Stanford Social Innovation Review

Most people think of networking as a means for advancing their own self-interest.  But successful social innovators take a different tack, nurturing close ties between members and infusing their networks with a common set of values.  As a result, their networks power both personal transformations and large-scale social changes. 

Why the most religious societies have the most volunteers.

An HIV organization in Botswana provides lessons in cooperation.

How a German nonprofit is repurposing sex workers’ skills.

The most generous societies in the world are also the most punishing.

How donors should think about nonprofit efficiency.

Innovative plays are good for all theaters, but lucrative for only a few.

The Rainforest Action Network launched an intensive consumer boycott of several Mitsubishi companies, leading to significant changes in the way the Japanese giant and many of its partners do business. That engagement provides critical lessons for both activist NGOs and corporations.

Social entrepreneurship has come to be synonymous with the individual visionary – the risk taker who goes against the tide to start a new organization to create dramatic social change. The problem with focusing so much attention on the individual entrepreneur is that it neglects to recognize and support thousands of other individuals, groups, and organizations that are crafting solutions to troubles around the globe.

In the frenzy over accountability, funders, donors, and the general public are calling for more program evaluation. But few understand evaluation well enough to conduct or bankroll high-quality studies. Without sufficient knowledge or funding, nonprofits are often collecting heaps of dubious data, at great cost to themselves and ultimately to the people they serve.

Consumers often say they want to be socially responsible when it comes to buying food, clothing, office supplies, and the like. But consumers’ noble sentiments are not often reflected in their actions at the checkout. In fact, a number of corporations have seen their efforts to sell socially responsible products fall flat because consumers failed to buy them in any significant numbers. There are, however, a variety of strategies that corporations can take to increase their odds of success.

Too often, individuals make decisions about how much money to donate to charitable causes on an ad hoc basis. As a result, many people give less money than they can actually afford.  If the affluent contributed as much to nonprofits as the authors believe they can, charitable giving in the United States would increase by $100 billion a year – enough to solve many of the world’s most pressing problems.

Civil society may not be in such bad shape.

How retired healthcare professionals are taking care of the uninsured.

Vanishing NGOs in Bosnia leave lessons in their wake.