Stanford Social Innovation Review is an award-winning magazine covering best strategies for nonprofits, foundations, and socially responsible businesses. Published quarterly by the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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Build Change, a Mill Valley, Calif.-based nonprofit whose mission is “to greatly reduce deaths, injuries, and economic losses caused by housing collapses due to earthquakes in developing countries,” is shaking up construction practices in earthquake-prone areas.
Development experts have long known that educating girls is one of the surest ways to improve life for everyone in poor countries. Yet the path to school has not been smooth for many girls—especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past 17 years, however, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) has delivered high-quality education to millions of girls across 35 African countries. The secret to FAWE’s scale and impact, say its leaders, is its flexibility.
When disaster strikes, government often rely on nonprofits and businesses to pitch in with relief efforts. But making up for the public sector’s shortcomings is neither an appropriate nor effective use of the private sector’s strengths. Instead of mopping after government failures, nonprofits and businesses should lobby governments to focus more on disaster mitigation and less on disaster relief. An ounce of the private sector’s advocacy would be worth more than a pound of its response.
