Field Notes: Social Venture Network Conference
SVN conference focuses on economic justice.
SVN conference focuses on economic justice.
Alice Tepper Marlin created some of the most innovative models for corporate social responsibility. Her energetic work over decades has helped provide concrete research and practical methods for bringing companies, investors, consumers, and workers together to address issues of environmental and economic justice worldwide. In this audio lecture, Tepper Marlin traces her own history from her early days on Wall Street to her ongoing work in the not-for-profit sector, providing blueprints for social entrepreneurs.
Clear communication is the key to informing and inspiring supporters for any cause. Based on his years of experience helping nonprofits succeed, Mal Warwick shares with his 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp audience some tried-and-true methods for getting the message across. As emphasized in this audio lecture, good research and some well-chosen words and images can help an organization articulate its vision and sharpen its unique identity in order to excite contributors and let them know their money will be well spent.
The nonprofit world can be a surprisingly competitive place with players keenly striving to distinguish themselves and win scarce dollars. Being an effective competitor as well as a good collaborator can help drive a nonprofit's social mission and improve long-term success. In this audio lecture, consultant David La Piana shares his own experiences with a 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp audience and gives advice on the continuous strategic planning needed for an organization to build its competitive advantage without compromising core values.
From clean water to disease control and global climate change, a new breed of business people is designing sustainable solutions to promote international development and reduce global poverty. Hear from the leaders in this panel discussion about how they are applying business discipline to improve livelihood in many different nations.
Funders are calling for more program evaluation, but nonprofits are often collecting dubious data, at great cost to themselves and ultimately to the people they serve.
Large-scale social change requires broad cross-sector coordination, not the isolated intervention of individual organizations.
For NGOs, impact comes in different forms and to track the cycles of social change work, we must think across the tangibility and the speed of emergence of change.
With an understanding of these 10 funding models, nonprofit leaders can use the for-profit world's valuable practice of engaging in succinct and clear conversations about long-term financial strategy.
Social entrepreneurship is attracting growing amounts of talent, money, and attention, but along with its increasing popularity has come less certainty about what exactly a social entrepreneur is and does.