Moving markets

I’ve been thinking about philanthropic and social capital markets for several years now. (There are dozens of posts on the evolution of these markets on this blog and this was the primary topic – and title – of my 2004 book) We are currently in one of the most dynamic periods in this area that [...]

Buzzword 2008.9 – Social Enterprise

This next entry on the buzzword 2008 list – social enterprise – is a perfect example of the 20 year+ buildup that some buzz requires. The concepts and realities of social enterprise have been around for a long time (Bill Drayton founded ASHOKA in 1980). In 2008 the blending of discussions about social enterprise with [...]

SoCap Plenary Tuesday Morning

Some notes from Tuesday’s SoCap08 opening session with Katherine Fulton and a panel with Jed Emerson, Matthew Bishop, and David Chen. Locked in drivers of change – the things we know are going to happen, because they already are: money seeking diversification values driven investors growing inequity and environmental crisis track record of early success [...]

Further reflections on SoCap 08

Are Social Markets here? I asked this question yesterday. I think they are very much emerging, in formation and in ten/twenty years will need little explanation. So, to a small degree, they are here. But they are still very new. We have a lot of influence over what they are, how they work, what is [...]

Social Capital Index

Here are some cool things I’ve heard about at SoCap08 (so far): Social capital index This could be very cool – check it out and use it. New Philanthropy Capital is looking into developing an association of sector analysts. IMHO, they should invite everyone who has signed up for the Social Capital Data Discussion Group. [...]

SoCap 08

What does it mean if you throw a conference and twice as many people show up as were originally registered? Well that is what happened at SoCap08. The rooms were so full it made sense to join twitter so I could find out what was happening on the other side of the door – there [...]

What’s online got to do with it?

On October 8, the Stanford Social Innovation Review will host a conference on online giving marketplaces. I’m thrilled to see these platforms are finally getting the attention they are due (and also delighted to be moderating one of the panel discussions). Over the years I’ve paid a lot of attention to these sites – which [...]

Portfolio Data Management System

The social sector made a big jump forward yesterday with the announcement of the Portfolio Data Management System (PDMS). This set of software tools, powered by Acumen Fund, the Aspen Institute Network of Development Entreprenuers, Skoll Foundation, SalesForce.com Foundation, Google.org and about a dozen other organizations announced they were making available the PDMS to nonprofits. [...]

Architecture, operating systems, codes

1) The September issue of Alliance has a a must-read article calling for a new architecture for philanthropy (“A New Architecture is Needed, Olivier Kayser). Among other ideas, the author looks at the changing market of intermediaries and the role that competitive incentives might play in how foundations operate. As he notes, in a business [...]

Tech Roundup 2008.2

I’m on day 2 of a 14 day East Coast/European business trip so my posting schedule may be a bit jet lagged. That said, I just found this post over at SocialActions and realized I could skip ahead on an entire tech roundup simply by linking to Peter’s notes on platforms. The SocialActions post notes [...]