G-20: Fury with International Leaders

Lots of questions, but few concrete answers emerged.  Dubai’s Khaleej Times referred to the “clanging chaos in Cannes.” Chicago Tribune called the G-20 leaders: “One big, dysfunctional family.”  And the Guardian argued against Mexico’s Felipe Calderon (who could be facing charges of war crimes and war crimes against humanity) being named the chair of the G-20. #

While much of the media coverage of the political meeting was negative, a little hope did emerge from Cannes.  Bill Gates put out a much-discussed paper on innovation, highlighting the need for greater scientific technological innovation as well as new inventive partnerships crossing sectors to address today’s development needs.  The full paper can be found in a variety of languages on his site, GatesNotes. #

And Dr. Muhammad Yunus addressed the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit nearby, calling on the G20 to expand to G25 - including more developing countries from each continent to make sure that their voices are heard too at this global platform. #

Overall, the leaders agreed to: #

• Increase global agricultural output  (which will be needed for the now 7 billion residents of the planet)
• Decrease volatility of food commodities
• Abolish taxes on food that’s bought for humanitarian purposes by UN agencies/ WFP
• Create a committee that’ll start addressing youth unemployment (across the world, and especially in developing countries)

Stanford Gets Richer to Help the Poor

Stanford’s D.School, or Design school, already has a number of courses designed with innovation for the BoP in mind.  However, this money will only add to the concentration on designing for the other 90%. #

Stanford Professor Hua Lee will spearhead the new Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies.  The funds came from Stanford alumnus and investor, Robert E. King and his wife. #

Forbes’ Tim Ferguson wrote that “This latest move reinforces [the] idea that expanded wealth and knowledge at the top run of the world’s economy is making possible more serious undertakings to expand prosperity.” #

Weekend Reads

• Ron Bloom comments on TIME Ideas that Detroit can learn from Silicon Valley and vice versa.
• Is microfinance reaching rural areas?  Seattle-based Charles Wolfe argues that we could do more with microfinance.
• Forbes’ breaks down 10 strategies for building a successful social business.
• The Guardian looks at the misuse of the term “social enterprise” in today’s world, citing Salesforce as one of the offenders.
• WSJ asks a provocative question: 'Why does India hate women?' with an examination of India’s challenges with young mothers and female infanticide.

VilCap is an organization that helps seed-stage entrepreneurs through building peer support organizations that provide accountability and business strategy, making for a more investable enterprise. Inspired by the village microfinance model, VilCap partners with local incubators around the world to organize entrepreneurs into groups that mutually assess, refine, and improve each others' ventures. #

Dowser: How did you identify the need for what VilCap does?
Ross Baird, Executive Director: VilCap is a pilot project that has come out of First Light Ventures, where I was working. One of the things we saw at First Light was an unbelievable number of really compelling concepts that had great teams backing them but very little seed capital. At the same time there are investors out there who are having a hard time finding investable companies; 250,000 were found through a survey we did. #

So we were looking for ways to bridge that gap, and we decided to build on the model of peer groups being used in rural microfinance schemes. We thought that pulling entrepreneurs together would help build their companies. We took a bit of a gamble in doing this by putting more power into the entrepreneurs’ hands. #

Does something about this entrepreneur network model make investors more comfortable with putting up their money?
Every startup has risks. Investors by default are looking for reasons to say no. But being backed up by peers is a compelling reason for investors to say yes to entrepreneurs. We want to promote the idea that peer cohort networks, because they are educational programs, are a strong model for the entire social enterprise field. So we’re putting a lot of resources into developing this peer support process. #

How do the peer support groups work?
Face-to-face meetings are a core component. It’s really critical, and we’ve seen entrepreneurs really thrive in that setting. We’re also starting to experiment with online technology for entrepreneurs that can’t do in-person meetings. #

Is there a specific structure to these peer groups, in terms of how they share information and govern themselves?
VilCap sets the rules for a 12-week curriculum. There are certain things that entrepreneurs need to know going in and certain things they’ll learn while doing the program. One of the things we aim to do is overcome the gap in expectations between what investors want to see and what entrepreneurs think they should pitch. #

For example?
For example, investors look for exit opportunities: how will an enterprise go public or become acquired by a major company. Many entrepreneurs don’t know what that is, and this is frustrating to investors. So we run an entire session on exits. #

