Clare Cunningham's blogshttp://www.justmeans.com/editorials/socialenterprise/3.htmlFri, 25 May 2012 00:45:49 GMThttp://www.justmeans.com en hourly 1http://www.justmeans.com/Social-innovation-project-puts-Rio-s-slums-on-the-map/39922.htmlMon, 13 Dec 2010 12:07:36 GMTClare Cunningham In the slums of Brazil social innovation has come recently in the form of mapping. A digital mapping project by the youth enterprise Rede Jovem has, for the past year, been using mobile technology and GPS systems to map the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. This project, known as Wikimapa, has engaged the help five young "wiki-reporters" who, armed with GPS-equipped mobile phones, have been mapping the neighbourhoods of Complexo do Alemao, Cidade de Deus, Morro do Pavao-Pavaozinho, Morro Santa Marta an Read Full Article ]]> In the slums of Brazil social innovation has come recently in the form of mapping. A digital mapping project by the youth enterprise Rede Jovem has, for the past year, been using mobile technology and GPS systems to map the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. This project, known as Wikimapa, has engaged the help five young "wiki-reporters" who, armed with GPS-equipped mobile phones, have been mapping the neighbourhoods of Complexo do Alemao, Cidade de Deus, Morro do Pavao-Pavaozinho, Morro Santa Marta and Complexo da Mare, and creating the first real maps of these areas.Although there are hospitals, coffee shops and restaurants in the favelas, none of these appear on a map. For fire fighters, police and ambulances it is near impossible to navigate the maze-like settlements. Postmen also struggle to deliver letters to homes without addresses. According to Natalia Santos, the executive coordinator for Rede Jovem: "The main goal was to mark public interest spots on a map and show places like schools and institutions and hospitals and restaurants We wanted to spread the news about what slums do have, so all the people can get to know that the slum is not just a place for violence and marginality and robbery."All the young "wiki-reporters" are women, according to Santos. Although the project originally intended to have male participants, the men were nervous about being in the favelas with costly mobile phones. "The boys in the last phase of the selection said they wouldn't have the guts to walk with a cell phone in a slum," said Santos. "Girls can walk with a lot more freedom than boys, and boys get approached by the police." The reporters are between the ages of 17 and 25, and all are in their final year of high school. For the person who maps the most information there will be the prize of a scholarship to study communications or journalism at a private university. 'Rede Jovem', which translates roughly as 'Youth Net', is a non-profit organisation committed to bringing social innovation to the poorest youths of Brazil. The organisation has been in operation since 2000 and works in the deprived areas of metropolitan Brazil. Their aim is to facilitate social and civic participation by young members of these poor communities through the provision of access to information technology. The organisation uses IT as its main tool for social innovation projects.The favela mapping project, known as Wikimapa, was designed to tackle the lack of interaction, access and usage of new information and communication technologies by residents of slums and low-income areas of Brazil. These technical barriers only go to heighten the exclusion experienced by this area of society and so projects that bring residents into the technology loop are invaluable. Rede Jovem recognised the potential for social innovation provided by the ever-evolving mobile technology and wiki based platforms. The organisation hopes that mapping low-income areas and slums, will lead to better social inclusion for residents of the slums. Using virtual and mobile mapping services has never been offered to these areas, until now. So now, for the first time, this social innovation project will literally will put the favelas on the map!Image credit: Andrew Dent]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Coca-Cola-s-distribution-channels-to-open-up-to-aid-with-ColaLife-s-pilot-project/38556.htmlFri, 26 Nov 2010 07:06:33 GMTClare Cunningham Sipping on a Coca-Cola may not immediately bring to mind ideas of social enterprise. However an inspiring idea from a former British aid worker may be changing that. ColaLife is an organization working to harness the vast distribution channels of Coca-Cola to deliver life-saving social products to the poorest and remotest people of the world. In my previous article 'Coca-Cola and the enterprising social venture' I introduced ColaLife and talked about their concept of 'AidPods' - wedge shaped con Read Full Article ]]> Sipping on a Coca-Cola may not immediately bring to mind ideas of social enterprise. However an inspiring idea from a former British aid worker may be changing that. ColaLife is an organization working to harness the vast distribution channels of Coca-Cola to deliver life-saving social products to the poorest and remotest people of the world. In my previous article 'Coca-Cola and the enterprising social venture' I introduced ColaLife and talked about their concept of 'AidPods' - wedge shaped containers that fit between the Coke bottles in a crate of Coca-Cola. ColaLife have been successful in building a dialogue with Coca-Cola about the implementation of their concept. They have also taken significant steps towards setting up a pilot scheme in Zambia. This week I was lucky enough to talk to Simon Berry, the founder of ColaLife, about the organization's recent field trip to Zambia.Q: During your trip to Zambia you met with 45 different people from 15 different organisations. That is a lot of people. Was this planned or did it happen as you were out there?A: We already had meetings set up and then when we got there people said: "Are you speaking with so and so? You must meet with them." And then we went to meet with them and they would say the same thing. It was a really nice feeling. The interest was such that people were very generous with their networks. At one point I was speaking to one of the granddaughters of Kenneth Kaunda who was the first president of Zambia. She is now working in the rural hospital in Mpika, which is where we used to live. Q: What sort of organisations were you talking to? Were they government organisations, NGOs, charities or social enterprises?A: All of those. We had a big meeting with people from the Ministry of Health, on the government side. Then we met with international NGOs - from UNICEF to people running USAID projects. But we also met with local NGOs. We spoke with mothers to get their view on the sort of thing we were thinking of doing. We met with the private sector. We also met with the bottlers. Q: The bottlers are crucial to ColaLife's idea as they will be the distributors of the AidPods. How did that go?A: The bottlers are the most important thing in Zambia because although we've got Coca-Cola's approval to go ahead with the trial that is conditional on the local bottler being onboard. The local bottler in virtually every location is independent of Coca-Cola. It's a separate organisation. In Zambia it is SAB Miller. They are the ones that actually bottle Coca-Cola in Zambia. Q: In general it seems the response was positive. Did you have any problems or any negative responses?A: It was surprisingly positive. My experience in this country (UK) is when you come up with an idea or try and promote a particular project you get resistance; often quite strong resistance from other third sector organisations who perceive that you are treading on their toes. Well, we virtually didn't get any of that. We went to one organisation and there was one person who was not encouraging. On analysis we said it would be quite surprising if they had been totally positive because it could be perceived that we are actually treading on their toes. Having said that the same organization sent a person to the workshop we ran and that person was incredibly positive. So nothing at all to worry about. We are in a quite interesting position because we don't have any implementation capacity, at all. So it's quite obvious to everybody that all we're going in there with an interesting idea and some relationships that belong to us; i.e. with Coca-Cola & SAB Miller; that you can't just create overnight, they take a while to form. So that's what we're bringing to the party. And we need everyone else's collaboration to do anything. In a funny way it's quite a powerful position to be in because the most valuable thing for us moving forward is a strong partnership. Q: How will the logistics of the project work? Who will be responsible for that area of the operation?A: Medical Stores Limited (MSL). It's a quasi-governmental organisation but it's privatising. We went to Zambia with the scenario that they would carry the AidPods to district level because that's what they do. They themselves said in the workshop: "let's just feed this through the private sector." So MSL might bid to do some of the distribution, but it might be done solely through the private sector. Their response was to put it through the private sector right from the beginning. Q: Is this because there is then this possibility of people making profit right along the chain creating an element of social enterprise?A: I think it is. It also means that the motivations throughout the system, right from the very beginning, are consistent. So you're not doing public sector for the first bit and then private sector. You're doing private sector right from the very beginning. Q: In the pilot scheme you will have in place a system that will allow the delivery of the AidPods and where people will make profit right along the chain. For the end users, the mothers, to be able to afford the cost of an AidPod there will be a subsidy. Have you looked at how this will work?A: Well that actually is being done already in a project in Zambia called the 'Zambian Access to ACTs Initaitive' (ZAAI). ACTs are the new form of anti-malarial drugs. There's a project that is trying to clear Zambia of all the old non-effective anti-malarials and to get ACTs throughout the system. It's a very new project, and they are doing that purely though the private sector. So they were keen to do the same with our project. Q: What sort of subsidy will be needed to make the AidPods affordable for the end users?A: Well let's assume the mothers can afford to pay the value of one egg - that's what people are saying. A good rule of thumb is that when a child gets ill, and there are medicines available, then the price mothers can afford to pay is about the value of an egg. Anyway the unit would be a theoretical 1. Then the retailer would have to buy it for 0.85, so he or she makes 15% on that last bit of the transaction. The wholesaler would have to buy it at 0.75. So therefore it would have to be given to the distributor at 0.65. Now if the 'world price' of the AidPod is 2 units then there would need to be a subsidy of 1.35 units pumped in at the top level. So in other words an organisation would have to buy them on the open market at 2 units but sell them to the distributors at 0.65 units. And that difference would have to be made up with a subsidy of some sort. Q: