A Sobering Assessment of Microfinance’s Impact
At a conference last week of leaders in microfinance, attendees focused on the nitty-gritty of the social impact of microlending, and the results of the discussions were both sobering and startling.
Big Picture Commentary and analysis on social innovation ideas and approaches
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Machine Politics
The information systems we're building are starting to get better at taking input from crowds and using it to help us mine data for what we will most likely want or need.
A Look at “I Live in the Future and Here’s How It Works” by Nick Bilton
Insight into the malleability of data, and the need for stories and filters, are as relevant to those in philanthropy as they are to car salesmen, reporters, film makers, and fiction writers.
Cause Marketing Does More Harm Than Good
I believe that cause marketing programs erode the joy of giving, turn consumers into cynics, and contribute to the overall loss of faith and trust in the nonprofit sector.
A Toolbox for Change: the Social Capital Markets Conference
Instead of the profit/nonprofit distinction, individuals should ask themselves: Who is the target beneficiary and what are the best products/services that can be provided?
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What Is Community Anyway?
Our understanding of community can help funders and evaluators identify, understand, and strengthen the communities they work with.
Integrating Intentional Influence into Your Strategy
Five practical considerations for organizations that want to use intentional influence to achieve a bold social goal.
The Elitist Philanthropy of So-Called Effective Altruism
The superficially enticing “logic” of effective altruism ultimately leads to a moralistic, hyper-rationalistic, top-down approach to philanthropy that can kill the very altruistic spirit it claims to foster.
The Trouble With Impact Investing: P1
There’s only one bottom line. It ought to be impact.
No art? No social change. No innovation economy.
America must invest in art and imaginative capacity.