charity:water – giving the gift of life

i realize how long it has been since i’ve updated this blog … which is a shame considering how much there really is to write. sorry! as i was having dinner tonight, i was reminded of the importance of technology in our society, and how much good we can really create with it. as such, hope to continue this blog more regularly ::fingers crossed:: in documenting a sliver of the extraordinary work some are doing. charity:water is no exception … and i hope you’ll read on to find out why …

charity: water - give the gift of life

Industry/sector: Water, healthcare, technology
Geographic Coverage: Africa
Where it all started: New York, New York / West Africa
Give the gift of life: www.charitywater.org

like many great relationships, it all started when you least expected — as i looked through the calendar at my local apple store, i noticed that the next “designed by mac” session had a slightly different title — charity: water.  thinking nothing of it at the time, i made note of the date and time in case i had time to swing by.

from the moment i got there halfway through scott harrison’s presentation (the founder of the organization), i was hooked. providing clean water access solves so many problems, freeing up time, energy, and manpower that would have otherwise been lost in a task that should come far more efficiently.

more than the mission itself, however, i was thoroughly impressed by the organization and execution of this non-profit. with design and technology at its focus (they use gps devices to map progress on Google Maps), it was using new technologies and progress to address age-old problems.

while the skeptics among my friends have raised issues such as the sustainability of well-building, charity:water ’s use of new technological tools is deserving in recognition in and of itself. it provides you with the transparency that traditional organizations like the american red cross are still trying to achieve, interaction and a feeling of community with the people you are helping, and a well laid-out story about the impact of your contributions.

currently, the “september birthday campaign” is going on, where individuals/groups can give up occasions to raise money for building a well in africa (look out for a campaign from yours truly coming soon as well!).

ever since i was in elementary school, i was always taught that water was the basis of all living matter. providing clean, accessible water to entire communities in africa is a worthwhile cause in and of itself, but when combined with new ways of thinking and interaction, it can be transformative.

learn more about the work that scott and his team are doing here, and how they got to where they are today.

BetterWorld.com: “The Online Bookstore with a Soul”

Industry/sector: Literacy, education, technology
Geographic Coverage: Global
Where it all started: Mishawaka, Indiana
Shop for literacy: www.betterworld.com

In a lot of ways, BetterWorld.com can be seen as Barnes and Noble and Amazon — with a mission that extends beyond maximizing economic profitability. Its core mission centers around promoting global literacy through work with its four partners: NCFL, Books for Africa, Room to Read, and the WorldFund.

Looking to sell/donate some books? You can also do it through BetterWorld.com and through their local community locations.

Plus, they offer free domestic shipping (global shipping is $3.95) that’s environmentally conscious. How? By offsetting their carbon footprints through Carbonfund.org.

Check out their informational video below:

AIMS – Next Einstein: Let Africa Shine

Industry/sector: Education, technology
Geographic Coverage: Africa
Founded in: Capetown, South Africa
Get involved: www.nexteinstein.org

Sponsored by the likes of Forest Whitaker and Stephen Hawking, the AIMS Institute aims to enable the students of Africa. Armed with the vision that Africans will be able to lead the change in finding the solutions to the continent’s ongoing challenges, it supports the academic educations of its citizens in the sciences and mathematics (as expected with sponsors like Stephen Hawking and TED Prize!).

While it is an admirable and ambitious venture by any definition of the word, I wonder if this pursuit of developing creative and innovative problem solvers with the emphasis focused so single-mindedly on the education of mathematics and the sciences will also limit its potential. Granted that these two subjects are inarguably the fundamental building blocks of any society, is it truly the right paradigm to pursue progress in the 21st century?

To truly nurture not only the Next Einstein, but the next generation of problem solvers, does NextEinstein not also need to introduce an interdisciplinary course of study and take full advantage of what we have learned in the 20th century? We have shifted away from the days when the craftsmanship of an ironsmith was a person’s sole calling.

Regardless, we will need more organizations like NextEinstein to help solve the challenges we face today that will only become more opportunities tomorrow. Like other organizations that have leveraged the opportunity to engage individuals from around the world, rather than seeking out solely large institutions as has been the more traditional model, NextEinstein encourages visitors to sponsor students and be a part of the process.

brightgreentalent.com: Rethinking Recruitment

Industry/sector: Recruitment
Geographic Coverage: U.S. and the UK
Headquarters: London, UK and San Francisco, CA
Get involved: www.brightgreentalent.com

Social entrepreneurship is all about doing good and doing well. And for those of us where entrepreneurship may not be the right fit, there’s Bright Green Talent, matching environmental- and sustainability- conscious individuals with roles that fit their skills and passions.