Where do you see this subsidy coming from?A: For the pilot: from Foundations. This is already an established technique being used on other pilot programmes. Longer term: we are exploring Buy One Give One models, where consumers in more developed markets in the West, and the rising African middle classes, will be able to buy AidPod related products (e.g. travel kits, presents for new mums in AidPod shaped bags/boxes). Buying on of those might fund the manufacture and distribution of 1 or 5 or 10 AidPods - we still need to do the maths on that, and a lot of that information will come from the trial.Q: When do you hope to implement the pilot project?A: We hope to finish the plan (funding bid submission) by Feb/March 2011.Then we will send it to funders and foundations. That may take threemonths to get a reply. We are hoping to start a pilot by the middle of2011 and it will be likely to run for a year.If you would like to know more about the ColaLife project or support their work visit their website www.colalife.orgPhoto Credit: ColaLife]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-enterprise-hopes-to-break-new-ground-with--hybrid-co-operative--business-model/38005.htmlSun, 21 Nov 2010 16:57:12 GMTClare Cunningham Social enterprise leads the way in innovative business practices. From Fairtrade to micro-financing social enterprise has given the world new models for enterprise and altered our expectations of the ability for business to achieve social change. Social enterprises are more likely to recognize the benefits of non-static practices. This has resulted in the innovative social business models that we are accustom to today. A new business model currently being tested by a social enterprise in Thailan Read Full Article ]]> Social enterprise leads the way in innovative business practices. From Fairtrade to micro-financing social enterprise has given the world new models for enterprise and altered our expectations of the ability for business to achieve social change. Social enterprises are more likely to recognize the benefits of non-static practices. This has resulted in the innovative social business models that we are accustom to today. A new business model currently being tested by a social enterprise in Thailand is that of the 'hybrid co-operative'.Previously I wrote about The Kohtrad Silk Project, a social enterprise giving Thai silk producers the opportunity to sell their produce through an online platform. Besides providing a new market for silk weavers in the poor area of Issan, the company also put its profits towards social innovation, funding the building of an internet hub for villagers in the remote rural village where much of their silk is produced. This innovative company has now expanded into silk cushions to set up Isaan Cushion Company. This is not simply an extension of the existing company. Isaan Cushion Company will be used as anexperiment to pioneer a new business model they call the 'hybrid co-operative', in their eyes, 'a leaner and fitter version of the traditional co-operative model.' The hybrid co-operative model takes its influence from the co-operative model but combines this with the standard mainstream private business model. Along with paying a basic salary the company distributes surplus profits among the employees. This will guarantee a better wage than someone would get if they left the area and worked a 10 hour shift in a large factory in Bangkok (many people from this poor region leave for the factories of Bangkok in the hope of better wages). Additionally all employees are allowed a say in the creative process from ideas to designs to ways of promoting and selling the cushion covers.Isaan Cushion Company say they have chosen to use this model because, although they are 'big fans' of the co-operative model, they feel the model also has some weaknesses. One weakness is the fact that for people to make decisions on the overall development strategy of the business they need some business experience. If the employees have little business experience, decisions regarding the overall majority vote could end up harming the company.A hybrid co-operative can introduce and teach business to its employees. This means that employees are actively learning new business skills, giving them greater opportunity to contribute to wider aspects of the company and become more upwardly mobile employees. Through the hybrid co-operative business model Isaan Cushion Company hope to keep the best bits of both private and co-operative. The company says: 'We feel this approach will encourage unity, sense of community inside the business and make it more productive and fairer.' Isaan Cushion Company is currently looking to supply shops around the world with their branded cushion covers. The company also offers OEM and buyer label manufacturing. So if businesses want cushions in their own brand Isaan Cushion Company can do this. The company would also welcome any feedback on their hybrid co-operative model.Photo credit: Aidan Jones]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Is-the-British-Government-letting-a-good-idea-go-to-waste/37303.htmlSun, 14 Nov 2010 17:06:12 GMTClare Cunningham In a keynote speech made by British Prime Minister, David Cameron in July, he proposed that social enterprise would form a crucial part of his new vision for society. Mr. Cameron said: "...We've got to give professionals much more freedom, and open up public services to new providers like charities, social enterprises and private companies so we get more innovation, diversity and responsiveness to public need We need to create communities with oomph - neighborhoods who are in charge of their own Read Full Article ]]> In a keynote speech made by British Prime Minister, David Cameron in July, he proposed that social enterprise would form a crucial part of his new vision for society. Mr. Cameron said: "...We've got to give professionals much more freedom, and open up public services to new providers like charities, social enterprises and private companies so we get more innovation, diversity and responsiveness to public need We need to create communities with oomph - neighborhoods who are in charge of their own destiny, who feel if they club together and get involved they can shape the world around them." This sounded very promising for social enterprises in the UK.Despite Mr. Cameron's rhetoric on The Big Society, in July the government announced 11 million of spending cuts to the department responsible for social enterprise. The Office for Civil Society had its 2010/11 budget cut to 136.9 million, down from 147.9 million. However over the past months I have continued to look for evidence of the government's commitment to social enterprise. News of such developments has been thin on the ground though. With spending cuts in education, and the 'streamlining' of the welfare state, there have been far juicer headlines for the press and little talk of social enterprise. One interesting development though is the launch of Think! Research and Consulting. This is described as one of the first in a new generation of 'think-and-do' tanks. The organization is attempting to blur the divide between research and practical action, and to work in new ways that go beyond the typical client-consultant relationship. Apparently clients will include frontline social enterprises as well as those agencies that sit behind and support the frontline - national government, local public authorities, and third sector intermediaries, funders, and investors.This new consultancy is certainly needed, and should be welcomed by the agencies it seeks to serve. In a recent blog post Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise Coalition - the UK's national body for social enterprise, argues a strong case for social enterprise leading the way in public and social services. He suggests that although there are good organizations that will suffer due to cuts, there are also many, which have become dependent upon times of big government spending. He proposes that massive state contracts have bred a 'culture of over-dependency' and goes on to argue that organizations such as these could learn a lot from strong, adaptable social enterprises; which are delivering social good while maintaining financial independence.So here is another great argument in support of social enterprise. However there is also a very important extra factor that Peter Holbrook highlights in his article. There is far too little funding for these envisaged transitions to social enterprise. Considering that the government considers that are meant to be saving our society they have done little to ensure there is sufficient start-up capital to make this commitment tangible. Mr. Holbrook says: 'The government's 100M transition funding is all well and good but what we really need is an enterprise fund for small and medium-sized charities that can be supported to find their socially entrepreneurial inner-selves. They need support from their social enterprise peers to find new ways to generate income and profit while achieving their social and environmental purpose along the way.' Mr. Cameron may say social enterprise is part of a "powerful idea" for future, but without sufficient financial commitment from the government, an idea is all it will ever be.Photo credit: World Economic Forum ]]>http://www.justmeans.com/The-Eagle-has-landed--mobile-crowdsourcing/36691.htmlSun, 07 Nov 2010 15:05:33 GMTClare Cunningham Txteagle is social innovation project designed to leverage an underused work force in some of the poorest areas of the world. It does this by distributing small jobs via text messaging in return for small payments. Users can sign up to project and complete tasks such as translating phrases and single words, gathering local data on consumer products or completing market-research surveys. This mobile platform for social innovation is proving a great success. It has recently expanded into 80 countr Read Full Article ]]> Txteagle is social innovation project designed to leverage an underused work force in some of the poorest areas of the world. It does this by distributing small jobs via text messaging in return for small payments. Users can sign up to project and complete tasks such as translating phrases and single words, gathering local data on consumer products or completing market-research surveys. This mobile platform for social innovation is proving a great success. It has recently expanded into 80 countries and is now able to reach 2 billion subscribers. In developing countries only 18% of people have access to the Internet, however more than 50% owned a mobile-phone handset at the end of 2009. That number is rapidly growing as mobile services expand further into the developing world. The social innovation provided by Txteagle is how the service harnesses this social group to create a potentially a massive workforce. The project centers around local data gathering. Information that comes from hard to reach communities such as rural African villages or slum dwellers in South America can be of great value to companies trying to provide services to these sectors of society. Texting tasks such as simple translations are economical not only in a business sense but also provides participants with an additional source of income. Participants get paid every time they complete a small task