Comments on: Why the Social Innovation Fund is on the right track http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/ Advancing Social Innovation - Investing in What Works Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:22:11 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Back from the Future Trends Forum in Madrid | Andrew Wolk http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-2262 Back from the Future Trends Forum in Madrid | Andrew Wolk Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:23:45 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-2262 [...] too focused on scale by replication, and have not thought enough about scaling ideas. While this is not new for this blog, I heard a new angle on what should be an increased emphasis on collaboration. As one [...] [...] too focused on scale by replication, and have not thought enough about scaling ideas. While this is not new for this blog, I heard a new angle on what should be an increased emphasis on collaboration. As one [...]

]]> By: Social Innovation Fund Round-Up « ServeNext.org Blog http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-2120 Social Innovation Fund Round-Up « ServeNext.org Blog Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:22:13 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-2120 [...] Andrew Wolk from Common Cause provides an equally thought-provoking reply to Allison. Social Innovation Fund flow chart from the Corporation for National & Community [...] [...] Andrew Wolk from Common Cause provides an equally thought-provoking reply to Allison. Social Innovation Fund flow chart from the Corporation for National & Community [...]

]]> By: Link Roundup: America Forward Coalition Members Weigh in on the Social Innovation Fund | America Forward http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-1418 Link Roundup: America Forward Coalition Members Weigh in on the Social Innovation Fund | America Forward Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:05:07 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-1418 [...] Why the Social Innovation Fund is on the Right Track Andrew Wolk answers some critiques of the Fund posed by blogger Allison Fine, and highlights three crucial new practices brought to the nonprofit sector through venture philanthropy—”growth funding, more rigorous measurement systems, and long-term funding.” [...] [...] Why the Social Innovation Fund is on the Right Track Andrew Wolk answers some critiques of the Fund posed by blogger Allison Fine, and highlights three crucial new practices brought to the nonprofit sector through venture philanthropy—”growth funding, more rigorous measurement systems, and long-term funding.” [...]

]]> By: Jeff Mowatt http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-779 Jeff Mowatt Thu, 21 May 2009 16:32:42 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-779 That's a difficult one Daniel (hello again), the leading a horse to water and making it drink variety. With social enterprise adopted here in the UK since 2002, there is still great reluctance to communicate. All focus is on celebrity or MBA led initiatives and one soon discovers nothing particularly social about social enterprise. In one of this blog's earlier posts, I mention an example of social enterprise leveraging government investment. This was the Tomsk initiative which began in Russian in 1999, where $6m was invested in a microfinance bank with full cost recovery. The approach, coincidentally was based on a model put to Pres. Clinton which described a profit for purpose model, with seed capital to replicate it provided by a social trust fund. In the paper, proposing this to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 3 years ago, a similar strategy was offered as a model for national scale investment in social enterprise and broadband deployment, with a high impact social target, in the area of childcare reform. <a href="http://www.p-ced.com/projects/ukraine/national/" target="_blank">http://www.p-ced.com/projects/ukraine/national/</a> This appears to have influenced policy in two governments, as intended, with the US launching the East Europe Foundation to support sustainable community enterprise (another social investment fund, perhaps?) and Ukraine deciding to create 400 rehab centres and double the allowance for adoption of orphans. Not invented here, is a typical response. Jeff That's a difficult one Daniel (hello again), the leading a horse to water and making it drink variety. With social enterprise adopted here in the UK since 2002, there is still great reluctance to communicate. All focus is on celebrity or MBA led initiatives and one soon discovers nothing particularly social about social enterprise.

In one of this blog's earlier posts, I mention an example of social enterprise leveraging government investment. This was the Tomsk initiative which began in Russian in 1999, where $6m was invested in a microfinance bank with full cost recovery.

