social ventures

UpMo for Leadership Development: Volunteering is the Yellow Brick Road

Alice Korngold — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:49:07 -0400

Getting a Job in the Nonprofit Sector: Making Your Move from Corporate

Alice Korngold — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:38:29 -0400

“Definitely consider making the transition from the for-profit to the nonprofit sector. Your skills are transferable, and it definitely feels good to do good. But don't assume that it is exactly the same; social impact is a lot harder to measure than profitability, and the capital raising process (i.e., fundraising) is more complicated and less streamlined than in the for-profit world,” explains Stephanie Cuskley, who was recently named CEO of NPower.

Nonprofits Want Your Time and Money, and You Want to Invest Wisely

Alice Korngold — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:30:55 -0400

Your inbox overflows with appeals for contributions, invitations to galas, and volunteer projects. In addition, if you are a business executive or professional with strategic expertise and some financial success, there are nonprofit boards that would love to have you join. Nonprofits are competing for you.

Choosing a Nonprofit Board: The Elevator Speech

Alice Korngold — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:52:54 -0400

Last November, I listed 5 factors that board candidates consider in choosing a nonprofit board. In having trained and placed hundreds of business executives and professionals on nonprofit boards, and also having trained and mentored colleagues and protégés to place business people on boards, I have stressed the vital role of board members being unrelenting advocates for their organizations, generous donors, and enthusiastic fundraisers.

Teach For America: It’s Really About an Alumni Movement

Alice Korngold — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:22:47 -0500

DC Central Kitchen Has the Secrets to Success for Nonprofit Entrepreneurship

Alice Korngold — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:34:09 -0500

Be My Valentine! Winning Partnerships for the Greater Good

Alice Korngold — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:24:12 -0500

Partnerships among nonprofits, and between for-profits and nonprofits, will be among the best innovations that are driven by this tough economy. The benefits include cost efficiencies, revenue opportunities for nonprofits, more sustainable nonprofit organizations, and better services for communities in addressing vital issues in conservation, education, healthcare, the arts, and economic development.

The Atlas Performing Arts Center: Back Offices Boost Box Offices

Alice Korngold — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:06:39 -0500

Jane Lang had a vision to rehab a decrepit site in Washington, D.C.

Clifford Chance’s Innovative Approach to CSR

Alice Korngold — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:28:37 -0500

“Our partners are developing as leaders while helping nonprofits to achieve greater results,” said Craig Medwick, Regional Managing Partner for Clifford Chance in the Americas. “Our attorneys are making serious, thoughtful commitments to organizations they care about. And we are investing in organizations

If Sustainability is the New Religion, Maybe it Belongs in Church

Alice Korngold — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:16:29 -0500

Design partners John Nottingham and John Spirk thought so. Saving a beautiful old church and rehabbing it as a den of creativity, Nottingham and Spirk catalyzed community revitalization in a moribund neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. As an antidote to tossing out buildings and neighborhoods, “our firm salvaged and reinvented an old building to create an insp

Cool Juice Display Uses No Freon and Saves Energy

Alice Korngold — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:22:20 -0500

After a client complained that sales of their regional juice products were lagging because of poor placement in the back coolers of retail stores, John Nottingham and his product design group at Nottingham-Spirk Design set about creating a new way to display refrigerated products.

American Express and the New Philanthropy of Engagement

Alice Korngold — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:52:33 -0500

In today’s economy, engagement is the name of the game for corporate philanthropy. When a plethora of good causes is pounding down the doors for dollars, how does a corporate foundation decide where to give for the greatest good? American Express is tackling this dilemma through a variety of means: technology, promoting service and collaboration, and developing emerging leaders. The result?

President Obama: Hail to the Community Organizer in Chief

Alice Korngold — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:00:12 -0500

Leading the way for the next generation of leaders is President-elect Barack Obama, who has described his formative work experience as a community organizer in Chicago’s South Side in 1985, when he was 23 years old.

Vanguard Governance: Part IV – New Leadership for an Ambitious Future

Alice Korngold — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:15:21 -0500

For-profit and nonprofit boards and their CEOs must create more ambitious and successful enterprises by recruiting board members from more diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Individuals who are accomplished and come from a variety of corners of the community and the world will enrich board discussions and make better decisions through a deeper and broader appreciation of both the challenges and opportunities.

Vanguard Governance: Part I - Boards Rule

Alice Korngold — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:42:00 -0500

Despite conventional wisdom that draws sharp lines between for-profit and nonprofit boards, I believe that they are fundamentally the same. Both for-profit and nonprofit boards have ownership responsibilities for their organizations.

Introducing Vanguard Governance: The Power of Boards and a Mandate for Change

Alice Korngold — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:27:57 -0500

For-profit boards of directors bear much responsibility for the past year’s financial catastrophes. Nonprofit boards are accountable for global and regional organizations that need to address vital matters relating to the environment, energy, jobs, poverty, education, healthcare, and the arts. The public and the media are becoming aware of the

Board Governance 2009: Rising from the Ashes

Alice Korngold — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:11:11 -0500

“The era that defined Wall Street is finally, officially over.

You've Got IT, Nonprofits Need IT: Doing Good One Byte At A Time

Alice Korngold — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:20:57 -0500

Too many nonprofits are missing out on the advantages of the internet in communicating their messages, galvanizing support, and serving the world. Businesses can add important value by providing guidance, expertise, and technical skills.

Forecast for Corporate Giving 2009

Alice Korngold — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:22:08 -0500

Listening carefully to businesses as they react to traumatic and volatile market news, here are my five predictions for corporate philanthropy in 2009:

Good-Giving: Six Holiday Gift Ideas

Alice Korngold — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:09:04 -0500

One side-effect of this dreadful economy is that people seem more mindful than ever of the needs of others and what matters most. Tis the season for “good giving.” Here are six holiday gift ideas for doing good by giving good:

Choosing a Nonprofit Board

Alice Korngold — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:48:39 -0500

There are over a million nonprofits in the U.S. alone, most of which would be thrilled to have the talents of business people who bring experience, expertise, and fresh perspectives, as well as a willingness to contribute funds and make introductions to other potential supporters. For many readers, the question for you is how to choose the board that will provide you with the most rewarding experience.

Beyond Subprime: What Business People Can Do to Invest in Communities

Alice Korngold — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:44:37 -0500

Investing in Nonprofits: What Funders Need to Know About Boards

Alice Korngold — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:08:39 -0500

A big lesson learned from the past year’s corporate meltdowns is the role of governing boards in leading and minding the business. Funders who seek to invest their dollars in nonprofits will be wise to choose organizations whose boards are governing well.

Social Entrepreneurship, the Creativity Economy, and Reciprocity: Investing in a Better World

Alice Korngold — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:48:27 -0500

Since 1987, Echoing Green has provided seed funding and support to more than 450 social entrepreneurs with bold ideas for social change in order to launch groundbreaking organizations around the world. Echoing Green was established by the senior leadership of General Atlantic, global growth investors, to pioneer the strategy of applying entrepreneurial principles to social sector investing.

One Organization’s Approach to Advance Economic Mobility, and Lessons on Leadership

Alice Korngold — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:06:38 -0500

A powerful combination of services to alleviate poverty and improve lives is to help people make a living and manage their money. We see this in the global universe of micro-finance.