From psdblog: From October 13 to 15, representatives from organizations as varied as Citigroup, Kiva, and the Skoll Foundation will be gathering in San Francisco at the Social Capital Markets conference. With the term social capital, the organizers have something in mind rather different from the more typical definition of the norms that helps societies… Continue reading Social Capital Markets Conference
Be an Acumen Fund Fellow
From the Acumen Fund Fellows Program: We are excited to announce that the application process for the 2009-2010 class of Acumen Fund Fellows is now open. Applications will be accepted online until noon EST on October 20, 2008. Detailed information about the program and application the process, as well as bios of current and past… Continue reading Be an Acumen Fund Fellow
Latest on Affinity Search Engines: Google pulls the plug on eco-friendly search engine Forestle
From Ars Technica: Google has ended its partnership with “green” search engine Forestle, saying that the site offered “incentives to click artificially on sponsored links.” Forestle says that it is attempting to “clarify” the issue and get the site reactivated, but for now, we’ll all have to put our environmentally-conscious searching on hold.
Peaceworks In Business Week: Making Social Entrepreneurship Matter
Here’s a article about Peaceworks, a “successful global business that promotes peace through commercial ventures among Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians, Turks, Indonesians, and Sri Lankans”. They are pioneering a different flavor of social entrepreneurship that is promoting peacemaking through business. “We are using market forces to achieve the goal of peace and coexistence,” says Lubetzky. Having… Continue reading Peaceworks In Business Week: Making Social Entrepreneurship Matter
Synergos Social Innovators Program
The Synergos Institute, based in New York City has launched a Social Innovators Program in the Middle East and North Africa and sends the following message: Are you making a difference in your community? We can help give you the tools and funding to do it better. Synergos Social Innovators Program We’re hoping to make… Continue reading Synergos Social Innovators Program
OLPC Makes It To India
It was a disappointment when India didn’t show any interest in the OLPC, but it looks like the non-profit has made considerable progress in the country with some local help: Two years later, Negroponte is back to open a new office in New Delhi and launch the OLPC program in India on Aug. 4. Despite… Continue reading OLPC Makes It To India
Socially Responsible Investment Firm Bought Shares In Defense, Tobacco, and Gambling Businesses
Forgot to link to this article last week from the WSJ: Pax World Management Corp., one of the best-known “socially responsible” investment firms, settled Securities and Exchange Commission charges that it violated its own rules against purchasing shares in companies involved in such businesses as defense, alcohol, tobacco and gambling. The settlement — in which… Continue reading Socially Responsible Investment Firm Bought Shares In Defense, Tobacco, and Gambling Businesses
The Problem Brewing In Microlending
There’s been a long running rift in the micropayments world, with Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Prize winning founder of Grameen Bank, on one side and for-profit counterparts such as Compartamos on the other side. Yunus has accused these for-profit lenders of being nothing more than loan sharks. Compartamos defends themselves and say that they create… Continue reading The Problem Brewing In Microlending
SocialVibe: A Social Media Platform That Helps Raise Money For Charities
I searched through my site and realized that I hadn’t yet covered SocialVibe. I consider this organization one of the more successful web based social enterprises. These guys are L.A. based, raised venture capital, and just announced that they’ve raised over $100k in donations since they launched six months ago. The company said that in… Continue reading SocialVibe: A Social Media Platform That Helps Raise Money For Charities
VisionSpring Launches A Blog: Business In A Bag
VisionSpring, an Acumen Fund portfolio company, uses a wholesale distribution and franchising model to administer vision tests and sell low-cost reading glasses to India’s poor who are suffering from reduced vision. They do this by recruiting local Vision Entrepreneurs who are trained to operate a mini franchise, and travel from village to village to conduct… Continue reading VisionSpring Launches A Blog: Business In A Bag