We also have local investors and local industry players engaged with the cohort. This benefits investors because it’s a low-cost way for them to do diligence on potential investment opportunities. #

What do you look for in a potential partner enterprise; how do you know it will successfully work within your model?
We want to see someone who really feels invested in their idea, who is working full-time investing time, money, and reputation. We want companies that have social value in their core missions, which we define as contributing to the well-being of people living in poverty or making a direct contribution to environmental sustainability. We’re also looking for companies that are looking to scale, and are raising at least $500,000 in the next 18 months. We also have a group interview as part of our application process because we want companies that will be good teammates. #

What’s something challenging about the work you do?
An important question to ask, that I don’t have the answer to, is really how well in the long run does crowdsourcing work? #

But it’s hard to know this, because it's a challenge to evaluate companies’ performance. To know how effective we are as an organization, we need to know how our companies are doing. It’s hard to get time-strapped entrepreneurs who are just starting-out to report how they’re doing. We’re trying to build operational impact-reporting into our program to deal with this; we need companies to produce data that is more valuable to the industry. #

Interview has been edited and condensed. #]]> http://dowser.org/vilcap-entrepreneurial-investment-is-more-than-just-cash/feed/ 2 http://dowser.org/top-ten-crowdsourced-funding-platforms/ http://dowser.org/top-ten-crowdsourced-funding-platforms/#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:00:09 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=10985 Whatever project you can dream up, there’s a crowdsourced funding platform out there for it. Entrepreneurs, investors, journalists, artists, environmentalists, educators, nonprofits and charities are using these sites to fundraise and turn their visions for social change into realities. These sites provide more than just a donor base -- they create an online community of people who care about your cause and want to follow your progress. #

1. spot.us is a funding platform for citizen journalism. Users can submit story tips, and journalists pitch their story ideas for funding. Reporters can also recruit users to help them with a story, which is later posted on the site. Reporters keep 90 percent of the revenue, the rest goes to site editors. If you’re low on cash but want to participate, you can support a story of your choice at no cost through earning points by taking a survey with a spot.us sponsor. The site hosts some excellent stories done by hardworking, independent investigative reporters. #

2.  33needs is a web application that connects investors to small-scale entrepreneurs around the world. The investor receives 3% and 33needs receives 5% of the funding target for a project. The site helpfully divides up projects into categories such as “education,” “the planet,” “community,” and so on. It’s brand new, and looks like it’s off to a promising start. #

3.  Profounder aims to help entrepreneurs get a community to invest in their project, creating a support base in addition to bringing in money. The site’s team gives guidance on creating a fundraising pitch, managing investments and returns, and legal issues. Profounder’s blog illustrates various stories of helping small businesses expand and get their products to new markets. #

4.  Microplace is a Paypal-owned company that allows investors to put their money into projects that aim to alleviate poverty. Users create an account on MicroPlace like you would at any brokerage firm. Users then receive quarterly interest payments and portfolio statements. When an investment matures, users can either get their money back or roll it over into anther investment. #

5.  Kickstarter targets artists and entrepreneurs who need funding to bring their creative projects to life. Its use of video as a means of sharing projects makes it particularly fun and simple. A project cannot begin, and no credit cards are charged, until enough pledges have been made to reach the funding target, so as to discourage poorly-executed projects. Project creators inspire people to open their wallets by offering rewards, such as “thank you” mentions on their personal blogs, or products from their projects. #

6.  IndieGoGo, similar to Kickstarter, also caters to artists and creative entrepreneurs. What’s different here is that you can close a project before full funding, but the transaction fees also go up from 4% to 9%. Users can offer unique perks or tax deductions to contributors in lieu of offering profit, but always keep 100% ownership. IndieGogo benefits from an attractive, user-friendly site that makes it fun to browse through the projects. #

7.  Crowdrise allows you to support charities and volunteer organizations by voting for their projects on the site, donating money, or helping them fundraise. You can create a profile to help raise money for a charity, or join an existing project team. Crowdrise deducts 5% on donations made through the site and charges a $1 transaction fee for donations under $25 or a $2.50 transaction fee for donations $25 and over. Crowdrise already has 1.5 million charities on board. #

8. Firstgiving helps organizations plan, execute, and measure successful online fundraising campaigns and events. Nonprofits can make a page to send to their supporters, or individuals can create a page to raise funds for an organization. With 8,000 organizations and 13 million online donors participating, and $1 billion raised online, Firstgiving’s services appear wide-reaching. #

