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Class of '07: The The Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award Winners

By: Tonya Garcia, Polya Lesova, Josie Swindler, and Kathryn TuggleWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:15 AM

DonorsChoose

CEO: Charles Best
www.donorschoose.org
Winner's Statement Links donors with school projects in need of funding. Public-school teachers submit proposals for materials and experiences tailored to students' needs--from books and art supplies to field trips and therapeutic horseback-riding lessons. Donors search an online database and select projects to fund. DonorsChoose.org has channeled nearly $8 million worth of resources to more than 470,000 students in four cities. B

EcoLogic Finance

Executive Director: William F. Foote
www.ecologicfinance.org
Winner's Statement Offers affordable credit and financial education to enterprises in developing countries. By supporting coffee co-ops until their harvests, the arrangement allowed the growers to negotiate higher prices. A partnership with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has led to others with companies including Starbucks. Foote envisions similar partnerships to empower communities that produce cashews, cocoa, and bananas. Ecologic has lent $18 million to coffee growers in 12 countries. In Veracruz, Mexico, its programs have helped keep growers on their farms. And higher bean prices have allowed the local co-op to offer scholarships to members' children and launch a preventative health program that supports 1,200 women. B+

Endeavor Global

Executive director: Linda Rottenberg
www.endeavor.org
Winner's Statement Helps entrepreneurs across Africa and Latin America build and fund successful businesses, creating jobs and vibrant communities. After rigorous screening, promising entrepreneurs are linked with experienced professionals who give feedback and guidance, and are exposed to potential investors. Endeavor Entrepreneurs have created 38,418 jobs in 140 companies, 96% of which stay in business longer than 42 months. Endeavor plans to expand into 26 additional countries. B+

First Book

Executive director: Kyle Zimmer
www.firstbook.org
Winner's Statement Focuses on the distribution problem behind the literacy problem: 80 percent of pre-school programs serving low-income kids don't have age-appropriate books. Initially, Zimmer enlisted publishers to donate their unsold children's books. That led to a special catalog of discounted books for literacy organizations. Now, First Book is testing an online marketplace venture that aggregates the buying power of community-based literacy organizations to secure special print runs of children's books from publishers. First Book has put more than 40 million books in kids' hands since it was founded in 1992. The marketplace brings in new revenue to First Book. And it exposes publishers to an audience they otherwise would not reach. A+

Global Fund for Women

CEO: Kavita Ramdas
www.globalfundforwomen.org
Winner's Statement Makes grants of $500 to $100,000 to organizations advancing women's human rights--promoting economic independence in Africa, say, and fighting "honor killings" in the Middle East. A network of advisers--regional and global experts and activists--provides grantees with perspective and guidance. Since 1987, Global Fund has awarded 5,135 grants totaling more than $50 million to 3,123 organizations in 163 countries. B+
From Issue 111 | December 2006

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Recent Comments | 8 Total

August 20, 2009 at 6:30am by Jesica Semon

I tend to see things going this way as well. I'm certain this won't stop at drug use and party behavior (which is actually a ridiculous qualifier as some of the best employees I've seen partied hard on the weekends). What happens when you're denied a job because of some political or religious views you espouse on blog that the HR person doesn't agree with? You know, the kind of information they aren't allowed to ask you in an interview setting. If it can't be asked in an interview they shouldn't be allowed to go looking for that info online. But, I guess you can always make your profiles private so only people you want to see them can.