Stanford Social Innovation Review

SSIR Academic Editor Jim Phills sat down with former NBA superstar Kevin Johnson to discuss how he’s revitalizing his old inner-city neighborhood.

Many businesses serving lower income communities languish because they can’t raise enough money to fund their growth. To meet their needs, a new breed of private equity investment—development investment capital—has emerged. Although this style of investing is still in its infancy, it’s already showing promise.

An innovative federal project turns retiring military personnel into teachers.

Dancing Deer Bakery helps most when it keeps its eye on the bottom line.

(left): CEO Patricia Karter (right) and employees ice cookies. The company hires heavily from its surrounding low-income neighborhood of Roxbury.

Managing Editor Eric Nee spoke with Self-Help’s founder and CEO, Martin Eakes, about the subprime loan crisis and its impact on the poor.

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.

The violence, noise, and crowding of poor neighborhoods stress kids and parents, bringing out their bad sides and breeding psychopathology.

Matching unused resources with unmet needs.

Feeling strong has little to do with mobilization in public housing.

Artists for Humanity students are also employees.

Nonprofits are buying Ben & Jerry’s franchises
to help train at-risk youth.

Eastside Prep balances support and structure
in a school for low-income minority students.

Low-income residents of poor towns are underserved by nonprofits.

How to create programs that fly under the radar screen of cutbacks.

Raising a Reader simplifies its message—and takes off.

How savvy social entrepreneurs seized on a tax loophole to raise billions of corporate dollars for affordable housing.

Teaching inner-city kids business skills to build their confidence and aspirations. 

A California mayor’s challenge leads to an innovative resource-pooling strategy. 

Study shows machine politics’ role in welfare. 

What do you get when you ask nonprofit executives
and the public the same question about pressing
social issues? Different answers.