9  DonorsChoose allows teachers to solicit funding for specific needs in classrooms and schools. The site is well-organized, with tags for different kinds of projects, and it showcases quotes from donors about how good they feel after giving. Almost 7,000 donors have reached 45,000 students through funding over 1,000 projects on DonorsChoose. #

10. ioby connects donors and volunteers to environmental projects in their neighborhoods to inspire new environmental knowledge and action in New York City. The site was founded on the principle that NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) beliefs can result in environmental hazards being pushed into low-income areas and communities of color. The site boasts of supporting innovative environmental projects like recycling and composting initiatives in New York City neighborhoods and schools, as well as street beautification, urban gardening, and park maintenance projects. #

If we missed your favorite crowdsourced funding platform, leave it in the comments. #

Photo: Anirudh Koul #]]> http://dowser.org/top-ten-crowdsourced-funding-platforms/feed/ 30 http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-february-4-the-crowdsource-goes-wild-startup-inspiration-and-social-enterprises-at-the-superbowl/ http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-february-4-the-crowdsource-goes-wild-startup-inspiration-and-social-enterprises-at-the-superbowl/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:00:41 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=10917 Search for the hashtag #socent and you’ll find wide-ranging interest in social entrepreneurship on Twitter. Here’s a roundup of a few interesting tweets from the last week: #

Big ideas, big results: Nominations open for 2011 PopTech Social Innovation Fellows - http://bit.ly/hhma6O #socent

February 1, 2011 3:26 pm via TweetDeck

@poptech

PopTech

33needs Helps Do-Gooder Startups Crowdsource Their Funding - NYTimes.com http://nyti.ms/dTQEdq #socent

February 1, 2011 5:00 pm via web

@33needs

33needs

The crowdsourced funding craze is picking up steam. Newly launched 33needs is a site where socially-minded startups can raise initial seed funding from individual contributors on the Web. Social startups post their funding goals and explain their mission and business plan. Users invest $10 - $1000 and get a promised percentage of revenues over a specified period of time. #

RT @endeavorbrasil: site gathers #inspirational #quotes from big entrepreneurs in the business world! http://bit.ly/cBjQco #SocEnt

February 1, 2011 11:06 pm via TweetDeck

@onnistamo2011

THE event for SocEnt

Wharton School of Business to integrate social enterprise into all major classes - http://ow.ly/3NLEA #socent

February 1, 2011 7:50 pm via HootSuite

@sallyreb

Sally Peters

Pepsi dumps Super Bowl ads in favour of #socialmedia and social enterprise #socent http://t.co/WoUg6Rw” tx to @linzomatic cc: @ixyyc

February 1, 2011 7:11 pm via Twitter for iPhone

@mjbowerman

mjbowerman

What’d we miss? Let us know in the comments or find us @dowserDOTorg. #]]> http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-february-4-the-crowdsource-goes-wild-startup-inspiration-and-social-enterprises-at-the-superbowl/feed/ 0 http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-january-28-a-buck-a-day-for-a-good-cause-legal-advice-and-private-partnerships/ http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-january-28-a-buck-a-day-for-a-good-cause-legal-advice-and-private-partnerships/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:00:08 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=10805 Search for the hashtag #socent and you’ll find wide-ranging interest in social entrepreneurship on Twitter. Here’s a roundup of a few interesting tweets from the last week: #

A Groupon for #giving? Sign us up. Philanthroper: A Daily Deal Site for Charities: http://su.pr/2TLZTx #socent

January 26, 2011 1:25 am via Su.pr

@ABCSaveALife

ABC Save A Life

It's Not About the Money http://huff.to/gFIbtG (my latest post via @huffingtonpost) #crowdfunding #socent

January 25, 2011 10:13 pm via The Huffington Post

@joshtetrick

Josh Tetrick

Advice from Twitter: 9 Ways to Find a #Nonprofit Job http://dld.bz/F622 #career #jobseekers

January 26, 2011 12:15 am via SocialOomph

@rosettathurman

Rosetta Thurman

Check LawForChange http://www.lawforchange.org: great legal resource for #socent & other social innovators (via @netlex)

