The following quote by Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder of Acumen Fund, comes from this great interview with her on Dowser.org. It really hits home for me, for a lot of reasons. You told me that you don’t like the phrase ‘Doing well by doing good.’ Yet, that’s what comes to mind for many when they think…
Just this Wednesday, there was a lot of buzz on the Twitterverse about FrontlineSMS:Legal, a new addition to the FrontlineSMS family. According to their website: FrontlineSMS:Legal helps our partners bridge the distance between communities and the legal services they need most, using low-cost mobile tools. FrontlineSMS:Legal develops and implements technologies that improve the delivery, reach,…
In the past decade, as we all know, social enterprise and business has become incredibly popular. The idea is incredibly compelling: utilize business practices while also bettering the world. Unleash the power of the market to solve social problems. We can make money and do good. Along with its increasing popularity, the demand for learning…
I first heard about Hagar International over a year ago while reading the book “Not for Sale,” about human trafficking. Human trafficking is a tough issue to combat, especially since the solutions aren’t exactly clear, and require investment in long-term assistance and systemic change. But Hagar International has a really innovative and effective model, and…
I haven’t done Feature Friday in quite a while, unfortunately, since I have been so busy this summer. So today I decided to double the effort and feature two great initiatives. Here’s the first one….and check my next blog post for #2! Better World Books Better World Books (BWB) is in my eyes – the…
Today I want to feature United Prosperity, a truly innovative organization that takes the concept of microfinance to the next level. Most microfinance institutions (MFIs) simply provide small loans to poor entrepreneurs who want to pull themselves out of poverty through their small businesses. However, this approach does not strengthen the local banking system or…
Today I want to feature an amazing organization in Sierra Leone, called Timap for Justice. Timap for Justice is an innovative organization aiming to provide basic access to justice to the people of Sierra Leone. Timap for Justice formed to address the shortage of lawyers in the country, and employs and trains community-based paralegals instead…
For my first “Feature Friday,” I’ve decided to highlight kiwanja.net for the truly innovative and exciting work they are doing. kiwanja.net helps pioneer new applications of mobile technology to push forward positive social and environmental change in the developing world. kiwanja.net helps “empower local, national, and international non-profit organisations to make better use of information…
Social entrepreneurship is a truly powerful, revolutionary idea. It’s quite literally changing the way the world works. Social entrepreneurship (aka social enterprise or social business) is essentially business with social objectives in mind. A social business doesn’t focus on profit, while a regular for-profit business wants to maximize profits in order to benefit its shareholders….
I recently ran across the University of California Berkeley Human Rights Center, which held a Mobile Challenge to invite projects and innovations utilizing cutting-edge mobile technology to aid human rights work. I immediately fell in love with this project because it’s something I strongly believe in: law and human rights working together can benefit so…
