Social Innovation/Spring 2021

Source:  bestieawards.com   How Hybrids are Changing the Nonprofit Landscape In social business, a hybrid is a business that creates a symbiotic relationship between for-profit business and addressing a social problem.  The two benefit and support each other, separate entities under a single business umbrella.  Traditionally, for-profit businesses donate money to nonprofit organizations, who then use those funds to address social problems.  By creatively incorporating nonprofit activities as a function of a for-profit business, or adding a for-profit entity to an existing nonprofit, hybrids are innovating the way businesses can help their communities and world populations who are suffering with social issues.  An example of this is the Hot Bread Kitchen in New York City, where low income immigrants bake bread from their culture and the bakery sells the bread to raise funds to pay the workers and cover business expenses.  The program provides training and work experience for people,

  Source:  INC.com Can or Should Service Be Profitable? There is a pervasive problem in the nonprofit and non-governmental organization (NGO) sector.  It is acceptable, and even desirable, for upper management and executives in for-profit business to be paid highly for their skills and knowledge.  These positions are highly competitive, and career-minded people strive to gain one of these sought-after positions for employment and financial security.  By contrast, on the social problem side of things, if an organization pays its leadership too highly it is viewed as not truly charitable, not serving the public, and perhaps even dishonest.  Why should two people with equal skills and experience have such a wide disparity in salary simply because one chooses to work solving social problems instead of producing revenue for a huge for-profit corporation?  Of course this seems unfair and a bit ridiculous when you look at it, but stakeholders pore over financial reports and if not enough doll

Source:   https://diversityq.com The Move Toward Responsible Corporations               In the 1800s, concerns for worker wellbeing and productivity created the first glimmer of what we now know as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).  Industrialist Andrew Carnegie and oil magnate John Rockefeller both donated large sums to social programs including education and science.  In the 1950’s, economist Howard Bowen coined the term “Corporate Social Responsibility,” but the idea did not really take hold until the 1970’s, when the Committee for Economic Development introduced the concept of a social contract between businesses and society.              Today, Corporate Social Responsibility is a basic part of many corporations’ business strategy.  By giving back to the community via donations, social enterprise, volunteerism and ecologically sound business practices, companies take on the responsibility of caring for the communities that support them.  One example of this is Ben and J

  Source: https://bryandavenport.me/category/leadership/ The Science of Lean Startups      Traditional business models emphasize developing a range of products or services, conducting extensive testing and research in secrecy, then unveiling the finished product to consumers.  While this method does work, it has limitations.  By keeping developments a secret, businesses lose valuable feedback from prospective customers.  Often a product will be developed and produced without market testing, and once it is released there is no interest in the product.  A solution to this is the Lean Startup method, which focuses on limited products and frequent market testing for consumer feedback and opinions.  This method is useful for both new businesses and established organizations developing new products for their customers.  By identifying an “MVP” (Minimum Viable Product), which can be used for limited release to gain feedback, a business will already have an established customer base at the t