Microfinance has gained tremendous momentum in the last year following a large infusion of venture capital. Two companies dominate the mindshare in this space: Prosper and Zopa. However, a lesser known microfinance venture, Kiva.org, is already using the model to demonstrate remarkable social returns by focusing specifically on “loaning money to businesses in the developing… Continue reading Microfinance- Making A Big Difference In The Developing World- A Plug For Kiva
Author: john
Weekend Links: Spamming for Good
This weekend’s featured article, Spamming for Good comes from the Sept 1st issue of Fast Company. The article is about Mani Sivasubramanian, a Chennai-based pediatric heart surgeon who donates up to 50% of his profits from his spam email business to the Children’s Heart Foundation, which he founded himself in 2003. Last year, he took… Continue reading Weekend Links: Spamming for Good
Weekend Reading Links: Thailand Plans To Give Out Free $100 Laptops
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has announced that an ambitious project to provide low-cost laptop computers to all of Thailand’s millions of elementary school students will begin in October. (Via SiliconValley.com)
Analysis of Philanthropy- Katrina Relief
Foundation Center released a report titled “Giving in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Report on the Foundation and Corporate Response,” which can be found here. The headliner at Business Week is that the report revealed that corporate foundations were the leaders in funding the Katrina relief efforts. (Via. Businessweek) While so many foundations… Continue reading Analysis of Philanthropy- Katrina Relief
Comparing Charities- Charity Navigator
Just throught I’d post a quick link to Charity Navigator, a 501(c)(3) non profit that evaluates charities. Why is this important? Because charitable giving is a huge market, approximately $700 billion dollars last year, according to Charity Navigator. We help charitable givers make intelligent giving decisions by providing information on over five thousand charities and… Continue reading Comparing Charities- Charity Navigator
Math Hasn’t Changed… So Why Does California Pay $400M A Year To Update Textbooks?
That’s the question Scott McNealy, chairman of Sun Microsystems, is asking. McNealy, who handed Sun’s chief executive reins to Jonathan Schwartz earlier this year, is now applying his know-how to steer the Global Education and Learning Community (GELC). That’s a non-profit entity, spun off from Sun in January, which aims to make open-source software available… Continue reading Math Hasn’t Changed… So Why Does California Pay $400M A Year To Update Textbooks?
Weekend Links: How Innovation Helped Rwanda Grow Coffee And Hope
The following is a link to a New York Times article about how coffee is making a difference in Rwanda, a country recently ravaged by civil war and genocide. Rwanda, a tiny East African country recently rent by a famously savage civil war, has found hope in that most colonial of crops: coffee. By riding… Continue reading Weekend Links: How Innovation Helped Rwanda Grow Coffee And Hope
Green Wi-Fi Attempting to Close Digital Divide Through Solar Powered Wi-Fi Mesh Network
While the $100 Laptop is getting much attention these days, Green Wi-Fi is doing some equally interesting work in the space. A number of non profit entities focus on addressing the digital divide by providing internet access to developing areas. Green WiFi addresses one of the biggest barriers to success: the lack of reliable electricity… Continue reading Green Wi-Fi Attempting to Close Digital Divide Through Solar Powered Wi-Fi Mesh Network
$100 Laptop Secures 4 Million Orders, Ready For Production?
Earlier, I posted about Nigeria Ordering 1 Million $100 Laptops from OLPC However, this article on Desktop Linux suggests that OLPC has already secured four million orders that it needs to begin production, and that the earlier report was wrong. Either way, its all good news. Once an official report is out, I’ll post to… Continue reading $100 Laptop Secures 4 Million Orders, Ready For Production?
A Charity Takes Medicine Into Its Own Hands
Here’s a great story about a non-profit organization called OneWorld Health, which is trying to be the first non-profit pharmaceutical company. Apparently, promising drugs are identified but not being developed because the drugs aren’t expected to make much money. OneWorld Health has identified one such situation in particular involving a disease called black fever, which… Continue reading A Charity Takes Medicine Into Its Own Hands