January 26, 2011 12:15 am via web

@socialedge

socialedge

Should social enterprises be looking to private businesses for contracts? - The Guardian: http://bit.ly/fDUsQU #socent

January 25, 2011 10:37 pm via feedly

@adamspence

Adam Spence

What’d we miss? Let us know in the comments or find us @dowserDOTorg. #]]> http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-january-28-a-buck-a-day-for-a-good-cause-legal-advice-and-private-partnerships/feed/ 0 http://dowser.org/eight-trends-in-social-entrepreneurship-to-watch-for-in-2011/ http://dowser.org/eight-trends-in-social-entrepreneurship-to-watch-for-in-2011/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:37:31 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=10483 We thought we'd kick off the year with a look at some of the trends currently shaping the movement. What follows is the culmination of a series of interviews with a diverse group of experts. Each trend also links to a longer Q&A with the expert, where you can read more about their thoughts for this year in social entrepreneurship. Here is what to look for in the field in 2011: #

1. More Creative Funding Solutions for Social Entrepreneurs #

It is important to look at creative funding solutions, says Sasha Dichter of Acumen Fund. Social enterprises are getting more resourceful in the way that they are going after funding, and some of the most successful enterprises are those that are utilizing a combination of different sources of capital – from seed funding and impact investments, to government grants and fundraising from corporate donors. Social enterprises cannot expect to be carried by one source of funding anymore, and need to look at different ways of blending capital to create the largest social impact. #

2. Improvement of Metrics and Increased Adoption Rates #

As a result of a greater funding pipeline, there is greater pressure to provide the metrics for determining the impact of investments beyond just their financial returns. Dichter says the sector is in a transition period; on the heels of the Impact Investing Report released by JP Morgan in December, initiatives like GIIN's Impact Reporting and Investment Standards are gaining traction. The tools and methods by which we can begin to evaluate impact have been developed (IRIS began its initiative in 2009), and according to Dichter, 2011 will be the year where we move from the conceptualization phase to more widespread adoption. #

3. The Formation of an International Community of Social Entrepreneurs #

Much of the work that social entrepreneurs have been doing for the past few decades has taken place on a global scale, but until recently, there hasn't been as much discussion or partnership with social entrepreneurial counterparts outside the U.S.. According to Kevin Jones, one of the co-founders of SOCAP, each year the international constituent at SOCAP gets larger. Jones said that more U.S.-based organizations are realizing the potential synergy of learning from and teaming with like-minded organizations in Europe. Along the same lines, the Social Venture Network is putting on its first international conference in collaboration with its European members in the Netherlands this summer. #

4. Closing the Gap between For-profit and Nonprofit #

Much debate has taken place around the for-profit/nonprofit divide among social entrepreneurs. Kevin Jones says while the two camps are still learning to understand each other and find ways to relate to one another, the debate is ultimately irrelevant because bridges are being built between both camps now. The trend is not whether there will be more for-profits or nonprofits in the year to come, but rather, how these two camps find ways to collaborate and form partnerships so that they aren't competing with one another.
#

5. The Democratization of the Movement #

The responsibility for creating widespread social change is not something that falls squarely on the shoulders of social entrepreneurs anymore. Entrepreneurship, says Amy Clark of Ashoka, is just one avenue by which change can be achieved. Clark says we have entered a time of democratization in which everyone can be involved in advancing social change. Ashoka operates from the standpoint of a citizen community, where contributions and innovations of all kinds are necessary for creating large scale social impact. Gone are the days of isolated tales of innovation; we are increasingly embracing and seeking out the ideas and innovators from all fields, sectors and skill sets. #

Along with more people taking on the role of change-makers, there is increasing participation from those that entrepreneurs are working to serve. According to Clark, there is a shift taking place away from people as service recipients and charity targets, and a move towards more active engagement on the receiving end. Clark is observing entrepreneurs who are now soliciting feedback from those they are trying to help. As a result of this increased engagement, entrepreneurs are able to use that knowledge to inform their efforts going forward. #

