Stanford Social Innovation Review

Over the past decade or so, the term social entrepreneur has become a fashionable way of describing individuals and organizations that, in their attempts at large-scale change, blur the traditional boundaries between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. But let’s not overlook what traditional entrepreneurs contribute to society.

Wenfang Shi holds a bioscience degree from one of China’s top five medical schools and worked as an associate professor in immunology at two leading Chinese research universities. But after moving to the U.S. and applying for numerous jobs without getting an interview or even a callback, Shi felt demoralized. Enter Upwardly Global, a nonprofit that places skilled immigrants in jobs worthy of their talents.

With the economy in turmoil, funders are increasingly pressuring nonprofits to merge. Yet mergers are not always the right path for nonprofits in financial distress. For a healthier nonprofit sector, funders should consider a wider variety of partnership options.

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.