using an airtime compensation platform. Payments are transferred to a user's phone by a mobile money service, such as the M-PESA system run by Safaricom in Africa, or by providing additional calling credit. This means the service has the added advantage of being able to instantly compensate its users, a significant factor for those subsisting on an average of a couple of dollars a day. Txteagle was formed in 2008 by former MIT faculty member Dr. Nathan Eagle and Dr. Ben Olding from Harvard's Statistics Department. Txteagle has raised funding from top-tier investors that include Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Flywheel Ventures and Esther Dyson. Dr. Eagle has previously carried out research at the Santa Fe Institute and NSF-funded start-up NDM Labs into the gathering and analysis of petabytes of data being generated by mobile phone users. Through this academic study, Dr Eagle developed the idea for the business, believing it to be a tool for positive social innovation in developing nations. Nathan Eagle holds three engineering degrees from Stanford University and a PhD from the MIT Media Laboratory. His research involves engineering computational tools, designed to explore how large-scale human behavioral data can be used for social innovation and social good. Theoretically Txteagle's unique platform could be utilized by other agencies needing to analyze data from hard to reach communities in developing nations. NGOs and Aid organizations might use it to gather health and community data. Researchers looking at various aspects of these particular areas of society could make use of it. Hopefully even governments may one day use it to analyze the needs of their citizens. For the moment though Txteagle's main area of social innovation is the extra income it can generate for billions of people living in poverty. Dr Eagle says, "If we could get a small fraction of a percent of these types of tasks going into rural villages in Africa, not only can we affect the lives of a lot of people, we can impact the GDP of the nation".Photo credit: Txteagle]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-innovation-brings-hope-to-Mali-slum/36172.htmlSun, 31 Oct 2010 16:49:19 GMTClare Cunningham Gandhi, pioneer of voluntary action and social innovation in modern India, famously said, "it is health that is real wealth". Health is widely recognized as a key concern for NGOs working in the poorest areas of the world. Sadly the marriage of health care and social innovation is rarely seen among large NGOs and international health organizations. The lack of long-term solutions and the failure to address root causes of problems can mean the failure of seemingly well-intended aid projects. So t Read Full Article ]]> Gandhi, pioneer of voluntary action and social innovation in modern India, famously said, "it is health that is real wealth". Health is widely recognized as a key concern for NGOs working in the poorest areas of the world. Sadly the marriage of health care and social innovation is rarely seen among large NGOs and international health organizations. The lack of long-term solutions and the failure to address root causes of problems can mean the failure of seemingly well-intended aid projects. So the importance of a health organization that seeks to provide social innovation for lasting change cannot be underestimated.The Mali Health Organizing Project (MHOP) is an NGO that provides healthcare to some of the poorest people of Mali. The project was conceived by Caitlin Cohen, Erica Trauba, and Lindsay Ryan. They founded the project when they were students studying at Brown University, Long Island. Originally they went to Mali to work on an HIV study with a Brown University professor. As a result of the field trip Cohen, Trauba and Ryan became interested in applying the past work they had done on community organizing and social innovation in the US to a community health project in Mali. In 2006 they returned to Mali and started conducting formative research, interviewing local leaders, and establishing partnerships. In 2007 The Mali Health Organizing Project was officially incorporated as a US registered nonprofit. They have been developing the project ever since.Mali is the third poorest country in the world. Health needs in Mali are enormous: nationally 1 in 5 children die before their fifth birthday mostly from preventable illness such as diarrhea. The organization works with people living in one of the country's fast-growing slum neighborhoods. In the slum communities people live in especially deprived conditions. They occupy precarious housing structures with either poor or non-existent sanitation, limited access to clean water and electricity and lack of security of tenure (ownership of land or property rights). Disease travels fast and slum dwellers suffer from poor health. Basic services, such as education and healthcare, are poor or in many cases not available. As informal settlers, slum dwellers have very few rights and so struggle to make a case for help with the authorities. Social innovation is needed as much as direct aid. Fortunately MHOP uses it's unique approach to provide both.So far MHOP has established a community clinic, expanded access to primary healthcare, increased community governance, and promoted individual empowerment. One of MHOP's social innovation projects is the Action for Health initiative, a program which provides in-home health care and health education for women and children. Instead of charging user fees, which deter the poorest from seeking care, MHOP charges "action-fees." All adults must participate in three health actions per year. These vary from community trash clean up days to tree planting campaigns to malnutrition awareness events. This way, MHOP helps create economic, social, and political capital without demanding cash from people who cannot afford to pay. MHOP also intensively trains local residents in simple primary care and health education techniques. Community Health Workers visit families twice monthly, evaluating each child's health. When a child is sick, the Community Health Worker accompanies the family to the clinic, ensuring that the sick child receives care. To ensure that children get the care they need, MHOP covers the cost of treatment for the 5 leading killers of children under the age of 5 (diarrhea, malnutrition, malaria, acute respiratory infections and measles), as well as health emergencies.MHOP tracks participation in the Health Actions project, as well as collecting health data. They have conducted a baseline health survey, and their Community Health Workers collect data on basic health indicators (height, weight, temperature) during home visits. They use specially designed cell phones that allow them to text data back to a central server at MHOP's clinic, creating electronic medical records that help with program M&E and also support doctors in effectively treating patients when they come in for treatment. Currently 400 children use the Health Action program. Depending on funding MHOP hopes to double the program next year.Photo credit: Mali Health Organizing Project ]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Secret-superheroes--a-new-internet-trend-for-you-/35593.htmlSun, 24 Oct 2010 15:16:06 GMTClare Cunningham Doing good in your underpants is no longer the prerogative of super heroes thanks to a new trenddubbed 'micro volunteering'.Increasingly charities, non-profit organizations and social enterprises are utilizing social networks and online platforms to increase awareness of their causes and sign more people up to their campaigns. Micro volunteering takes this engagement to the next level by enabling them to complete real, and much-needed, tasks by volunteering remotely. In multiple studies, most pe Read Full Article ]]> Doing good in your underpants is no longer the prerogative of super heroes thanks to a new trenddubbed 'micro volunteering'.Increasingly charities, non-profit organizations and social enterprises are utilizing social networks and online platforms to increase awareness of their causes and sign more people up to their campaigns. Micro volunteering takes this engagement to the next level by enabling them to complete real, and much-needed, tasks by volunteering remotely. In multiple studies, most people indicate a strong interest in performing some sort of community service. However most do not volunteer because they do not have the time. With the working week creeping up in hours and family life becoming more complex and it is hard to find the time and energy to volunteer. Micro-volunteering however, provides opportunities to commit to small amounts of voluntary work that can be done from home or on your phone.The concept is simple - micro volunteering turns 'down-time' spent on the web into meaningful engagement with charitable organizations or social enterprises. Collectively we spend millions of hours on Facebook and billions of hours on YouTube every single day. Micro volunteering aims to convert some of that time into volunteering time. Organizations post up tasks or 'challenges', which anyone can sign up to and then complete remotely. Tasks typically can be done in ten minutes to half an hour. Volunteering challenges might range from tagging photos to translating a document to writing a letter to a sick child.Currently there is a small, but significant, number of websites offering micro-volunteering opportunities. Help From Home is a British-based sight which encourages you to "change the world in just your pyjamas". Volunteers can choose "actions" from three categories "do good", "green" and "advocacy". There is also a category for "random easy actions" broken down into timeslots of under a minute, under five minutes, under ten minutes, under twenty minutes and under thirty minutes. The Extraordinaires is an American micro-volunteering website that, although just out of its beta stage, has already completed over 300,000 tasks for more than 200 organizations and secured funding of over $1m. This social enterprise additionally provides software to charities and non-profits to help them make use of micro volunteering on their organisation's own website. Even celebrities are getting involved with leveraging "the Crowd" for charitable efforts. In May this year Edward Norton, star of The Illusionist and Fight Club, launched Crowdrise, a social media sight for doing good. People can sign up and launch their own fundraising campaign or join other people's "Project team" and help them raise funds. Crowdrise uniquely offers participants incentives in the form of points and prizes. They have the candidly straightforward motto of "If you don't give back, no one will like you".The benefits of micro volunteering are multiform. Micro volunteering can be conducted anywhere at any time, providing the kind of flexibility that traditional volunteering cannot offer. Micro volunteering is a good way for those who are shy and uncomfortable with a group of strangers to get involved with voluntary work and perhaps give them the confidence to do other volunteering. There is huge diversity in the type of micro-actions that can be performed and so it is expansive in its scope. This means you're not limited to local organizations and activities. People who are not otherwise able to engage in volunteer activities, such as those with