city by going neighborhood by neighborhood.
After a decade of transforming public spaces, we are building trust and connection between Americans.
The COVID-19 pandemic shattered established views of airborne disease. Although it represents a paradigm shift in public health, the field has yet to catch up.
Grant writing is the bridge between vision and resources. Until funders invest in it, grassroots organizations will remain underfunded.
We see impact as fundamental to our private-equity investments. We’ve created a model to help integrate impact analysis into underwriting.
Children can be taught to identify false health claims online, and the benefits can spread to their parents.
Excessive screen time, largely spent on gaming apps, is contagious and lowers students' grades and post-graduate income, a Chinese study reveals.
Brazil's commitment to social inclusion and equity has boosted its young democracy.
Newly hired managers do better when integrated slowly into firm operations.
Laura Mauldin's In Sickness and in Health examines the plight of family caregivers and the ableism that causes them to suffer their burden alone.
Stephanie Limoncelli's Advocacy, Inc. argues that the anti-slavery movement's business-friendly orientation impairs its ability to advocate on behalf of workers and exploited victims of trafficking.
The Spring 2026 cover story examines how to invest in human flourishing in the age of AI. Plus: two important critiques of contemporary philanthropy and a new academic editor.
What SSIR readers are saying about articles on innovation in trying times, data and social justice, and impact investing.
Hindu pilgrims access free health care on their way to the Makar Sankranti festival.