6. The Evolution of a Meta Profession #

Increasingly, social entrepreneurship is making its way into the academic space. More universities that have entrepreneurship offerings are creating specific undergrad and grad programs that focus on social entrepreneurship. The Catherine B. Reynolds Program in Social Entrepreneurship at New York University, which opened in 2006, has been pioneering a new way of engaging students in this area of work. Gabriel Brodbar, the program's director, says the program was designed to take a cross-university approach, rather than focusing solely on enterprise and business skills. The school's philosophy is that social entrepreneurship can and must cross sectors, and that the greatest amount of change and innovation will happen when multiple skill sets are working together. Brodbar says this way of thinking about social entrepreneurship as a much larger meta profession, under which many other professions can fall, is being embraced more everyday by the larger entrepreneurial community. #

With a broader definition of social entrepreneurship comes room for multiple change-making roles. A social entrepreneur no longer encompasses just the person with an innovative idea for addressing a social problem. There are also those that play a role in building the infrastructure needed to implement these solutions – whether that be the lawyers, engineers, or biologists without which actual social change could not be realized. There are also those that approach social change through the arts – via journalism, documentary filmmaking and even performance. The definition of a social entrepreneur says Brodbar, is expanding now to encompass all these roles. #

7. Growth of the Youth Constituency #

While social innovation is not more prevalent amongst one generation or another, increasingly the millennial generation is taking action. Lara Galinsky, the Senior Vice President at Echoing Green says that's especially true of their applicant pool, where those that apply to be fellows are skewing toward the young. She believes social entrepreneurship is hitting a sweet spot particularly among millennials and the Y Generation because there is a greater bend towards leading a life of meaning and significance. As the sector grows, Galinsky believes they will only continue to get more interest from a younger generation. #

8. More Product-Driven Ideas #

Galinsky has observed that many of the ideas emerging from the social innovation space have been focused around building products that will advance change. This observation points to a growing trend in product-based social enterprises, rather than the service-based models. Galinsky says that entrepreneurs are increasingly going to develop product-based solutions that serve to alleviate broader social problems. #]]> http://dowser.org/eight-trends-in-social-entrepreneurship-to-watch-for-in-2011/feed/ 9 http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-january-21-changemaking-degrees-crowdfunding-and-linkedin-startups/ http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-january-21-changemaking-degrees-crowdfunding-and-linkedin-startups/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:27:55 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=10465 Search for the hashtag #socent and you’ll find wide-ranging interest in social entrepreneurship on Twitter. Here’s a roundup of a few interesting tweets from the last week: #

Must read if you are hiring: 10 tips for entrepreneurs & #socent to build great teams http://bit.ly/hUkK1G @FortuneMagazine #hr

January 19, 2011 4:27 pm via Tweed webOS

@socialedge

socialedge

130 Ways to Fund Your Social Venture | SocialEarth http://ow.ly/3GuWe #socent #funding #nonprofit #capital #socap

January 19, 2011 3:32 pm via HootSuite

@SocialEarth

SocialEarth

SocialEarth presents a comprehensive list of links to currently-available fellowships, grants, crowdfunding online platforms, venture capitalists, conferences, networking events, “do-good” banks or loan providers, and locality-specific funding organizations that can offer support to your social innovation projects. #

RT @newprofit: NYU Reynolds Program is offering $50,000 graduate fellowships for visionary social entrepreneurs. http://bit.ly/DRZhM #socent

January 19, 2011 7:29 pm via TweetDeck

@MLTMBAPrep

MLT MBAPrep

Acumen Fund case study, "Market Minded Development," in #SSIR http://ow.ly/3GDug #socent #bopbiz

January 19, 2011 7:25 pm via HootSuite

@acumenfund

Acumen Fund

How to Create a Profitable Business Using @LinkedIn http://bit.ly/gBqF6i #Fashion #Retail #fairtrade #SocEnt #Collegestores

January 19, 2011 6:07 pm via TweetDeck

@aldea_fairtrade

Aldea Artisans

What’d we miss? Let us know in the comments or find us @dowserDOTorg. #]]> http://dowser.org/twitter-roundup-january-21-changemaking-degrees-crowdfunding-and-linkedin-startups/feed/ 0 http://dowser.org/social-innovation-trends-of-2010/ http://dowser.org/social-innovation-trends-of-2010/#comments Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:00:47 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=9826 As we teeter on the edge of a new year, after eight months in operation, we thought we'd highlight a few of the stories we came across the past year. Thanks for joining us in our launch year, come back regularly, and please join in on the conversation! Note: Our office will be closed until Jan.2. We'll be back strong in 2011. #

