Important Reading
The “Marketplace” for Promising Projects and Organizations
Blogs Focused on Innovative Projects
Introduction to TED Talks
Important Reading
The White Man’s Burden, by William Easterley
This book was named a Best Book of the Year by the Economist and Financial Times. Easterley, a former World Bank Senior Advisor and NYU Professor of Economics offers a blistering indictment of the failure of Western aid to reach the poor. Clear-eyed and rigorous, Easterley argues that utopian, top-down “Planners” have wasted 2.3 trillion dollars over the last fifty years. He argues for “Searchers,” Social Entrepreneurs attacking the world’s problems from the ground up.
Out of Poverty, by Paul Polak
Wonderfully readable, Polak’s book tells why mainstream poverty programs have fallen so sadly short and how he and his organization developed an alternative approach that has already succeeded in lifting 17 million people out of poverty.
Grassroots Philanthropy, by Bill Somerville, founder of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
Based on four decades of experience as a foundation executive, Somerville offers an unorthodox guide to decisive, hands-on grantmaking. His approach to grantmaking, which urges donors to “take risks, move quickly, get out of the office and into the field,” is refreshing, practical, and persuasive.
Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, by Muhammad Yunus
Yunus, whose pioneering concept of microcredit has benefited over 100 million families worldwide, explores how the dynamics of capitalism could be applied to humanity’s greatest challenges. Yunus offers a glimpse of a world transformed by thousands of social businesses.
The Tactics of Hope, by Wilford Welch
Welch, a former diplomat and international business consultant, offers a how-to of sorts by presenting the inspiring stories of twenty-seven social entrepreneurs, and offering practical steps for taking the instinct to help and put it into action.
Good to Great and the Social Sector, by Jim Collins
Jim Collins applies his analysis of organizational excellence to non-profits addressing social change in this monograph.
The SSIR is the magazine in the Social Entrepreneurship world. It offers articles, blogs, podcasts, and reviews, and also sponsors events and conferences.
The “Marketplace” for Promising Projects and Organizations
Ashoka http://www.ashoka.org Ashoka is the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.
Changemakers http://www.changemakers.net Changemakers, an initiative of Ashoka, is building the world's first global online "open source" community by hosting competitions, funded by outside foundations, to identify the best social solutions, and then collaborates to refine, enrich, and implement those solutions.
The Skoll Foundation http://www.skollfoundation.org The Skoll Foundation's mission is to advance systemic change to benefit communities around the world by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs.
Echoing Green http://www.echoinggreen.org To accelerate social change, Echoing Green invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions. Through a two-year fellowship program, Echoing Green helps its network of visionaries develop new solutions to society’s most difficult problems.
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
http://www.schwabfound.org The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship provides unparalleled platforms at the country, regional and global levels that highlight social entrepreneurship as a key element to advance societies and address social problems.
Next Billion http://www.nextbillion.net NextBillion.net brings together the community of business leaders, social entrepreneurs, NGOs, policy makers, and academics who want to explore the connection between development and enterprise.
Acumen Fund http://www.acumenfund.org Acumen Fund identifies and builds transformative businesses to solve the problems of poverty.
Draper Richards Foundation http://www.draperrichards.org Draper Richards Foundation identifies and delivers support to promising Social Entrepreneurs at the critical start-up phase. By funding dedicated, talented leadership DRF helps outstanding people create wide-reaching social change.
Blogs Focused on Innovative Projects and Organizations
SocialEdge Blog (sponsored by the Skoll Foundation)
http://www.socialedge.org/ Social Edge is a site where social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and other practitioners of the social benefit sector connect to network, learn, inspire and share resources. The site strikes a balance between the visionary and the practical, with its spirited discussions and online workshops and features.
Paul Hudnut, Director Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise, CSU defines a BOPreneur as an entrepreneur focused on improving the lives of the 3 billion people who earn less than $3 a day—the Bottom of the Pyramid. Hudnut’s blog shares experiences and opinions about the BOP, entrepreneursip, and sustainability.
Harga-Blog http://www.andrewhargadon.typepad.com/ Andy Hargadon, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at UC Davis, blogs regularly on issues of technology, design and creativity as they apply to Social Entrepreneurship.
Entertaining, informative blog about the day to day operations of one of the most successful social entrepreneurial projects out there--a blend of microfinance, Facebook, and eBay. Fantastic way for philanthropists of all ages to get their feet wet in microfinance. An lending account can be set up for as little as $25. (One of our clients gave her Goldman Sachs banker a Kiva account instead of a flower arrangement as a holiday gift.) See www.kiva.org for more.
The PSD blog gathers together news, resources and ideas about the role of private enterprise in fighting poverty. The blog is informal and represents the quirks and opinions of the bloggers, not the World Bank Group.
Catalyst Social Business Blog http://www.catfund.com/blog/ With contributions from the Catalyst team and members of the Catalyst network, this blog is a forum to discuss the issues and debates facing social businesses, and comment on recent events and possible future developments in the sector.
Introduction to TED TALKS
The annual TED Conference brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to “give the talk of their lives.” The TED site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public without charge. More than 200 talks, each 18 minutes long, are now available from the TED archive, with more added each week. We encourage you to browse the “themes” list and sample talks from a variety of different categories. You may never again have to ask what’s on TV tonight.
TED Website: http://www.ted.com
The following talks are a few of the many thought-provoking presentations:
Hans Rosling, Global Health Expert
Jan Chipchase, Principal researcher for Nokia
Patrick Awuah, Ex-Microsoft Executive now Founder, Ashesi University
Jacqueline Novograz, founder of Acumen Fund
Amory Lovins, Founder, Rocky Mountain Institute
Fascinating Reading
