Comments for Springboard Innovation Blog http://blog.springboardinnovation.org Putting our mouth where our money is. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:21:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 Comment on Success Evades Social Enterprises: What needs to be done? by Bob Lieberman http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2010/05/success-evades-social-enterprises-what-needs-to-be-done/comment-page-1/#comment-502 Bob Lieberman Thu, 06 May 2010 23:23:42 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=469#comment-502 I would like to think that social entrepreneurship can change the world, but I don't think a thriving ecosystem is enough to make that happen. All that assures is that social entrepreneurship won't die off. To become more than a niche, it needs depth. We live in a world (and especially in a country) in which social benefit is routinely discounted until it becomes commercialized. For example, we include in the GNP the value of paid daycare but not the value of the more superior service, parenting. We gush over a million iPads, and don't even notice <a href="http://www.developments.org.uk/articles/immunisation-fund-to-save-10-million-children/" rel="nofollow">ten million children's lives saved</a>. The problem is that social enterprise is treated as a hobby by our society, in much the same way as sports and the arts are. Some segments of the both have figured out how to flourish but the actors, musicians, painters, players, and writers who deliver the value receive very little of the profit. I wouldn't suggest that social enterprises emulate Michael Jackson or Michael Jordan, but there might be a lesson in there somewhere. In any case, I think that in order to have high social impact, the social enterprise ecosystem needs to be supported by a foundation of societal values quite different than the ones we have now. Changing that is quite a tall order, I know, but I think strong creative effort in that area will make the rest of it a lot easier and a lot more impactful. I would like to think that social entrepreneurship can change the world, but I don’t think a thriving ecosystem is enough to make that happen. All that assures is that social entrepreneurship won’t die off. To become more than a niche, it needs depth.

We live in a world (and especially in a country) in which social benefit is routinely discounted until it becomes commercialized. For example, we include in the GNP the value of paid daycare but not the value of the more superior service, parenting. We gush over a million iPads, and don’t even notice ten million children’s lives saved.

The problem is that social enterprise is treated as a hobby by our society, in much the same way as sports and the arts are. Some segments of the both have figured out how to flourish but the actors, musicians, painters, players, and writers who deliver the value receive very little of the profit. I wouldn’t suggest that social enterprises emulate Michael Jackson or Michael Jordan, but there might be a lesson in there somewhere.

In any case, I think that in order to have high social impact, the social enterprise ecosystem needs to be supported by a foundation of societal values quite different than the ones we have now. Changing that is quite a tall order, I know, but I think strong creative effort in that area will make the rest of it a lot easier and a lot more impactful.

]]> Comment on Creating Tsunamis: Update on the Waves Dan Pallotta’s “Uncharitable” Catalyzed in the Social Sector by Joe Brown http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2010/05/creating-tsunamis-update-on-the-waves-dan-pallotta%e2%80%99s-uncharitable-catalyzed-in-the-social-sector/comment-page-1/#comment-495 Joe Brown Wed, 05 May 2010 23:44:34 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=436#comment-495 Thank you for referencing my comments in this piece, Kristen. I am flattered to think that my contributions are worth note alongside some of the leaders you mentioned. I agree -- and hope -- that we are somewhere near the fulcrum of change in the social sector, and I look forward to continuing to be a student and servant of that change. Thanks again. Thank you for referencing my comments in this piece, Kristen. I am flattered to think that my contributions are worth note alongside some of the leaders you mentioned. I agree — and hope — that we are somewhere near the fulcrum of change in the social sector, and I look forward to continuing to be a student and servant of that change. Thanks again.

