Social innovation occurs in different ways in different countries, and one can learn a great deal from the experiences of others around the world. The cover story in the Summer 2019 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review, “China’s New Model of Blockchain-Driven Philanthropy,” is a good example of that principle. China shows how blockchain can help nonprofit organizations become more transparent and trustworthy.
Blockchain has done more than simply enable Chinese social entrepreneurs to improve the transparency, trustworthiness, and fundraising of the country’s charitable causes. It has helped launch a more decentralized and autonomous philanthropic sector.
Development practitioners must build a culture of learning, negotiation, and collaboration, so that the generation and use of evidence are integrated into program design and implementation.
Companies seeking to do business in low-income markets often make the mistake of transferring assets from higher-income markets to fill perceived gaps. They should instead look to partner with those who live in these markets and to identify the assets already available there.
The Missouri Model lays out a framework, based on the science of trauma, that organizations can use to shift culture and policies and improve outcomes. A feature article from the Summer 2019 issue.
For nearly three decades, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has led the fight to protect people’s digital rights, incubating allied organizations and offering free security tools to nonprofits. Can it continue to uphold its mission? From the Summer 2019 issue.
The citizen journalism effort What Went Wrong? examines international development projects with the help of reports from people the project was supposed to benefit. A What's Next article from the Summer 2019 issue.
The nonprofit is developing a solution to restore and preserve Arctic sea ice by spreading sandlike silica microspheres in strategic locations to reflect sunlight and heat. From the Summer 2019 issue.
PROVEA is spreading the word about Venezuela’s political and economic crisis while building alliances in neighboring countries. From the What's Next department of the Summer 2019 issue.
The MyPass Austin project aims to help people experiencing homelessness by using blockchain technology to secure their personal documents. From the What's Next department of the Summer 2019 issue.
New Story’s 3-D printing software builds houses cheaply and efficiently, demonstrating how technology can leapfrog traditional limitations in local economies and infrastructure. A Field Report from the Summer 2019 issue.
Astraea’s CommsLabs program combines indigenous knowledge, technology, and healing practices to power the next wave of LGBTQI organizing. From the Summer 2019 issue.
Safe Shelter Collaborative dramatically reduces the time that survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking have to wait to secure safe accommodation. A Field Report from the Summer 2019 issue.
Inequity continues to plague the lending industry, but a microlending program in New Mexico has created a solution that is providing underserved communities the capital they need. A Viewpoint article from the Summer 2019 issue.
Efforts to increase funding for Pay for Success must embrace how risk affects the expectation of returns to attract capital from the appropriate investors.
Rather than a glossy brochure that no one reads, your strategy should be an ongoing practice that informs your decisions and adapts as circumstances change. A Viewpoint from the Summer 2019 issue.
Executives who cite work-family conflict to explain lack of female advancement in firms embrace a myth to preserve the status quo. A research report from the Summer 2019 issue.
Racial and economic segregation hampers local civic action, but public schools can serve as a facilitator. A research report from the Summer 2019 issue.
Performance-based pay forces many employees to choose between leaving or suffering mental illness. A research report from the Summer 2019 issue.
Black students attend college at greater rates than expected, given their socioeconomic disadvantages, and thereby attain more degrees than expected.
A new book on Chinese entrepreneurs breaks through stereotypes and offers a more comprehensive view of innovation in China.
Sociologist Jen Schradie reveals how digital activism empowers defenders of the status quo.
During the Industrial Revolution, labor organizations, social movements, the media, and government came together to rein in big business, providing lessons on how to regulate firms of today like Facebook, Amazon, and Google, writes SSIR's editor-in-chief in an introduction to the Summer 2019 issue.
Women’s rights and human rights organizations take aim at the tradition of "menstrual exile" through creating broad access to scientific knowledge that destigmatizes menstruation.
Grantmakers In Health presents a snapshot of the latest thinking from health funders, researchers, and advocates on healthy eating and active living (HEAL) and healthy communities.
To ensure equitable health outcomes, we need to be explicit about goals, build transparent relationships with local communities, address underlying issues that drive health disparities, and measure and adjust outcomes accordingly.
Building effective policy advocacy campaigns, creating programs that support sustainable systemic changes, and engaging parents to identify and advocate for critical issues are all key to supporting healthy schools and communities.
Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change (PSE) strategies are critical tools in the battle for good health in adults and children.
Physical Activity Research Center (PARC) investigators examine physical activity across built environments, parks and recreation, schools, and rural areas—all through an equity lens.
Learning to listen to community members was a critical step on the road to food security and good health for all Coloradans. Part of the Summer 2019 issue's Healthy Eating, Active Living supplement.
Health advocates and the food and beverage industries have traditionally clashed over issues of public policy. Warning labels might help the two find common ground.
The key to getting people to adopt healthier eating habits may lie in leveraging the power of the private sector. Part of a sponsored supplement from the Summer 2019 issue.
Healthier Colorado is that state’s largest health-advocacy organization. By supporting fundamental policy shifts and engaging actors at all levels of policymaking, they are helping create lasting change for Coloradans.
