Stanford Social Innovation Review

Since 1970, more than 200,000 nonprofits have opened in the U.S., but only 144 have reached $50 million in annual revenue. They got big by doing two things: They raised the bulk of their money from a single type of funder. And just as importantly, these nonprofits created professional organizations that were tailored to the needs of their primary funding sources.

Greenlight is a nonprofit catalyst: It identifes a local need, scours the country for the best program to meet it, and then establishes a chapter in its hometown.

To ensure that baby boomers’ wealth does not fall short of its philanthropic potential, Randall Ottinger suggests applying portfolio theory to make wiser social investments.

In the early, heady days of the venture philanthropy movement, its proponents touted it as revolutionary, while critics said it was just old wine in new bottles. The experiences of the Center for Venture Philanthropy show that the truth lies somewhere in between: Venture philanthropy is no miracle cure, yet it can be particularly good at building strong organizations, knitting together new networks, and shrinking the power gap between funders and grantees.

By tailoring its methods to local values and needs, Rare has slowly seeded conservation programs in 40 countries. Yet as more and more species teeter on the brink of extinction, the organization must expand quickly. Here’s how the boutique nonprofit is delivering customized Rare Pride social marketing campaigns to millions of people in the planet’s most fragile ecosystems.

To share its expertise without jeopardizing its mission, FareStart spun out a new organization.
left: FareStart’s Chef Ben works with a trainee in a Seattle kitchen.

LaserMonks, a multimillion-dollar enterprise, sells ink-jet cartridges and other office supplies online to support its Cistercian abbey in Wisconsin and to help others, also.

How best to assess program performance.

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

Research shows branding differentiates nonprofits in stakeholders’ minds.

Our economy is in bad shape and will only get worse. So what can fundraisers do to minimize the impact of this difficult period on our organizations, and at the same time maximize income? —By Mal Warwick

When donor gifts are public, social approbation is reward enough.

“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.

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.

The challenge of replicating social programs.

Why a handful of organizations get all the publicity.

How nonprofits harness the power of documentary film.

President of the Ford Foundation.

When nonprofits join forces, individuals give less to the cause.