A Networked Approach to International Development
The ever increasing – and much delayed – focus on impact measurement in international development is leading to some hard questions about how best the industry needs to be shaped. We all know that international development needs to become more responsive to local needs, less dependent on large head offices and in short, more effective. […]
Want to campaign for change with the private sector
Want to campaign for change with the private sector…read on Increasingly, NGOs are moving towards an approach to campaigning for social change that works with business. CARE, Barclays and Plan are recruiting for a strategic campaigner to help develop an alliance built around new international principles to responsibly link informal savings groups to financial institutions […]
My First 100 Days as an Intrapreneur
As an intrapreneur, I’m developing a new concept that I hope will enable Barclays to support our communities and contribute to growth by funding social enterprises. I like to think it harkens back to the original role that banks have always played in local communities. It could ultimately transform the “impact investing” market and build […]
The Challenge of Scale – It’s about Markets
The SEEP Network is a global network of practitioner organizations dedicated to combating poverty through promoting inclusive markets and financial systems. Members are active in 170 countries and engage with nearly 100 million households worldwide. From September 22-25, practitioners and thought-leaders from around the world will gather outside Washington, DC to discuss the challenges and […]
Want to Campaign for Change with the Private Sector?
Want to campaign for change with the private sector…read on Increasingly, NGOs are moving towards an approach to campaigning for social change that works with business. CARE, Barclays and Plan are recruiting for a strategic campaigner to help develop an alliance built around new international principles to responsibly link informal savings groups to financial institutions […]
Can One Village Make a Difference?
When we launched our handwashing programmes in March 2013 in Thesgora, a village in Madhya Pradesh, India, which has one of the highest diarrhoea rates in the country, some people questioned our approach: “What’s the point of helping just one small village? What does this achieve when the biggest issue in global development today is […]
Design for People, Plan for Good Business
There have been lots of declarations of goodwill on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh. But if we really hope to do justice to the memory of the 1,138 men and women who were crushed to death, we must look at ourselves and evaluate what we are doing. Fashion has a highly […]
Voices from the South and the Post-2015 Agenda
The second Bridging the Gap for African Women in business conference was held in Kampala Uganda on 6 March 2014. The conference was part of this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations organized by the charity Let Them Help Themselves Out of Poverty and aimed to engage African Women in Business in a conversation on the […]
Intrapreneurship to Develop Talent
Intra-what…? Intrapreneurship is the emerging phenomenon of entrepreneurial employees within large companies working on a profitable innovations that create social impact. These often start as ‘side-of desk’ projects and don’t sit neatly within the established corporate structure. David Grayson of Cranfield School of Management & one of the world’s leading thinkers on this trend speaks […]
ANDE Celebrates Five Years of Supporting Small and Growing Businesses
The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) was founded in 2009 when a group of likeminded individuals recognized that a growing number of organizations were beginning to focus on small and growing businesses (SGBs). These organizations were driven by the belief that supporting this sector—businesses too large for microfinance and too small for venture capital—could […]
Why Are So Few Inclusive Businesses Getting To Scale?
We at Monitor Inclusive Markets believe that inclusive businesses – businesses that engage the global poor as either customers or suppliers – can vastly improve the lives of millions who are suffering the consequences of global poverty. That is why we were so disappointed when in 2011 we surveyed 439 such firms in Africa and […]
Challenges Facing SMEs in South Africa
The challenges of running a small business at the Base of the Pyramid are numerous and under estimated. I decided to write a blog post to raise awareness on these challenges and prepare those of us that work in support of micro entrepreneurs to do so more effectively. At the Micro Franchise Accelerator (MFA) in […]
Mobile as a Catalyst for Learning & Skills Development
In the first of our blog series, we spoke about the fundamental benefits and impact of mobile in development. Mobile – in terms of social impact – is key to facilitating 3 essential elements: communication, action and measurement. In this article, we go more in-depth; focusing on how mobile is a catalyst for learning and […]
Mobile as a Catalyst for Learning & Skills Development
In the first of our blog series, we spoke about the fundamental benefits and impact of mobile in development. Mobile – in terms of social impact – is key to facilitating 3 essential elements: communication, action and measurement. In this article, we go more in-depth; focusing on how mobile is a catalyst for learning and […]
An Open Letter to Larry Page
Dear Larry, In your recent conversation with Charlie Rose at TED, you said you’d rather hand over your cash to Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX, Solar City) instead of donating it to a philanthropic organization. I understand the sentiment. The nonprofit sphere has generally proved itself incapable of solving many of society’s most intractable problems. In […]