disabilities or those who are housebound, can do micro volunteering. Consequently micro volunteering draws from a larger pool of people. Remote volunteering equals less management time by the staff of the organizations involved, making their working time more productive. The concept can also generate income as a social enterprise in itself through the selling of the software or advertising space. Micro volunteering, perhaps most importantly, fits in well with the younger generation who embrace the internet in all its forms. There is also much more of an emphasis on volunteering being enjoyable rather than some sort of chore. Crowdrise states that experience should be "at least as fun as French kissing someone for the first time". That is pretty much enough for me. This is one stay at home superhero that will be checking in for duty!Photo credit: Ko_An]]>http://www.justmeans.com/New-qualification-enabling-the-next-generation-of-social-entrepreneurs/34894.htmlSun, 17 Oct 2010 16:06:41 GMTClare Cunningham "Our answer is the world's hope; it is to rely on youth." These words spoken by Robert F. Kennedy to crowds gathered at the University of Capetown in 1966, still ring true today. The youth generation, ever full of energy, creativity and a rock-solid belief that they will change the world, should be encouraged to do just that. Social enterprise provides a perfect platform from which the next generation can launch their enthusiasm and ideals onto the world. Now there is a qualification aimed direc Read Full Article ]]> "Our answer is the world's hope; it is to rely on youth." These words spoken by Robert F. Kennedy to crowds gathered at the University of Capetown in 1966, still ring true today. The youth generation, ever full of energy, creativity and a rock-solid belief that they will change the world, should be encouraged to do just that. Social enterprise provides a perfect platform from which the next generation can launch their enthusiasm and ideals onto the world. Now there is a qualification aimed directly at young people to help develop their enterprising skills, while making a real difference to the communities and environment they live and work in.A new international qualification in social enterprise entered the education scene last month. The qualification will be run in schools and youth groups and will teach and test youngsters on the skills needed to set up and run a social enterprise. The qualification has been developed by the pioneering UK-based Real Ideas Organisation (RIO). RIO is an organization which creates opportunities for young people through social enterprise. To achieve the qualification, young people will have to demonstrate a good understanding of what social enterprise and ethical trading are about, and will also be expected to develop real new products or services within their school, community or a wider marketplace. The Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ) is being piloted in over 50 schools and youth organisations the UK, China and Uganda. The qualification has been developed "to accredit and encourage young people working for positive social change". SEQ will be all about learning through doing. The assessment criteria focuses on a young person's ability to understand and develop the skills needed to make a successful social enterprise: communication, creativity, innovation and business acumen. The SEQ will be structured in bronze, silver and gold categories and will be linked to the UK's National Qualifications Credit framework.Paula Winzar, founder and project lead of SEQ says: "Through extensive research and work with schools and social enterprises over the last three years, RIO has found that although many entrepreneurs are doers who don't always need qualifications to achieve social change or economic success, the best way to mainstream social enterprise learning for young people is to create a qualification so that schools can give it time and budget. We want SEQ to become that qualification, a way for young people to be recognised for the socially entrepreneurial activity many of them are already engaged in and we would love social enteprises to get behind us and help make it happen."The SEQ is at the pilot stage at the moment. However once established the idea is that it will provide a recognisable benchmark for informed social enterprise practice. The qualification will be rooted in practical knowledge and experience, providing the young participants with the kind of transferrable skills that potential employers are looking for. Once the pilot phase is complete and formal accreditation is in place, SEQ will become available for schools and youth groups internationally to buy and run themselves, linking into the wider SEQ network and social enterprise sector. Photo credit: Spirit-Fire]]>http://www.justmeans.com/The-silk-road-meets-the-information-superhighway/34039.htmlSat, 09 Oct 2010 05:39:15 GMTClare Cunningham The Kohtrad Silk Project is a social enterprise that works with the silk producers in the Isaan area of North East Thailand. The project provides an online platform for the silk producers to sell their products worldwide. This is done via two online shops www.silkshirtstore.com - specializing in high quality men's silk shirts and www.silkscarfshawls.com - specializing in beautiful silk scarves. Despite being only six months old the social enterprise has already begun an ambitious project to prov Read Full Article ]]> The Kohtrad Silk Project is a social enterprise that works with the silk producers in the Isaan area of North East Thailand. The project provides an online platform for the silk producers to sell their products worldwide. This is done via two online shops www.silkshirtstore.com - specializing in high quality men's silk shirts and www.silkscarfshawls.com - specializing in beautiful silk scarves. Despite being only six months old the social enterprise has already begun an ambitious project to provide better internet access to it's silk suppliers. Using profits from the silk shirts and scarves sold though the project, building is underway for a community internet hub in the rural Thai village where many of the silk products are made.The essential element for this social enterprise is the provision of an online retail platform for its producers. For the first time the independent weavers across the Isaan region were able to market their produce to buyers abroad. The area is rural and poor and so extra income generated from Internet sales could make a big difference to their lives. With the extra profits weavers could pay school fees for their children, build a business, stay in the area, enjoy their everyday work and keep their silk weaving skills and traditions alive.Initially the main challenge of the Kohtrad Silk Project was teaching the older silk weavers how to use the Internet. The idea from the social enterprise was that the project would "run on autopilot" with orders coming in via email directly to the silk weavers who could then send the product in the post. However for the older generation of weavers, who had never experienced the Internet before, using online orders as part of their business was a very difficult transition for them. Fortunately the social enterprise helped to overcome this problem by getting the children of the weavers to take over the role of receiving the email and sending the product. This in itself had a positive impact. It encouraged more of the family members to get involved in the project and meant that the different generations were working together to teach each other the skills they had.Now the Kohtrad Silk Project is stepping up to the next big challenge. This is the lack of Internet access for its producers. The social enterprise sees the Internet as a great tool to help alleviate poverty, providing information and opportunities for communication and commerce to the local community. They are currently in the first stages of creating an Internet hub in the village of Si Sa Ket. The land which the internet hub will be built on is owned by a local of the village.The hub is adjacent to the village school and already the framework of the building is in place. The next stage is to finish the building off, and get the place filled with desks, computers and printers. When it is completed the internet hub will give the local community cheap access to the internet. The social enterprise estimates that the hub will be completed in a year's time. Of course the more silk shirts and scarves sold the quicker the hub will be built, which is all the more reason to buy a scarf or shirt and tell friends and family to do the same!Photo credit: www.silkscarfshawls.com ]]>http://www.justmeans.com/The-power-of-pull--How-to-seduce-your-employees-into-being-green-/33134.htmlFri, 01 Oct 2010 06:07:49 GMTClare Cunningham Socially responsible companies are generally considered leaders in driving forward green innovation in the workplace, however at Forster Communications they are more into cycling it forward. The London based communications agency has gained a reputation as a leading socially responsible company in the UK by placing care of the planet at the heart of its operations. The company prides itself on being a communications agency, which helps change people's lives for the better; whether this is throug Read Full Article ]]> Socially responsible companies are generally considered leaders in driving forward green innovation in the workplace, however at Forster Communications they are more into cycling it forward. The London based communications agency has gained a reputation as a leading socially responsible company in the UK by placing care of the planet at the heart of its operations. The company prides itself on being a communications agency, which helps change people's lives for the better; whether this is through green initiatives, improved health or building strong communities. Last year the Forster won The Sunday Times Best Green Company award. Forster's list of clients includes Amnesty International, Vodaphone and The National Trust (the UK's largest historic and natural conservation trust). Among their most successful work are the cycling campaigns they have run for National Bike Week and Devon County Council.I was fortunate enough to talk last week with Cheryl Campsie, Forster's head of Environmental initiatives. Cheryl is the main motivator behind Forster's internal greening policy. A keen cyclist herself, she felt that at Forster although they were running successful cycling initiatives for clients, cycling within the organization itself was not common practice. As Cheryl put it "there was a sense that it wasn't filtering down". So 18 months ago they made the decision to look at why this was happening and try to come up with effective solutions. After discussions with staff some interesting things came to light. For many staff the reasons for not riding a bike were more to do with confidence than convenience. Some were worried about riding a bike in London while a few were not sure they even knew how to ride a bike! There was also the issue of a lack of showers in the building. When asked what would motivate staff to cycle more the greatest incentive that emerged was extra holiday. "Of course, we all want more holiday!" said Cheryl.Armed with this information Forster set about implementing small but meaningful changes