1. How SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS think about maximizing impact from the get-go:
#

• Craig Kielburger showed how to empower entrepreneurs from a young age
• Young entrepreneurs often kick off their careers by integrating multiple social issues
• Dowser founder David Bornstein’s latest book looks at the motives that make entrepreneurship social

• Local and state-based movements attempt to compensate for a lack of leadership at the national and international levels. Fort Collins Colorado is setting up to be the world's largest net-zero energy community
• New Jersey's citizens are being given the chance to sell solar energy produced in their homes
• Technology is beginning to give individuals responsibility for environmental reporting through smartphone apps

• Bob Lenz discussed how Envision Schools prepare low-income high schoolers with the skills to succeed in college
• Jamie Berger of the Thrive Project on his idea for expanding career development options for rural youth
• Our arts and urban youth series made the case for buttressing arts education to develop life-long problem-solving skills

• The Brooklyn Food Coalition's Nancy Romer talked about building a food movement one neighborhood at a time
• Dickson Despommier is breaking out of the rural-farming box with vertical farms
• A mobile farm stand is bringing the farm to food deserts

Happy New Year! #]]> http://dowser.org/social-innovation-trends-of-2010/feed/ 0 http://dowser.org/giving-what-we-can-maximizing-the-impact-of-donations/ http://dowser.org/giving-what-we-can-maximizing-the-impact-of-donations/#comments Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:49:50 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=9301 In the giving season, choosing where to donate can be difficult; the staggering number of important organization and causes is overwhelming, and where you put your money is as important as how much you give.  Giving What We Can keeps careful tabs on which organizations have the biggest impact. Its members try to maximize both the amount of money they give and the effect that money has in the world. Giving What We Can members pledge to give 10 percent of their income every year over the course of their lifetimes, with the hope that those funds can make a huge difference if they are put in the right hands. We spoke with Nick Beckstead of Giving What We Can about how to get the biggest bang out of your donated buck.

Dowser: Does giving money really make a difference? What if you don't have much to give?
Beckstead: There is hard evidence that giving to certain organizations can make a massive impact, even for relatively small amounts of money. For example, Stop TB Partnership, one of our recommended charities, implements a cheap and effective treatment for tuberculosis, called DOTS. According to the Disease Control Priorities Project, it costs between $150 and $750 to save someone's life. This estimate has been arrived at through randomized controlled trials and cost-benefit analysis. We absolutely know that this kind of intervention works. #

At this price, even for those that don't have much to give, it is possible to save a life. If they decide to give 10 percent, even those with a modest income could save hundreds of lives over their careers. #

For those that have less to give, we should note that another one of our organizations, Deworm the World, can make significant impacts for even smaller sums of money. For about 50 cents, you can treat a child for parasitic worms. A teacher can administer this highly inexpensive medicine once or twice a year. A study at MIT confirmed that for about $3.50, you can get an extra year of school participation using this kind of treatment, due to days of school that would have been missed due to illness. Deworm the World provides technical assistance to governments in Kenya and India that are scaling up programs like this.

One thing that often holds people back from giving is a feeling that their dollar won't make a difference. Does every dollar help? Or does it all depend on the charity?
This is an area where good intentions are not enough. It is absolutely critical that we fund the very best organizations. Most social programs and services don't get carefully evaluated. And those that do get evaluated are often found not to work. According to David Anderson, assistant director at the Institute for Evidence-based Policy, about 75 percent of social programs and services that have been evaluated turn out to produce either weak or limited beneficial effects. #

Among the interventions that actually work, there is still great variability in cost effectiveness. For example, the Disease Control Priorities Project studied over 100 medical interventions targeted at people in the developing world. The very best organizations proved to be more than 100 times more effective than typical ones, in terms of quality-adjusted life-years saved per $1,000. #

Fortunately, we can identify some of the very best organizations out there, and we can be confident that they are using our donations on programs that work as effectively as possible. Donors can visit our website for more information about our recommended organizations. #

Elaborate on the research you've done into which organizations are the most effective financially.
Much of our research focuses on medical and public health charities. In that case, we look at how many people a health intervention can affect for a given amount of money, and how large of an effect is provided. Following a common practice in public health, we seek to fund the interventions that provide the most quality-adjusted life-years for a fixed sum of money. Then, we find organizations that focus exclusively, or nearly exclusively, on those interventions, operate transparently and efficiently, and have room for additional funding.

