Spring 2018

Issue

Spring 2018

Volume 16, Number 2

When the founder and long-time leader of an organization is replaced by someone new, it’s generally thought that the founder should make a complete break so that there isn’t any confusion about who is in control. But recent research by The Bridgespan Group suggests that in the nonprofit world that may not be the best approach. Read more in “Making Founder Successions Work,” the cover story in the Spring 2018 issue.

Features

Leadership

Making Founder Successions Work

By Jari Tuomala, Donald Yeh & Katie Smith Milway 3

Nonprofits benefit when they carefully plan an extended role for founders who step down. Open access to this article is made possible by The Bridgespan Group.

Business

The Next Phase of Business Sustainability

By Andrew J. Hoffman 23

The era of corporations integrating sustainable practices is being surpassed by a new age of corporations actively transforming the market to make it more sustainable. Open access to this article is made possible by The Regents of the University of Michigan on behalf of the Erb Institute.

Advocacy

Four Strategies for Large Systems Change

By Steve Waddell 6

To create systems of societal change, we need to become clearer about the archetypes of societal change strategies, their strengths and weaknesses, and their interactions.

Philanthropy & Funding

The Civic Science Imperative

By Elizabeth Good Christopherson, Dietram A. Scheufele & Brooke Smith

Philanthropy has a vital role to play in building a culture of “civic science,” in which scientists take active roles as citizens and citizens engage with scientific research.

What’s Next

Food

Algae for Food and Green Jobs

By Kristine Wong 1

EnerGaia is growing spirulina to feed people and help the environment.

Civic Engagement

Digital Natives Collect Community Needs

By Jamie Stark

Humanitas AI has created a smartphone app to enable young people to coordinate social projects.

Nonprofits & NGOs

Taking Kids Off the Streets in Nigeria

By Linus Unah

Street Priests ministers to the homeless children of Calabar, Nigeria, to help them find a better path.

Education

Free College

By Corey Binns

San Francisco’s Free City program covers tuition at its community college through a real estate transaction tax.

Field Report

Advocacy

Waging Lawfare to Save the Planet

By Alicia Clegg

ClientEarth has taken a US-style legal strategy of protecting the environment across the Atlantic and found surprising success.

Social Enterprise

A Space for Refugees

By Méabh Mc Mahon 1

An ambitious community project is helping Amsterdam’s newest residents find both dignified work and a social network.

Nonprofits & NGOs

Building Community by Sharing Books

By Corey Binns 3

Little Free Libraries draw neighbors together on street corners, on school campuses, and in police stations.

Case Study

Health

Raising Opioid Addicts from the Dead

By Tana Ganeva

North Carolina’s Project Lazarus has brought harm-reduction principles to Appalachia to address the opioid addiction crisis.

Viewpoint

Water & Sanitation

Taps and Toilets for All

By Gary White & Matt Damon 1

Microfinance for water and sanitation enables people to find their own solutions.

Government

Let Refugees Be Their Own Solution

By Emily Arnold-Fernández with Brian Rawson 1

Better policies in host countries can enable refugees to rebuild their lives and contribute to host economies.

Social Enterprise

Social Enterprise Is Not Social Change

By Marshall Ganz, Tamara Kay & Jason Spicer 37

Solving systemic social problems takes people, politics, and power—not more social entrepreneurship.

Health

Reproductive Health Care by Mail

By Francine Coeytaux, Elisa Wells & Sophia Yen

It is time to give US women the convenience and autonomy of birth control and abortion pills that women elsewhere enjoy.

Research

Cities

Nonprofit Crime Reduction

By Chana R. Schoenberger

Community organizations devoted to reducing crime have shown results.

Education

Teaching to the Life Test

By Chana R. Schoenberger

The ability of teachers to improve students’ non-cognitive abilities may have greater importance than test scores.

Business

Workplace Volunteering Culture

By Marilyn Harris

Companies that create a climate of volunteering can see benefits even among non-volunteers.

Social Enterprise

Gender and Social Ventures

By Marilyn Harris

Presence of female business leaders in community can bolster launching female-led social enterprises.

Book Reviews

Review

Collaboration

A Revolution in Science Collaboration?

Review By Sukrit Silas & Kali Allison

A new era of scientific collaboration demands new measures and models for gauging its effectiveness.

Review

Government

Organizations for All

Review By Jonathan Levy

When the rights and benefits of formal organization became available to all, it unleashed a new social order and greater economic dynamism.

Last Look

Civic Engagement

Year of the Woman

By Eric Nee

From the Women’s March to #MeToo, women have risen up to change politics and society.

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