in the company policy. Now Forster employees can earn five minutes holiday for every to and from journey to work on bike. Employees also get paid 40p per mile for a business journey by bike. Forster invested in four Brompton folding bikes with which employees can use to travel to meetings. Forster offered employees cycle confidence lessons as well as membership to the local gym so they could make use of the showers. As a result commuting by bike and on foot increased by 40% and business travel by bike from zero to 30%. They have also reduced taxi bills by approximately 10%.As a socially responsible company they have not stopped there however. The company tries to keep its heating and resulting carbon emissions to a minimum by making sure central heating in the offices is not switched on until really needed. For those employees who are a little more sensitive to the cold, fleeces and hot water bottles are provided. In the summer months Forster uses its balcony spaces to grow flowers, herbs and potatoes for all employees to make use of. Forster also has a loan library. They asked employees what items they would like the use of but didn't feel they could justify buying. So now there is a power drill, a sewing machine and a tent all available on loan to employees.The key to the success of Forster's internal environmental policies is their willingness to listen and react to their employees and use creative solutions to encourage change rather than force it. The other main lesson is that change must also come from leadership within the company. As Cheryl put it "Walk your talk internally!" Soon other socially responsible companies will be able to read up on Forster's successful greening policy. They plan to publish a guide entitled The Green Guide To Pulling. It is refreshing to see a socially responsible company that makes green practice at work enjoyable, creative and quirky. Pull is certainly far more fun than push. Most importantly though, it is more effective!Photo credit: Forster Communications]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-innovators--want-to-increase--happiness--Facebook-could-provide-answers-/32287.htmlFri, 24 Sep 2010 08:02:29 GMTClare Cunningham Social entrepreneurs engaged in IT may do well to look to social networking sites such as Facebook for inspiration. This is one piece of advice that came from the discussion on the report on IT and wellbeing Information Dividend Report: Can IT make you 'happier'? The findings of the report highlight the direct and positive impact that IT has on life satisfaction. The discussion took place earlier this week in London and was headed up by a panel of the UK's leading IT experts.The discussion began Read Full Article ]]> Social entrepreneurs engaged in IT may do well to look to social networking sites such as Facebook for inspiration. This is one piece of advice that came from the discussion on the report on IT and wellbeing Information Dividend Report: Can IT make you 'happier'? The findings of the report highlight the direct and positive impact that IT has on life satisfaction. The discussion took place earlier this week in London and was headed up by a panel of the UK's leading IT experts.The discussion began with a talk from the Paul Flatters of Trajectory Partnership, who conducted the research. He spoke about some of the key findings to come out of the report. The research found that IT has the biggest positive impact on the most disempowered groups in society. Those on low incomes and those with fewest educational qualifications showed the biggest uplift in life satisfaction as a result of access to IT. Mr Flatters spoke about moving stories of how use of IT had allowed people a second chance in education and as a result employment they would not other wise have gained. People also talked about the savings that they could make online on things like insurance and how those could mean the difference of being able to afford a holiday. These finding may not come as a surprise for social entrepreneurs already engaged in IT initiatives. However one significant finding that does not usually get talked about in relation to IT was the improvement to life, which cannot not be quantified, in monetary terms. This was the increased social contact that access to IT can bring.This is where the benefit of social networking sites becomes more apparent. Sites such as Facebook provide a portal for social interaction that may not otherwise be available to people. This is especially true for women. Many women interviewed for the study said that they felt socially isolated in their everyday lives and that online social networking helped them to feel part of something. Another reason that social entrepreneurs may find the Facebook 'model' interesting is as a way of engaging those who are frightened by IT. A key theme to come from the report is the negative perception of IT among groups of people who would, according to the research, benefit from it most. According to the study this is a huge part of the problem of digital exclusion in places such as the UK where people do have easier access to IT. The study found that many people feel intimidated by the idea of using computers. The perception they have of IT is that it is too complicated or too sophisticated for them and that they may 'break' it or lose information. Using Facebook may be good a way for the social entrepreneurs to tempt people into IT and help demonstrate to them the benefits of engaging with computers and the Internet.The big idea that seems to come from this report is that people can only be encouraged to engage with IT if it brings benefits that are relevant to their lifes. Although much can be done to improve access to IT people will only use it if they can see it as worthwhile supplement to their everyday experiences. These conclusions open up an enormous agenda set. As Dr Ellen Helsper from the London School of Economics said: "Good research raises more questions." Social entrepreneurs engaged in IT will be asking what needs to be done next?A video of the discussion is available here.Two webinars have been planned to dive deeper into two important elements of the report:1. The digital 'gender' divide on 29th September at 1pm GMTwww.bcs.org/infodividend/webinars and2.What are the social benefits of technology and how can these be measured? (International story) on 29th September at 2.30pm GMTwww.bcs.org/infodividend/webinars Photo credit: Ben Stein]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Rural-Internet-Kiosks/31381.htmlFri, 17 Sep 2010 02:20:10 GMTClare Cunningham Following on from my previous article on the Digital Divide and what it means for social enterprise I decided to look at projects being carried out in developing nations. I was interested in what ways social enterprise was being used to advance digital inclusion in poorer areas of the world.Over the last 15 years one part of the world has enjoyed astonishing advances in digital technology while the other has been left dismally behind. This is the definition of the digital divide. While those wit Read Full Article ]]> Following on from my previous article on the Digital Divide and what it means for social enterprise I decided to look at projects being carried out in developing nations. I was interested in what ways social enterprise was being used to advance digital inclusion in poorer areas of the world.Over the last 15 years one part of the world has enjoyed astonishing advances in digital technology while the other has been left dismally behind. This is the definition of the digital divide. While those with access to mobiles communication and the Internet enjoy increased social, economic and educational benefits; those without remain severely disadvantaged. In rural areas this problem is the most challenging. Solutions require the provider to overcome the physical transportation and installation in remote areas, as well as the usual social and economic ones faced in poor areas.The Rural Internet Kiosks (RIK) project is a venture that certainly deserves a dedicated article. This scheme is a feat of flat-packing, technology and advertising space. It is a blueprint for self-power and sustainable social enterprise. Really it should have its own collective noun. The internet kiosk is a self-contained, solar powered hub designed to sit safely in a public space. It consists of a flat-packed outer shell, has 3 computer terminals and one mobile telephone and charging terminal. It also has an electronically lit sign board for easy recognition and to form an advertising space. The unit provides Internet and ICT access to the community in which it is placed regardless of infrastructure.?Each kiosk utilizes satellite connectivity (provided by IntersatAfrica) & solar energy, along with a highly energy efficient PC (Aleutia U5), powered by Userful Multiplier that allows for 5 independent users to work from the same PC. As a result the internet kiosk can offer customized deployment in most locations regardless of existing services.?The kiosks are locally manufactured with a modular knock design to allow for easy shipping.The venture takes inspiration from the Hole-in-the-Wall project. A pioneering social enterprise initiated by the now-iconic Dr. Sugata Mitra, Chief Scientist at NIIT. In 1999 Dr. Mitra's team carved a "hole in the wall" that separated the NIIT premises from the adjoining slum in Kalkaji, New Delhi. Through this hole, a freely accessible computer was put up for use. This computer proved to be an instant hit among the slum dwellers, especially the children. With no prior experience, the children learnt to use the computer on their own. The project was then expanded to other areas in India and helped form Dr. Sugata Mitra's Minimally Invasive Education theory.The RIK scheme is still in the very early stages. The plan is to test it in rural areas of Kenya. They have a clear plan for the project forming a local social enterprise. It will generate income as a cyber caf, where a user is charged per minute or megabyte. The unit will have a lock down browser, and will also allow the user access to other software. Kiosks will have added accessories such as printing facilities, discs saving and scanning. The phone feature will act as a pay phone with other accessories such as phone chargers.Photo credit: Rural Internet Kiosk]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Discussion-on-digital-exclusion--The-most-important-divide-of-the-21st-Century/30969.htmlTue, 14 Sep 2010 15:15:03 GMTClare Cunningham The future of social enterprise will increasingly be found in IT. This is one of the conclusions expected from a discussion held at the headquarters of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in London next week. The discussion, entitled 'Digital Exclusion: The most important divide of the 21st Century?' is being held following a report commissioned by (BCS) the Chartered Institute of IT to shed new light on the issue of digital exclusion.Social enterprise is currently at the forefront of both gover Read Full Article ]]> The future of social enterprise will increasingly be found in IT. This is one of the conclusions expected from a discussion held at the headquarters of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in London next week. The discussion, entitled 'Digital Exclusion: The most important divide of the 