Techno-Optimists Beware | May. 16, 2012
Two books argue that entrepreneurs and technology are transforming the global economy.
Timothy Ogden
Tim Ogden is Executive Partner at Sona Partners, a thought leadership communications firm. He has edited four books on the intersection of business strategy and technology published by Harvard Business School Press and co-authored or ghostwritten several articles for Harvard Business Review. He is frequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Financial Times. You can follow him on Twitter: @philaction or @timothyogden.
Techno-Optimists Beware | May. 16, 2012
Two books argue that entrepreneurs and technology are transforming the global economy.
The True Cost of Social Capital | 1 | Mar. 7, 2012
We’re a long way from bringing the real cost of social capital in line with commercial capital.
Turning Success into Failure | 2 | Feb. 28, 2012
An essential skill for innovators and entrepreneurs is the ability to turn success into failure.
Free the Knowledge | 5 | Feb. 8, 2012
Useful knowledge for the social sector coming from academic researchers is severely limited.
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Living with the Gates Foundation: A Retrospective | 2 | Dec. 20, 2011
A summary of articles and discussions about the Gates Foundation’s impact on global social change.
GOOD Questions About the Jumo Acquisition | 9 | Aug. 19, 2011
In the wake of the announcement of the intent to GOOD to absorb Jumo, questions arise about form, functions, policy, and societal value.
Less Epistemology, More Evolution | 3 | Jun. 22, 2011
An analysis of Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo’s book Poor Economics.
Lessons from Grameen and Microfinance—Are You Building an Institution of Change? | 3 | Apr. 29, 2011
Not every organization should become an institution. But long-term change really is dependent on institutions.
Thinking Small | 5 | Apr. 13, 2011
The problem with “changing the world” is that it probably involves invoking impossibly superficial means to address oversimplified problems.
Dark Skies After All | 2 | Jan. 26, 2011
Troubling signs on many fronts indeed. I still believe there are sunny days ahead from microfinance, but I’m far more sanguine than I was just a few months ago.
Sunny Days for Microfinance | 2 | Nov. 19, 2010
I think the current moment is the beginning of the golden years for microfinance.
Social Capital Markets: What Are the Most Important Signs of Progress? | 1 | Sep. 15, 2010
I probably first heard the term “social capital market” about 10 years ago. As with all commonly adopted jargon, though, it’s hard to remember where I first came across the term. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately as I’m preparing for this years Social Capital Markets conference in San Francisco next month. I’ll be appearing on a panel in the Tactical Philanthropy track representing GiveWell, where I serve on the board. Alongside representatives from Charity Navigator and Root Cause, we’ll be walking through approaches to evaluating an organization; in this case the DC Central Kitchen.
The intent of the conference, now in its third year, is to help build social capital markets. This year in particular the theme is “what’s next?” But I’ve been thinking... (continue reading this blog post)
The Charitable Giving Market is Efficient After All | 8 | Aug. 24, 2010
“The charitable giving market is highly inefficient.” In the five years I’ve been writing about philanthropy I’ve used that phrase, or at least that sentiment, more times than I could possibly count. That’s not a blinding insight on my part by any means—it long predates me and is a view shared by many who are working to improve the sector.
The premise is that in well-functioning markets, capital moves to where it gets the best return. People or organizations who don’t generate a high enough return find it increasingly hard to raise funds... (continue reading this post)
Lagging Imperialists in Social Entrepreneurship and How to Avoid Them | 5 | Aug. 2, 2010
What is the proper role of the haves in helping the have-nots? That age-old debate is only recently coming into focus in the world of social entrepreneurship. A few weeks ago I wrote a post for Harvard Business Reviews blog asserting that the US is a laggard and not a leader in social innovation. With remarkable synchronicity, Bruce Nussbaum, a leading light in the design world wrote a post for Fast Company Design asking, “Is Humanitarian Design the New Imperialism?” a few weeks later.
Our posts, similar in nature, obviously touched a nerve, as evident in the comments (there’s also a good round-up of various blogosphere reactions here). While many people agreed, dissenters accused both Bruce and I of ignoring positive examples... (continue reading this blog post)
Professional Altruism Is Harder than It Looks | 1 | Apr. 19, 2010
If you've spent any time as a social entrepreneur or running a non-profit, you've had a conversation with a foundation program officer. If you've spoken with more than one program officer, you no doubt have had at least one bad experience. I could spend several posts developing a taxonomy of program officers you'd rather not deal with...ever.
But hard as it may be to muster after several negative encounters, program officers deserve our sympathy... (continue reading this blog post)
Obama’s Missed Opportunity to Change Charitable Giving | 5 | Mar. 23, 2010
Last week the White House announced the charities that President Obama selected to receive the funds from his Nobel Peace Prize award. The President selected a variety of charities, mostly educational, as well as giving $250,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. The choices generally elicited praise, but I think the Obama White House missed a huge opportunity—you might even say Obama wasted the most valuable capital he had when making the announcement... (continue reading this blog post)
Patient Optimists | 8 | Feb. 19, 2010
I’m not an “impatient optimist” like Bill and Melinda Gates. When it comes to making the world a better place, I think impatient optimists are quite possibly a part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Led by some terrific organizations, the nonprofit and social entrepreneurship sector is generating solid evidence on the effectiveness of programs aimed at alleviating poverty, combating homelessness, preserving natural resources, and the like… (continue reading this blog post)
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