Cities
Building an American Ownership Society
Neighborhood investment trusts can help create more inclusive economies in cities and restore the fabric of US democracy.
Tag: Base Of The Pyramid
Scaling
The Promise of Social Sector Franchising
The massive growth of commercial franchises like McDonald’s offers inspiration for scaling social impact. Although still very young, social sector franchising is spawning an array of successful enterprises that offer lessons for further expansion.
Collaboration
Civic Mobilization Infrastructure in an Age of Existential Threats
Brazilian civil society worked together to win basic income for the poor. Its success illustrates how organizations must interlock to secure rights and push for social change.
Economic Development
Doing Development Differently
International aid must use different approaches to address the massive systemic problems it seeks to solve.
Business
The Dangerous Allure of Win-Win Strategies
For the past 30 years, celebrated academics and business leaders have promoted the idea that companies often profit by addressing social and environmental problems. Although these proposals have been hailed as promising breakthroughs, they are unscientific and counterproductive.
Economic Development
Unveiling the Informal Economy
Stereotypes cloud our perception of the informal economy, but we have much to learn from the entrepreneurship that unfolds there.
Social Enterprise
Lending in the Shadow of Colonialism
Financial program to help microenterprises in Tanzania fails to take historical context into account.
Foundations
How to Make Society’s Risk Capital Riskier
Philanthropy must hire outside the box, write the first check, and take unsolicited applications.
Food
Building Investor Appetite for Nutritious Food
Increasing access to quality food worldwide requires money from investors for food-related enterprises. Blended finance can help boost their risk tolerance. A Viewpoint from the Summer 2020 issue.
Impact Investing
Development Impact Bonds for Maternal and Child Health
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require new funding mechanisms beyond overseas assistance. Though not without challenges, development impact bonds, including those launched to reduce maternal and child mortality, offer an encouraging option. A feature story from the Spring 2020 issue.