21st Century?' is being held following a report commissioned by (BCS) the Chartered Institute of IT to shed new light on the issue of digital exclusion.Social enterprise is currently at the forefront of both government and business as one solution to easing the financial situation and the social problems it has deepened. The findings of the report demonstrate the empowering and positive impacts of IT on society. The research also found that those who benefit most from access to IT (and consequently lose out more when this is denied) are the socially excluded, in particular women with fewer educational qualifications and on lower incomes. Details of the report entitled 'Information Dividend Report: Can IT make you 'happier'?' are discussed in more detail in my previous article IT increases wellbeing: How this is great news for social enterprise.Experts from across the IT industry will meet in London on Tuesday to discuss the report's findings. Those on the panel for this discussion include Elizabeth Sparrow, Ken Olisa OBE and Helen Milner. Elizabeth Sparrow, who will chair the discussions, is the president of the Chartered Institute for IT. Elizabeth chaired the BCS External Relations Board, which has begun to develop services aimed at IT entrepreneurs. Under her chair the BCS Government Relations Group launched the Trustworthy eGovernment initiative, which led to the development of the BCS Personal Data Guardianship Code. She will therefore provide an in-depth insight of the delivery of IT to the third sector.Ken Olisa , BCS Vice Chairman and Fellow of the Institute, recently received an OBE for his commitments to social investment. He holds the position of chairman at homeless charity Thames Reach, which he has led since 1996. During that time, the charity has helped tens of thousands of homeless people to turn their lives around by providing outreach services and safe accommodation. Ken was named as one of the UK's top 10 most influential black people in the Powerlist 2010. Helen Milner is the Managing Director of UK online centers, responsible for ensuring the success and development of the UK online centers network. UK online centers provide millions of people with access to computers and the internet, along with help and advice on how to use them. She has also worked at Ufi (University for Industry), the organization behind learndirect. Learndirect is an e-teaching organization set up to provide high quality learning for people over the age of 16.Dr Ellen Helsper, specialist in digital exclusion, from London School of Economics will also be on the panel. So will Paul Flatters from Trajectory Partnership, the organization tasked with conducting the research for the Chartered Institute for IT. I am excited to be attending this event and will be interested to see what insights into social investment and enterprise the discussion will bring.This event will be live streamed here:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/information-dividendShould you wish to attend this event in person please contact Luciab@glasshousepartnership.com by Friday 17th September 2010.Photo credit: Mark Hillary]]>http://www.justmeans.com/The-not-so-fair-sex/30514.htmlSat, 11 Sep 2010 15:14:46 GMTClare Cunningham When last month I told a male friend about my article on Pink Ladies; the social enterprise that runs an all-female cab service; I did not expect the response he gave me. Rather than the expected expression of admiration, he said: "I'm not surprised they had problems. The business is sexist." Sexist? The thought had never crossed my mind. As far as I was concerned this was an example of two women struggling against discrimination and institutional bullying to provide a much-needed service for wo Read Full Article ]]> When last month I told a male friend about my article on Pink Ladies; the social enterprise that runs an all-female cab service; I did not expect the response he gave me. Rather than the expected expression of admiration, he said: "I'm not surprised they had problems. The business is sexist." Sexist? The thought had never crossed my mind. As far as I was concerned this was an example of two women struggling against discrimination and institutional bullying to provide a much-needed service for women. The idea that this social enterprise was really sexist had not entered my mind. I was thrown. However when I came across a story about the same sort of social enterprise, an all female cab service, which had struggled with the same problem (being told the business was discriminatory) in Mexico City, it made me think quite seriously about how arguments of sex discrimination may be levelled at the type of all-female social enterprises that I admire.There are now many organisations that encourage and support women into business. Social enterprise appears to take the centre stage in these types of support groups. This is not surprising as according to research women are much more likely than men to start a business with a social objective. Surveys show that nearly 50% of women want to use their business ideas to help people less fortunate than themselves, compared to less than a third of men. So the market for women in social enterprise is booming. Of course not every female social enterprise is exclusively for women. Many simply draw women through issues that appeal more to them than men. My interest is in how male-excluding social enterprises affect arguments of gender discrimination. Are male-excluding social enterprises a backwards step for equality of the sexes? Do these sorts of business entrench ideas that men cannot be trusted etc.? Is it possible that all-female social enterprises are unfair to exclude men? Though certainly not popular standpoints, these are question worth asking. If all-female social enterprises do not want to be derided as discriminatory, they must be able to present strong and coherent arguments for their stance.In the case of these all-women taxis these social enterprises have been set up to tackle problems of violence towards women in a setting where they are more vulnerable to attack. The experience of an assault is one that will affect a person's life enormously and for many years. Unfortunately women are vulnerable to these experiences in certain public situations such as transport. This raises the question then whether these types of all-female social enterprises are simply providing a buffer for tricky issues, such as harassment and violence to women, which government should be tackling?This led me back to the fact that social enterprises tackle some of societies most entrenched problems. Herein is the key to my conclusion. Many social enterprises come about where governments fail. Many confront thorny issues that governments skirt around, such as female safety, and provide pragmatic solutions. The debates they promote and the challenges they face become catalysts for change. Whether an all-female enterprise is fair on men is perhaps not relevant if eventually they lead to increased equality. I do not consider myself to be a feminist. I believe in equality of the sexes and equal opportunities for men and women. Just as women should not have to be fearful of assault, harassment or discrimination, neither should men. However, the fact remains that women are severely underserved throughout the world. Women are, in many countries, are subject to various forms of subjugation both casual and institutional. Women represent 70% of the world's poor yet perform 66% of the world's work but earn 10% of the income and own 1% of the property. These staggering statistics show clearly how unfair the world is. Perhaps a little unfairness to redress the situation is justified.Photo credit: Denis Todoru]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Electrifying-enterprise/30243.htmlThu, 09 Sep 2010 11:20:36 GMTClare Cunningham Social enterprise increasingly occupies a key role in delivering electricity in countries where millions have insufficient access. In many developing countries government initiatives have failed to meet the energy needs of the rural poor and many are left with little or none. According to a recent article published in The Economist more than one fifth of the world's population have no access to electricity and a billion more have only unreliable and irregular supply. This is a statistic, which i Read Full Article ]]> Social enterprise increasingly occupies a key role in delivering electricity in countries where millions have insufficient access. In many developing countries government initiatives have failed to meet the energy needs of the rural poor and many are left with little or none. According to a recent article published in The Economist more than one fifth of the world's population have no access to electricity and a billion more have only unreliable and irregular supply. This is a statistic, which is both staggering and daunting. However the up side to the problem is the opportunities presented to harness the growing trend towards localized power generation technology and innovative bottom-up business models.A country where such social enterprise initiatives are greatly needed is Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest countries. Nearly 80 percent of the nation's 140 million people live in rural areas. Of this number 20 percent live in extreme poverty. Compared to other developing countries, Bangladesh uses very little modern energy. Despite a government run rural electrification program, close to two-thirds of households remain without electricity. As a result biomass energy such as wood, straw and dung comprises well over 95% of total rural energy use for the country. This places pressure on the already declining vegetation in villages. The collection of biomass for fuel increases the drudgery of women and children.Moreover, the smoke generated during indoor cooking affects the respiratory health of women and children to a great extent. Inefficient use of biomass in traditional stoves, coupled with insufficient ventilation, causes severe health hazards to women and children in the home. Electricity is scarce even during normal times in the country, and this means that the rural distribution cooperatives called PBSs are the first to have power rationed plunging their customers into darkness on a regular basis.The sustainable production of energy for development offers valuable lessons in enterprise. Participation is the key to successful delivery of modern energy services in rural areas. Social investment, as well as technical development, ensures the sustainability of the project. Also technology options must remain open and be development-needs driven. A social enterprise that is meeting these needs is Emergence BioEnergy Inc. (EBI). EBI is a social enterprise committed to serving the "energy poor" through alternative energy solutions. The technology they have developed allows energy to be produced by small-scale generators running on biogas from manure. The social enterprise is committed to providing entrepreneurial opportunities for local people. As part of their scheme a cattle farmer in a small village could operate a one-kilowatt generator in his hut. He would then be able to sell the spare electricity produced to his neighbors and use the waste heat from the generator to run a refrigerator to chill milk. The farmer can preserve milk that might