Regardless of where social entrepreneurship leads, large corporations will still play a key role in the global equation. Equally passionate people who are serious about change will inevitably be needed. As the company itself summarizes best, it espouses to the idea that “the ideal profession integrates financial security with meaningful and fulfilling work, and supports individuals’ development and passions within and outside the workplace.” Some sample positions they offer are:

-Senior CSR Consultant
-VP Global Sales and Marketing

Qifang.cn – Individual-Powered Student Loans

Industry/sector: Microfinancing
Geographic Coverage: China
Year founded: 2008 — pending beta stage
Headquarters: Shanghai, China
Get involved: TBA

Not unlike Kiva, we’ve seen a recent surge in enterprises that take the same basic concept of connecting individuals and applied it to roles that have been traditionally filled by banks — small business lending, debt lending, and student loans. Funding college educations is exactly what QiFang aims to accomplish. Especially at a time where the global costs of education are rising, this will be crucial for nations like China with lower per capita GDPs to truly break into the global marketplace.

Based in Shanghai, China, the company takes what has historically belonged to group borrowing institutions to bring it to an online community. According to CrunchBase:

The company expects interest rates on most Qifang loans to be between 8 to 12 percent. The interest rate will be based on how many lenders bid on each loan. The site will recommend that lenders invest in a portfolio of loans to reduce their risk, but if they choose, each one can put all their money in a single loan. Since there is very little credit history on individuals in China, the site will use other proxies to calculate risk. Each borrower must scan in their national ID cards to verify who they are, and list their school, major, grades, hometown, parents ID cards and income. [The founder] is creating partnerships with the schools directly, so that the information students supply can be verified and so that loan payments can be made directly to educational institutions.

While QiFang is still pending release, a similar site to watch is: 51give.com

In a society that emphasizes the importance of “keeping face” as strongly as China’s, it will be interesting to see how this plays out at a time of change in an transitioning economy. Perhaps more interesting will be the dichotomy that will likely arise amongst different generations, and ideologies.

Regardless, the success or failure of companies like QiFang will undoubtedly pave the way in rethinking how we can finance the rising costs of higher education, not only in China, but in the U.S. as well.

Kiva.org – Changing the world one loan at a time

Industry/sector: Microfinancing
Geographic Coverage: Global
Year founded: 2005
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Get involved: http://www.kiva.org/about/do-more

Given that Kiva.org is the site and concept that truly got me excited about social entrepreneurship, it seems only appropriate to dedicate this first post to them. For those of you who haven’t heard about microfinancing, it is an idea that rather than having a top-down approach to developing social change in developing economies, to empower those from the bottom-up — one loan at a time. By lending directly to small businesses and entrepreneurs (a couple hundred USD), it enables individuals to grow their enterprises faster with capital that is not often easily accessible.

Matt and Jessica Flannery at Kiva take this one step further — rather than have organizations fund these growing enterprises, they reach out to the netizens of the world. Any one can lend $20, $30, or $100 to different mini-ventures all over the world. What makes this particularly interesting is that it allows you to do good, while not just giving cold cash. Along the way, you are able to see the returns these small businesses make with your support, and when they succeed, you are ultimately repaid as well.

Based in San Francisco, this organization has lent out over 8 million dollars worth of loans to budding entrepreneurs all over the world. Its unique model of integrating local microcredit organizations, the power of internet communications, and global netizens (primarily in the United States) has yielded an impressive 0.2% default rate.

As the world changes, we will need more of organizations like Kiva — organizations that step outside the box and think of innovative methods to address current problems by integrating technology, global knowledge sharing, and passion.

inaugural post

social enterprise is entering such an exciting time that i thought it’d be pretty sweet to chronicle all of the great innovations and ideas that people are coming up with.  while this blog will attempt to encompass all the ventures that amazing individuals and organizations are embarking upon everywhere, it will mainly focus on the cross-section between technology and social entrepreneurship.

why?

because i believe that there is so much we can accomplish by leveraging all the incredible advancements we have made in the past few decades.

so together, let us make a change!