Stanford Social Innovation Review

THE SILENT LANGUAGE by Edward T. Hall

WHOLE EARTH DISCIPLINE: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto by Stewart Brand

THE DESIGN OF BUSINESS: Why Design Thinking Is the Next Competitive Advantage by Roger L. Martin

In Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a series of vignettes brings to life the struggles and courage of unforgettable women who are, as the book’s subtitle suggests, turning oppression into opportunity.

How nonprofits are finding great employees even during the manpower shortage

Recycla Chile, Latin America’s first e-waste recycling company, reclaims value from discarded electronics and marginalized people.

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.

In recent decades, nonprofits have significantly increased the size of their endowments. Yet during the current economic crisis, they made scant use of their sizable holdings. Instead of drawing down their endowments to offset losses of income, nonprofits resorted to cutting programs and personnel, sometimes dramatically. To prepare for future financial downturns, nonprofits should treat endowments as rainy day funds, not cut programs to preserve the endowment.

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.

During its first 10 years, Creative Capital has pumped $14 million into 324 projects from a range of artistic disciplines. But Creative Capital doesn’t just fund projects, it builds careers.

Many social changes hinge on good marketing. But what are social marketers to do when their target audience couldn’t care less about—or even despises—the change they want to make? Here’s how one group got everyday people to care about alternative energy.

Jeff Raikes takes over the Gates Foundation at a turbulent
time when philanthropic resources are down and social needs are up

The poor are just like everyone else: they do not save as much as they would like.  Yet unlike their richer counterparts, poor people do not receive the cleverly marketed, carefully tested financial products that could help them reach their savings goals more easily.  To enrich the bottom of the pyramid, bankers to the poor should make saving money easier by using the latest findings from economics and psychology.

Economic gardening nurtures local business

“By paying so much attention to managing their own risks, philanthropists are no longer attending to the marginalized people who risk so much to make change happen,” says Sheela Patel in this First Person.

Recessions are not sprints; they are endurance events. Find out how nonprofits are faring during the toughest recession in more than 30 years and learn the seven healthy habits of nonprofits that endure.

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.

Designers have traditionally focused on enhancing the look and functionality of products.  Recently, they have begun using design tools to tackle more complex problems, such as finding ways to provide low-cost healthcare throughout the world.  Businesses were first to embrace this new approach—called design thinking—now nonprofits are beginning to adopt it too.

Grab a mocha and brainstorm.

Win beads, give loans.

In his new book, The Search for Social Entrepreneurship, Paul C. Light, professor of public service at New York University, uses his considerable talents to provide a rich discussion of the most important issues in the field of social entrepreneurship.

THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS by Thomas S. Kuhn

SEX TRAFFICKING: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery by Siddharth Kara

ICONOCLAST: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently by Gregory Berns

PHILANTHROCAPITALISM: How the Rich Can Save the World by Matthew Bishop & Michael Green

Successful entrepreneurs show characteristics of both men and women.

We don’t necessarily like people who do the right thing.

Leaders should rethink how they treat their subordinates.

Research finds human extinction looms near if consumption levels do not decrease.

Group attachment and commitment are what drive protesters to act.

Role ambiguity dampens board member’s commitments.

Universal child care may not be the best option.

Research shows branding differentiates nonprofits in stakeholders’ minds.

William Brindley spent most of his career keeping financial institutions at the leading edge of technology. Now, as CEO of the nonprofit consortium NetHope, he is using those same skills to help nonprofits do the same. NetHope now has 25 member organizations, among them Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Catholic Relief Services.

Nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers, but most CEOs do a poor job of managing them. As a result, more than one-third of those who volunteer one year do not donate their time the next year—at any nonprofit. That adds up to an estimated $38 billion in lost labor. To remedy this situation, nonprofit leaders must develop a more strategic approach to managing this overlooked and undervalued talent pool. The good news is that new waves of retiring baby boomers and energetic young people are ready to fill the gap.

Paying people to practice safe sex.

A new evaluation tool allows donors and investors to track their investments and compare their data to those of organizations doing similar work.

Mathematical tool helps countries weigh the pros and cons of using biofuel.

Two new players in the world’s social investing scene seek financial returns along with social impact.

Rockers go green.