otherwise be spoilt, has new sources of income (selling power to the grid and charging mobile phones or running an internet kiosk) and is also providing power to others in his village.EBI is headed up by Iqbal Quadir. Mr Quadir is the visionary behind GrameenPhone, the largest provider of mobile cell phone services in Bangladesh. EBI has successfully produced electricity from biogas in two villages in Bangladesh. The villages of Dokkhin Kustchia and Icchidiggi, both located outside of Dhaka, were electrified for eight hours a day over the course of the six months. Drawing upon their experiences, EBI are now organizing a larger experiment to take place in 2011 that will establish an economically sustainable model, which they plan to scale up into a nation initiative.Photo credit: Horia Varlan ]]>http://www.justmeans.com/A-Clear-Vision-of-Social-Franchising/29348.htmlThu, 02 Sep 2010 16:33:08 GMTClare Cunningham Social enterprises are beginning to dip their toes into the (often murky) waters of franchising. This relatively new movement, known as social franchising, is currently the hot topic within the social enterprise circles. In a previous article for Justmeans I explored the 'for' and 'against' arguments for social franchising. For me, the 'for' arguments are stronger. Vision Spring is a social enterprise that demonstrates why.Vision Spring is the brainchild of Dr. Jordan Kassalow, a practicing opto Read Full Article ]]> Social enterprises are beginning to dip their toes into the (often murky) waters of franchising. This relatively new movement, known as social franchising, is currently the hot topic within the social enterprise circles. In a previous article for Justmeans I explored the 'for' and 'against' arguments for social franchising. For me, the 'for' arguments are stronger. Vision Spring is a social enterprise that demonstrates why.Vision Spring is the brainchild of Dr. Jordan Kassalow, a practicing optometrist. His idea for a social enterprise came when he realized that over 40% of the patients he treated simply needed a pair of non-prescription eyeglasses, the kind found in drugstores all over the US. The condition of presbyopia (what he was treating these 40% for), where the eye exhibits a progressively diminished ability to focus on near objects, affects nearly everyone as they reach middle age. However many people living in remote areas of developing nations do not have access to the mass-produced glasses designed to alleviate the condition. Nor do they have the resources for proper diagnosis. Because of this many people are unable to continue working. They lose out on many precious years of income and are socially disempowered.Kassalow's solution was to create a business, which met the needs of these people with cheap, standardized glasses. Today, Vision Spring serves tens of thousands of poor customers across the developing world with affordable eyeglasses. According to research done by Vision Spring 'investment in one pair of glasses can generate a greater than 27X return to the wearer, creating a ripple effect of economic improvement in the world's poorest communities.' The business plan did not stop here however. It's not hard for a company to sell essential products to the poor if the price is right. Vision Spring has ensured that the benefits of their business do not simply stop at their products. The social enterprise is committed to providing social investment within the communities that they supply to. They have done this by creating a social franchise.Vision Spring has called its social franchising operation 'Business in a Bag'. Each 'Vision Entrepreneur' receives his or her own sales kit containing all the products and materials needed to market and sell eyeglasses. Vision Entrepreneurs undergo a three-day training course in basic eye care, referrals and business management and receive close, ongoing support from the social enterprise. Vision Spring loans entrepreneurs the Business in a Bag itself. The franchisees repay Vision Spring for the glasses once they have been sold. Vision Spring employs classical franchising techniques to create a strong brand. Vision Entrepreneurs wear branded Vision Spring uniforms and IDs, utilize professional eye charts, and carry letters of credibility from government and health officials.Vision Spring has been recognized for its pioneering work in the field of social enterprise. It has won Fast Company's Social Capitalist Award on multiple occasions and has received coverage from The Economist, The International Herald Tribune, Foreign Affairs, and NBC Nightly News. Now Vision Spring and its Board of Directors will be meeting with Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek International editor and host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS later this month. They will be hosting a discussion looking at social enterprise and its impact at the base of the pyramid. Hopefully their shared ideas will contribute to the discussion on franchising for social enterprise and be able to offer guidance for other professionals in the same field.Photo credit: E C Morgan]]>http://www.justmeans.com/What-does-3D-printing-technology-mean-for-social-enterprise/28498.htmlFri, 27 Aug 2010 11:37:55 GMTClare Cunningham Social enterprise is constantly re-inventing business, delivering social investment across the world through numerous innovative ideas. Now, with the help of a revolutionary technology, social enterprise could broach yet more boundaries. Three dimensional (3D) printing is a growing science that is making big waves across the technology blogs. Business for this technology is also growing. With enterprises such as Makerbot you can purchase your own mini 3D printer to have on your desk at home. Wit Read Full Article ]]> Social enterprise is constantly re-inventing business, delivering social investment across the world through numerous innovative ideas. Now, with the help of a revolutionary technology, social enterprise could broach yet more boundaries. Three dimensional (3D) printing is a growing science that is making big waves across the technology blogs. Business for this technology is also growing. With enterprises such as Makerbot you can purchase your own mini 3D printer to have on your desk at home. With Thingiverse you can swap 3D designs, copy other people's ideas and modify them to improve upon them. What does this have to do with social enterprise though? Well, unlike 3D graphics, which is simply for experiential use (computer games, films, simulators etc.) 3D printing actually makes real stuff. Stuff, that can be used in real life, answering real life needs.Let's begin with what 3d printing is. For the uninitiated, a 3D printer uses an additive manufacturing process to build up objects layer by layer. What this means is that an object is 'printed' by the machine laying down layers of material until a whole object is formed. Materials that can be used for printing include plastics, glass, alumide and steel and the list is growing as the technology develops. Of course as the technology evolves an ever-increasing number of products can be printed.Why is this significant? And why specifically for social enterprise? Well, suddenly objects that previously needed large investment and expensive tooling to be produced can be prototyped and made at a fraction of the cost and in a fraction of the time. Moreover, products can be tweaked to meet the needs of individuals. An area where the potential of the technology for social investment is immediately obvious is the prosthetics industry. Losing a limb can be devastating, especially in developing countries where affordable solutions can be unsatisfactory. Usually it is expensive and impractical to create original and individual designs; thus prosthetic limbs can often take on a "one size fits all" approach and the limb developed for an individual may be entirely different to what the person originally had. However 3D printing technology makes complex design and production efficient and affordable.The average commercial 3d printer can cost over $15,000 - a big investment by anyone's standard. However an exciting development in 3d printing technology a self-replicating 3d printer developed by Dr Adrian Bowyer, a Senior Lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. His 'RepRap' project is a desktop 3D printer capable of self-replication - one that anyone can build given time and materials. It also means that - if you've got a RepRap you can print another RepRap for a friend. Much of the new wave of 3D printing development is opensource meaning that anyone in the world can copy designs and make innovations in this area. It seems that much of the 3D printing community have a real vision for this as a social technology and potential social enterprise. Dr Adrian Bowyer says:"One of the things about making stuff is that you need a lot of capital to make almost anything - it could cost thousands or millions of pounds to set up a screwdriver factory, for example - but a printer like this allows you to make them for a couple of hundred pounds. A small community could start putting a foot on the first rung of the manufacturing ladder and the ability to start manufacturing with low capital costs brings considerable benefits to the world's poorest people."Photo credit: Tony Buser]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Coca-Cola-and-the-enterprising-social-venture/28181.htmlWed, 25 Aug 2010 07:00:50 GMTClare Cunningham You can by a Coca-Cola virtually anywhere, even in the most remote parts of developing countries, but in theses places one in five children die before their fifth birthday. This mortality rate has not changed significantly over the last three decades. This is the story of one organization working to persuade Coca-Cola to help change this.In my last article I discussed the fledgling movement of social franchising. This post however tells the story of one nonprofit organization that is attempting Read Full Article ]]> You can by a Coca-Cola virtually anywhere, even in the most remote parts of developing countries, but in theses places one in five children die before their fifth birthday. This mortality rate has not changed significantly over the last three decades. This is the story of one organization working to persuade Coca-Cola to help change this.In my last article I discussed the fledgling movement of social franchising. This post however tells the story of one nonprofit organization that is attempting to harness the power of one of the most powerful franchised businesses in the world: Coca-Cola. The project is called ColaLife and its creator is Simon Berry. ColaLife itself does not operate as a social enterprise, however its bold and ambitious campaign could have social enterprise potential for many people in the poorest areas of the world. ColaLife are working to persuade Coca-Cola to open up their huge distribution channels to deliver 'social products' to people in very remote and hard to reach areas of the world. The products would be delivered in the form of an AidPod, a design developed by ColaLife. The AidPod is a wedge-shaped pod that fits into the unused space between the necks of the bottles in a Coca-Cola crate. The AidPods would contain items such as oral rehydration salts, high-dose vitamin A, and water purification tablets - items that can mean the difference