]]> Comment on Cross-Sector Thinking: Clay Shirky and Dan Pallotta on the transformation of the media industry and the nonprofit sector by Kevin Johnson http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2010/04/cross-sector-thinking-clay-shirky-and-dan-pallotta/comment-page-1/#comment-473 Kevin Johnson Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:07:12 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=385#comment-473 To paraphrase William Gibson, the Canadian author, the future is already here, it's just not widely distributed. There are many clear signs that nonprofit business as usual may not suffice in the years to come. Pallotta's comments are particularly relevant for nonprofits as they consider their funding model for the future. My fear is that so many boards and nonprofit leaders are today focused on checkbook management, mistaking budget cutting for leadership, that many important groups will suffer the cuts for years to come -- if they actually survive. I welcome comments such as these because I hope they will expand the conversation, wake up board members, and bring back some of the excitement, hope, and power of vision to these groups. To paraphrase William Gibson, the Canadian author, the future is already here, it’s just not widely distributed. There are many clear signs that nonprofit business as usual may not suffice in the years to come. Pallotta’s comments are particularly relevant for nonprofits as they consider their funding model for the future. My fear is that so many boards and nonprofit leaders are today focused on checkbook management, mistaking budget cutting for leadership, that many important groups will suffer the cuts for years to come — if they actually survive. I welcome comments such as these because I hope they will expand the conversation, wake up board members, and bring back some of the excitement, hope, and power of vision to these groups.

]]> Comment on Cross-Sector Thinking: Clay Shirky and Dan Pallotta on the transformation of the media industry and the nonprofit sector by Peter Korchnak http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2010/04/cross-sector-thinking-clay-shirky-and-dan-pallotta/comment-page-1/#comment-472 Peter Korchnak Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:57:48 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=385#comment-472 Having both read Clay Shirky's post on the collapse of complex business models and attended Dan Pallotta's keynote at ReVV 2010, I didn't make the connection between the two highlighted here. Perhaps it's because it's indeed a "less obvious analogy", if not a tenuous one. Where Clay Shirky points out what has already happened, Dan Pallotta bemoans the state of affairs and offers solutions as to what he'd like to see happen in the future. My hope is one day soon Dan will be able to write about the collapse of the Puritan charity business model. Having both read Clay Shirky’s post on the collapse of complex business models and attended Dan Pallotta’s keynote at ReVV 2010, I didn’t make the connection between the two highlighted here. Perhaps it’s because it’s indeed a “less obvious analogy”, if not a tenuous one. Where Clay Shirky points out what has already happened, Dan Pallotta bemoans the state of affairs and offers solutions as to what he’d like to see happen in the future. My hope is one day soon Dan will be able to write about the collapse of the Puritan charity business model.

]]> Comment on Blogging SoCap by David Bean http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2009/08/were-blogging-socap/comment-page-1/#comment-434 David Bean Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:09:49 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=116#comment-434 "The Market Solves Everything" was the mantra that the haves sold to the many when everybody was intoxicated with money. Then they drove the bus off the cliff and many folks lost their homes, their jobs, their savings as a result. Traders who deal with markets give them animal names. George Soros who proved he knew how markets worked by making a billion by trading, does not agree that: "The Market Solves Everything". Intelligent they are not. Efficient they can be, if broad and uniform... but you cannot make much money in those. Big Money is made only when markets are warped. Social Capital is not money, but riches. To call it value is to fall into the frame of scarcity, the domain of the dismal science which has lost its footing. To talk about "values" is to discuss measures of transactions of exchange in a world defined by needs and scarcity and lack. It is to follow Dan Quail's lead. Twenty one years ago Illich wrote a short essay: 'Toward a History of Waste'. It seems so prescient now. Do you think it wise to grow our way out of our climate change dilemma? Nay Bahante Social Capital is riches. It is a gift. Gifts can be exchanged.... but not traded for value. That is a transaction. Which is precisely not a gift. I am afraid you must extract your mind and language from the 'economic' frame of 'values' to discuss the boons and blessings that social capital connotes. RealWealth, I believe, is stepping out of the monetized world. There is more time to be found in that place. and Quality of person. “The Market Solves Everything” was the mantra that the haves sold to the many when everybody was intoxicated with money. Then they drove the bus off the cliff and many folks lost their homes, their jobs, their savings as a result. Traders who deal with markets give them animal names. George Soros who proved he knew how markets worked by making a billion by trading, does not agree that: “The Market Solves Everything”. Intelligent they are not. Efficient they can be, if broad and uniform… but you cannot make much money in those. Big Money is made only when markets are warped.