The approach, coincidentally was based on a model put to Pres. Clinton which described a profit for purpose model, with seed capital to replicate it provided by a social trust fund. In the paper, proposing this to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 3 years ago, a similar strategy was offered as a model for national scale investment in social enterprise and broadband deployment, with a high impact social target, in the area of childcare reform.

http://www.p-ced.com/projects/ukraine/national/

This appears to have influenced policy in two governments, as intended, with the US launching the East Europe Foundation to support sustainable community enterprise (another social investment fund, perhaps?) and Ukraine deciding to create 400 rehab centres and double the allowance for adoption of orphans.

Not invented here, is a typical response.

Jeff

]]> By: Philanthropy Daily Digest | Tactical Philanthropy http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-625 Philanthropy Daily Digest | Tactical Philanthropy Sat, 16 May 2009 01:01:46 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-625 [...] Andrew Wolk: Why the Social Innovation Fund is on the right track Andrew Wolk of Root Cause responds to Allison Fine's recent critique of the Social Innovation Fund being designed by the White House. (tags: philanthropy) This entry was written by Sean Stannard-Stockton and posted on May 15, 2009 at 5:01 pm. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment. [...] [...] Andrew Wolk: Why the Social Innovation Fund is on the right track Andrew Wolk of Root Cause responds to Allison Fine's recent critique of the Social Innovation Fund being designed by the White House. (tags: philanthropy) This entry was written by Sean Stannard-Stockton and posted on May 15, 2009 at 5:01 pm. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment. [...]

]]> By: Daniel Bassill http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-610 Daniel Bassill Fri, 15 May 2009 13:56:28 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-610 Andrew, what would be some suggestions for overcoming this "nonprofit sector is currently set up in extreme silos with little incentive for organizations to collaborate as a network"? Andrew, what would be some suggestions for overcoming this "nonprofit sector is currently set up in extreme silos with little incentive for organizations to collaborate as a network"?

]]> By: Nathaniel Whittemore http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-592 Nathaniel Whittemore Fri, 15 May 2009 02:53:38 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-592 Great post Andrew! I think your questions about the opportunity of silos is right on. Particularly, what's both implicit and explicit in your post is the need to reward cross-silo collaboration when it happens as a part of the goal of inspiring more future collaboration. Thanks for highlighting that important point! Great post Andrew!

I think your questions about the opportunity of silos is right on. Particularly, what's both implicit and explicit in your post is the need to reward cross-silo collaboration when it happens as a part of the goal of inspiring more future collaboration. Thanks for highlighting that important point!

]]> By: Daniel Bassill http://andrewwolk.com/2009/05/14/why-the-social-innovation-fund-is-on-the-right-track/comment-page-1/#comment-583 Daniel Bassill Thu, 14 May 2009 19:51:36 +0000 http://andrewwolk.com/?p=264#comment-583 Andrew, what would be some suggestions for overcoming this "nonprofit sector is currently set up in extreme silos with little incentive for organizations to collaborate as a network"? Can bloggers write about groups who are building networks, and give them attention that a) draws resources to their efforts; and b) encourages others to duplicate those; and c) encourages others to join them? Chris Warren, a Public Service Intern from Northwestern University, who is with my organization this year, wrote an article to show how the Tutor/Mentor Connection is doing such network building. <a href="http://chrispip.blogspot.com/2009/05/forces-for-good-building-and-nurturing_12.html" target="_blank">http://chrispip.blogspot.com/2009/05/forces-for-g...</a> Can you and others profile organizations who you feel do great work of breaking down silos, or spreading the attention to others doing good work in their sector? Andrew, what would be some suggestions for overcoming this "nonprofit sector is currently set up in extreme silos with little incentive for organizations to collaborate as a network"?

Can bloggers write about groups who are building networks, and give them attention that a) draws resources to their efforts; and b) encourages others to duplicate those; and c) encourages others to join them?

Chris Warren, a Public Service Intern from Northwestern University, who is with my organization this year, wrote an article to show how the Tutor/Mentor Connection is doing such network building. http://chrispip.blogspot.com/2009/05/forces-for-g...

Can you and others profile organizations who you feel do great work of breaking down silos, or spreading the attention to others doing good work in their sector?

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