between life and death in many remote regions of Africa.Berry, a visionary and hugely likeable social innovator, has a background in aid work. The idea for ColaLife came to Berry many years ago when he was working for an aid organization out in the field in Africa: 'If Coca-Cola can get their product out to the poorest people in the world then why could they not also help deliver aid to them?' And so the seed of ColaLife was born. Twenty years on and Berry has left his job to work full-time on ColaLife. He currently runs the organization with his partner (in life and business) Jane Berry and an intern, Dennis Tretter. Small and young as the enterprise is, they already have the support of over 15,000 people online through their strategic use of social media. ColaLife has been shortlisted for both the Buckminster Fuller prize and the Clinton fund. Most impressive though is ColaLife's impact on Coca-Cola who have now agreed to investigate aid opportunities in Africa using their distribution channels.ColaLife is still in its infancy and so is continuously developing and refining its model. Their first objective was to start a dialogue with Coca-Cola on opening up their distribution networks to carry social products to save children's lives. This dialogue has started. Now ColaLife is concentrating its efforts on refining the system by which the distribution of AidPods will work as a sustained social enterprise, bringing social investment to the communities it works in. Using ColaLife's AidPod, local agencies will 'piggy-back' on established supply chains, offering real, affordable 'last mile' reach, SMS tracking, impactful CSR opportunities, and improved carbon footprints. Sellers of Coca Cola are franchisees and so Coca Cola are not directly responsible for their distribution.At the heart of ColaLife is the principle of local determination. ColaLife must be implemented in a way with empowers and strengthens the local public health infrastructure. The local public health infrastructure (Government/NGOs) would decide what should go into the AidPods. This will vary from place to place and from season to season. Crucially, it is not up to Coca-Cola or ColaLife to say what goes in the AidPods. This needs to be determined by those with the long-term responsibility for public health in a particular area. Coca-Cola franchisees may be paid by aid organizations to include the AidPods in their deliveries thus adding business incentive to the distribution of AidPods.The debate continues as to whether the Aid Pods should carry advertising helping to create revenue to sustain the social enterprise. Coca-Cola, although committed to the ideas behind ColaLife and the AidPod, have not committed to a formal partnership with ColaLife. ColaLife's next and current objective is to run an independently evaluated trial of the ColaLife concept in one location in Africa. Photo credit: Ellie Stonely]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Franchising--A-model-for-growth-or-a-recipe-for-disaster/27985.htmlTue, 24 Aug 2010 05:00:15 GMTClare Cunningham If a burger joint can do it, then why not a social enterprise? Although this glib comparison with the McDonalds franchise may grate upon the sensibilities of the socially minded, the basic thrust of social franchising is just this. The concept of social franchising is, broadly speaking, the same as that of the traditional commercial franchise: the systematic replication of the enterprise. Simple. Or not. Among social entrepreneurs opinion is split as to whether franchising is a workable model fo Read Full Article ]]> If a burger joint can do it, then why not a social enterprise? Although this glib comparison with the McDonalds franchise may grate upon the sensibilities of the socially minded, the basic thrust of social franchising is just this. The concept of social franchising is, broadly speaking, the same as that of the traditional commercial franchise: the systematic replication of the enterprise. Simple. Or not. Among social entrepreneurs opinion is split as to whether franchising is a workable model for expansion. In a business where profit is mediated by social impact, where margins are paper-thin and where franchisees are more likely to be economically and socially vulnerable, can the social franchising be put into effect successfully?Arguments against the use of social franchising highlight the difficulties of shared IP, quality control and competing goals. Social entrepreneurs are innovators and change-makers, but not so good at following systems. 'Many players in the so-called third sector rightly see themselves as "social change agents" - as an outlet for innovation. They prefer to focus their energies on the development of new approaches. Imitating those of others is considered as "not sexy".' ('Social Franchising - A Way of Systematic Replication to Increase Social Impact', Article by The Association of German Foundations). This trait in social entrepreneurs results is one pilot project after the other. Meaning many prototypes, but few replications. Examples of failed social franchises talk about the difficulties in maintaining the original focus of the project. Franchisees often struggle with the competing goals of social investment and profitability.There are many though who would like to see the development of social enterprise through franchising. The contentious subject has recently been broached by the Social Enterprise Coalition, the UK's national body for social enterprise. This month they announced their 'Social Franchising Support' project. Their aim is to undertake 'detailed research into the processes and issues that surround social franchising and from this develop a comprehensive suite of support tools and resources for all social franchisors, franchisees and social enterprise business advisors.' Funding for this project is coming from the Big Lottery and is part of a larger scheme: Investing in Social Enterprise Expansion programme (I-SEE).Certainly this move will promote more debate among social entrepreneurs. Social franchising is by no means an easy task to undertake and requires precise planning and strong leadership. Franchises need a strong brand, a product or service that is competitive in the marketplace, and an open, supportive relationship between the franchisor and its franchisees. However there is no reason why social franchising cannot become a successful model for expanding social enterprise successfully. This does not mean that franchising is the only means by which social enterprises. In addition to the Social Franchising Support project, I-SEE will also undertake research into alternative scaling-up models such as licensing, joint ventures, consortia and mergers. Particularly interesting is the concept of scaling up 'strategies or ideas', rather than necessarily scaling up organizations and organizational frameworks.If you areinterested in or have experience of social franchising or an alternative scaling-up model, the Social Enterprise Coalition would like to hear from you. Please contact the seniorresearcher for the project, Lidija Mavra,at lidija.mavra@socialenterprise.org.uk.Photo credit: googlisti ]]>http://www.justmeans.com/IT-increases-wellbeing--How-this-is-great-news-for-social-enterprise/27485.htmlFri, 20 Aug 2010 07:33:54 GMTClare Cunningham Many social enterprises and nonprofit organizations are doing pioneering work in the area of access to IT. A study recently published will help to strengthen their endeavors. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT , has just made available a new global study, The International Information Well-being Index, that has found a connection between increased access to information technology and well-being. Moreover the study suggests that it is the poorest countries that benefit most from access to IT.The Read Full Article ]]> Many social enterprises and nonprofit organizations are doing pioneering work in the area of access to IT. A study recently published will help to strengthen their endeavors. BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT , has just made available a new global study, The International Information Well-being Index, that has found a connection between increased access to information technology and well-being. Moreover the study suggests that it is the poorest countries that benefit most from access to IT.The Index is based on an analysis of the World Values Survey that contains responses from 35,000+ people globally. For the Index 39 countries were selected for which there were 11 complete indicators available. The indicators looked at elements of IT access and usage as well as freedom and autonomy. It was expected that people in richer countries would be the ones who benefit most from access to IT. After the information was collated however it was shown that, when discounting for GDP, the poorest countries came out on top. Zambia, Moldova, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Mali and Uruguay all come above United Kingdom, Australia and United States in the Index. This raises some interesting questions about how nations are utilizing and promoting IT. It also raises questions about where digital inclusion is most beneficial and equally where exclusion is most harmful.The International Information Well-being Index follows on from the report 'Information Dividend: Can IT make you happier?' published earlier this year. The report discusses the role of IT as a tool for empowerment and networking, and how it appears to lead to this increase in well-being. It also discusses the finding that the improvement in life satisfaction in relation to IT access is greater among women.The implications for this Index could be far-reaching and will certainly promote much debate. In regards to social enterprises and nonprofit organizations who already have initiatives in the area of IT, the report will help to strengthen the argument for the work they are doing. The findings will benefit those organizations on multiple levels: as a way of understanding the needs of their users, developing their programmes, promoting their workand boosting their profile,andleveraging more funding. With the ongoing wave of media negativity towards IT this report will come as a great boost to those who believe in its benefits. Prominent social enterprises and nonprofit organizations already leading the way in this area include Computer Aid International, VNL and CDI (Centre for Digital Inclusion). Anja Ffrench, Director of Marketing and Communications, Computer Aid International said:"The findings of the Index support what Computer Aid International has been aware of for some time. The developing world recognizes the value and importance of access to and use of IT. Projects on the ground, such as LinkNet's role in getting the Internet to rural Zambia, are proof that innovation is driving access and use of IT in developing nations."In September The Chartered Institute for IT plan to release a wrap report for this study summarizing their findings. On the day of the launch a discussion will be held at their headquarters in London. I am excited to be attending this and look forward to sharing the discussions here. The The International Information Well-being Index and 'Information Dividend: Can IT make you happier?' are both available at this link.Photo credit: Computer Aid International ]]>