Social Capital is not money, but riches. To call it value is to fall into the frame of scarcity, the domain of the dismal science which has lost its footing. To talk about “values” is to discuss measures of transactions of exchange in a world defined by needs and scarcity and lack. It is to follow Dan Quail’s lead.

Twenty one years ago Illich wrote a short essay: ‘Toward a History of Waste’. It seems so prescient now. Do you think it wise to grow our way out of our climate change dilemma? Nay Bahante

Social Capital is riches. It is a gift. Gifts can be exchanged…. but not traded for value. That is a transaction. Which is precisely not a gift.

I am afraid you must extract your mind and language from the ‘economic’ frame of ‘values’ to discuss the boons and blessings that social capital connotes. RealWealth, I believe, is stepping out of the monetized world. There is more time to be found in that place. and Quality of person.

]]> Comment on Introducing ReVV 2010 by admin http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2010/01/183/comment-page-1/#comment-290 admin Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:01:12 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=183#comment-290 Want to hear more about Innovative Cities? Join us on Thursday, January 21st at the Beyond 2020 Sustainability UnConference at the Olympic Mills Commerce Center, 5-8pm. 107 SE Washington, Portland, OR http://portlandbeyond2020.com/sessions/#comment-176 Want to hear more about Innovative Cities? Join us on Thursday, January 21st at the Beyond 2020 Sustainability UnConference at the Olympic Mills Commerce Center, 5-8pm. 107 SE Washington, Portland, OR

http://portlandbeyond2020.com/sessions/#comment-176

]]> Comment on Can Anyone Become a Social Entrepreneur? by Simon Evill http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2009/07/can-anyone-become-a-social-entrepreneur/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Simon Evill Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:41:00 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=56#comment-14 I am inclined 'NOT' to agree with Professor Paul.C.Light. Not becasue his research and analyses are not revealing about social entrepreneurs and their characterisitics but because WE ALL NEED TO BE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS! To build the world that humanity and the planet needs - both in terms of social justice and democracy and environmental sustainability (and restoration therefore) we need social entrepreneurs by the score. Commerce is the most powerful human endeavour and has proven to be ultimately the most destructive. Social entrepreneurs and the 'social businesses and enterprises' they run therefore offer an extremely powerful way to harness commercial activity for the good of many, rather than the few. Social entrepreneurs seek to solve social and environmental problems through business. In this regard we need lots of social entrepreneurs to bring about a 'social economy'. This, perhaps is the renaissance in thought and action of our time. Simon Evill I am inclined ‘NOT’ to agree with Professor Paul.C.Light.
Not becasue his research and analyses are not revealing about social entrepreneurs and their characterisitics but because WE ALL NEED TO BE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS!

To build the world that humanity and the planet needs - both in terms of social justice and democracy and environmental sustainability (and restoration therefore) we need social entrepreneurs by the score.

Commerce is the most powerful human endeavour and has proven to be ultimately the most destructive. Social entrepreneurs and the ’social businesses and enterprises’ they run therefore offer an extremely powerful way to harness commercial activity for the good of many, rather than the few.

Social entrepreneurs seek to solve social and environmental problems through business. In this regard we need lots of social entrepreneurs to bring about a ’social economy’. This, perhaps is the renaissance in thought and action of our time.

Simon Evill

]]> Comment on PhilanthroMedia Blog Features ChangeXchange by Amy http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/2009/07/philanthromedia-blog-features-changexchange/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Amy Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:08:17 +0000 http://blog.springboardinnovation.org/?p=34#comment-2 How many of you read PhilanthroMedia? I'm curious about the best blogs to track. How many of you read PhilanthroMedia? I’m curious about the best blogs to track.

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