Is Your Company Doubling Down on its Employee Volunteers?
No matter how much a company praises the corporate volunteering efforts of its employees, it can seem like so much hot air without making a commitment of its own. A photo-op or feature in a company newsletter is one thing, but with the growing importance and visibility of corporate social responsibilityefforts globally, smart companies are […]
Quid Pro Bono: Very Nice and the Business of Volunteering
All too often, corporate citizenship is an afterthought. Sure, Fortune 500 companies frequently offer employee volunteer programs and matching gifts, and contribute pro bono work on a massive scale. However, incorporating corporate social responsibility as a way of life rather than just treating it as an extracurricular activity is more often the exception rather than […]
The Power of We
October 15th is Blog Action Day, and the theme this year is “The Power of We”. That idea is at the very heart of Business Fights Poverty. I am continuously blown away by the energy and innovation of individuals around the world who are pioneering new ways of fighting poverty through business: just take a […]
The World We Want
In the years up to 2015, the world needs to remain focused on securing as much progress as possible on the current set of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At the same time, discussions have already begun on the goals and targets that could build on and succeed the MDGs. On 25 September, UNDP joined forces […]
Sustainable Palm Oil is Good for Business
New joint study from CDC, FMO and WWF shows economic benefits of sustainable palm oil Protecting the environment by producing certified sustainable palm oil is also good for the bottom line, according to a ground-breaking new report released today. Profitably and Sustainability in Palm Oil Production is a first-time study that comprehensively examines the financial […]
SHUT UP & GIVE? A journey around the world in search of sustainable solutions to global poverty.
I wasn’t always a believer. I used to be like a lot of people in the development field who didn’t see business as a viable weapon in the fight against poverty. I saw business as a vehicle for making money and development as a vehicle for helping people. They weren’t connected in my mind. But […]
SHUT UP & GIVE? A journey around the world in search of sustainable solutions to global poverty.
I wasn’t always a believer. I used to be like a lot of people in the development field who didn’t see business as a viable weapon in the fight against poverty. I saw business as a vehicle for making money and development as a vehicle for helping people. They weren’t connected in my mind. But […]
Catalyzing smallholder agricultural finance
The world’s 450 million smallholder farmers represent a large – and largely unmet – opportunity for agricultural financing. As population growth and rising incomes create unprecedented demand for food, multinational companies increasingly rely on smallholders to secure their supply of agricultural commodities. As a result, smallholders present a compelling opportunity for buyers, lenders, and other […]
Business, the MDGs and Beyond (New York)
Scale Up: How do Social Enterprises Meet the Challenge? 6.30 pm, 24 September, New York
New Resources for Inclusive Business Practitioners
Have you ever asked yourself one, or both, of the following questions? Where can I go to find out who provides finance or technical support for inclusive business? Where can I find information on the practicalities of inclusive business that is accessible, user-friendly and is based on real-life experiences of other entrepreneurs? Ok, so perhaps […]
Bringing Medicines to Low-Income Markets
Prescription medication – it’s all relatively simple, isn’t it? Pharmaceutical companies carry out research and development, produce, and deliver medicines through established distribution channels. We go to a health care professional if something isn’t right with our health or for regular check-ups covered by health insurance, are diagnosed, go to our local pharmacy to fill […]
Is Business the New Charity?
Investing in small business and new ventures is a good thing and vital to our communities, but we must not confuse it with charity or strategic long-term social investment. In my recent interview with Jim Koch, founder of Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company), he reflected on the traditional philanthropic activities of his company and peers. […]
Profiting from undernutrition? The challenges of distributing foods through private channels
In my last post, I looked at how businesses are jumping into the marketplace for therapeutic foods, products designed to treat acute malnutrition. Yet the potential market for nutritional foods that can be eaten on a day-to-day basis is much bigger: as large as $5 billion, according to Valid Nutrition, a social enterprise working to […]
Top 5 Issues to Strongly Consider If You Are Thinking About Starting a Socially Conscious Business in a Developing Country
As we may be aware either in practice or theory, it is not easy to start a business. It’s even more complex when a portion of your business operates overseas. My career in international development has exposed me to the complexity of cultural systems around the world. However, Evolvemint has allowed me to understand the […]
The New Volunteering Legacy of September 11th
This past September 11th, representatives of MyGoodDeed rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks 11 years ago. The literal ringing in of the day by this nonprofit served as a clarion call for community service, putting the world on notice that September 11th […]
Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group: Supporting Entrepreneurs in the Caribbean
It was very exciting to be at the opening of our second Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship. Following our not-for-profit foundation Virgin Unite’s launch of the first Branson Centre in Johannesburg, 2005, Virgin Unite together with Virgin Holidays have opened the second Centre in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and it was a truly great event. The entrepreneurs […]
Forget poverty. Let’s talk about business
In an article I just finished for How Magazine on the future of design, I used Paul Polak as an example of why generalists are so important to the world right now. I said, “For example, it would be easy to think of global development pioneer Paul Polak as an expert in alleviating poverty, but […]
Experiencing Village Banking – In the Field with Loan Officers
After being well introduced in the project and the loan business, I took the opportunity to join Vasity and Mabvuto, two FINCA Loan Officers, to get a closer insight into the field work. It was a great experience which I enjoyed immensely. I was particularly impressed of how professionally Vasity and Mabvuto manage their Village […]
Microinsurance for microentrepreneurs: Fonkoze helps its clients recover from natural disasters
Tropical Storm Isaac has left at least 24 dead in Haiti and done untold destruction, battering above all the country’s poor. Nevertheless, some will find relief thanks to a unique collaboration spearheaded by Fonkoze, Haiti’s largest microfinance organization. The program is called Kore W—microinsurance for microentrepreneurs. Coming to terms with disaster Fonkoze realized several years […]