What are some things that people should think about before making a donation?
People who give a significant amount of money should approach the question of where to give with the same level of care and diligence that they use to make other important financial decisions, such as what car to buy, which house to buy, or what assets to invest in. Interested donors can find some of the best organizations by visiting our website or the websites of other organizations that evaluate charity effectiveness, such as www.givewell.org.

How much say do Giving What We Can members have in which organizations to donate to?
Our members pledge to give 10 percent to the organizations that they believe best help those suffering from poverty in the developing world. Giving What We Can does not collect any money from its members. Though we offer recommendations about where to give, it is up to our members to decide where they think their donations can do the most good. #

Apart from our recommendations, we don't really make many decisions on behalf of our members. However, we do have an online forum where our members frequently make recommendations about further research and outreach programs.

You have about 64 members now. What are your plans for expanding?
Giving What We Can is looking at starting chapters in Canberra, London, and Princeton. In our first year, we grew from 24 people to 64. We'd like to see that kind of growth next year as well. #

Giving What We Can is also part of a larger movement that promotes effective giving. Organizations like GiveWell, The Life You Can Save, and Poverty Action Lab are also spreading some similar ideas how to give effectively and why it matters. #

Why did you get involved?
The basic message of Giving What We Can really resonates with me: Each of us can make a massive difference in the lives of many people by directing 10 percent of our income to the most effective organizations out there. Over my lifetime, I expect to improve and save hundreds of lives through wisely-chosen donations. And I don't really feel like I'll be missing out on anything. People have many regrets in life, like failing to mend relationships with family and friends, or not accomplishing what they hoped. But you won't find anyone on their deathbed that regrets giving 10 percent to help the people who needed it most.

This interview has been edited and condensed. #]]> http://dowser.org/giving-what-we-can-maximizing-the-impact-of-donations/feed/ 1 http://dowser.org/the-unreasonable-institute-version-2-0/ http://dowser.org/the-unreasonable-institute-version-2-0/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:16:49 +0000 Dowser http://dowser.org/?p=8190 #

The Unreasonable Institute is gearing up for its second year and the wind is at its back. More than half the entrepreneurs selected last year received funding to implement their ideas or start their businesses, which included micro-home solutions for the urban poor in New Delhi, an institute in India for girls formerly engaged in sex work and a reality TV show about entrepreneurs in Afghanistan. #

Organizers have gotten dozens of mentors from the fields of business, environmental activism and social entrepreneurship to return to the sprawling sorority house in Boulder, Colorado, where the institute is housed. [Disclosure: Dowser's founder, David Bornstein, was a mentor last year.] They are currently soliciting applications for this year's cohort of 25 fellows -- and trying to figure out how to improve the idea. #

One change this year is that the program will run for six weeks rather than ten because serious entrepreneurs are reluctant to take that much time away from their work. The selection process will be angled towards entrepreneurs who have more developed business ideas. They'll be looking for candidates who have prototypes of their products, or models, rather than those who are still sifting through the ideas stage. They'll also be partial to entrepreneurs who have actually sold products. Even getting $1 in real sales, explains Tyler Hartung, VP of Finance and Operations, "shows they're out there getting feedback [and] interacting with the market." Last year, one fellow recognized a few weeks into the program that he needed to spend more time talking with potential customers before he could move forward with his business idea. This year, if you plan to apply, be sure that you understand your customer base. #

The institute was founded to help social entrepreneurs (with businesses or not-for-profit ventures) accelerate their impact. Its curriculum reads like a mash-up of a 6-week MBA program and a "Real World" episode. Entrepreneurs live and eat together, exchange ideas, receive training, confer with mentors, and have the opportunity to pitch to serious funders. And all of this gets captured on Unreasonable TV. #

To qualify, the entrepreneurs must have a big idea -- one that promises to make a positive social or environmental impact, and has the potential to reach a million people. Out of hundreds of applicants, 50 finalists get to prove their mettle by raising the $8,000 to attend the program. They must do so in $50 to $100 dollar installments -- and it's a race. The first 25 to finish get to attend the institute. #

This year the institute will also be expanding its "pipeline partners" -- drawing applicants from 80 organizations (four times as many as last year) and fellows will be making trips to New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. to meet with potential partners and social investors. #]]> http://dowser.org/the-unreasonable-institute-version-2-0/feed/ 2