Blog on two pioneering innovations in the realm of social entrepreneurship: social franchising at the statewide level and alternative financing for earned income ventures.
Lessons on Marketing from My Local Coffee Shop
I drink a lot of coffee. And, much to my wife’s chagrin, I check-in/foursquare/Yelp nearly everywhere I go. But I have never received a reply other than one “bot.” Frogg Coffee Bar & Creperie changed that. They have an outstanding product that could stand on its own merits, but they consistently send me messages to thank me for my business. …
A big, important question asked by Salah Boukadoum
My friend Salah Boukadoum is the founder of Soap Hope, an amazing company with an even more amazing mission. In brief, they sell all-natural, organic, high-quality products … and invest 100% of their profits in microloans to impoverished women. Their model — which Salah calls the Good Returns model (click for his TEDxGrandRapids talk on the topic) — can equip any …
Robert Egger’s advice on how to give a presentation about #nonprofits
“Just be cool, drop f-bombs & embrace an unwavering faith in the power of #nonprofits to help rebuild the economy & you’re there.” – @RobertEgger
What dreams do we hold for our neighbors’ children?
Among the many privileges of my career, I have the honor of working alongside some of the best nonprofits in town. This morning, I was invited to speak to the students of the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) at their 3rd annual Young Entrepreneurs Rally. NFTE is a remarkable organization that is always on my short-list for year-end donations. They …
Lessons on Fundraising from To Kill a Mockingbird
A review of the recent performance of the play by Dallas Theater Center, with an analysis of what this play can tell us about fundraising and nonprofit management.
Interstate Batteries’ 5 Requirements and 1 Standard
Carlos Sepulveda, President and CEO of Interstate Batteries, delivered the following “Five Requirements and One Standard” at this morning’s Core24 event hosted at Jones Lang LaSalle. Five Requirements 1. Deliver Value 2. Develop People 3. Deposit Positive Net Cash (“the more you take, the more you should bring back”) 4. Demonstrate Area Expertise (“Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?”) …
The Land of “Non” — an imitation piece
My response to Stacy Caldwell’s call for contributions towards a “collective storytelling” effort at creating a children’s fantasy about the nonprofit world.
Inspiration to guide your work
Whether you are a non-profit leader, a volunteer or even someone who has never participated in the charitable movement . . . you can gain a tremendous amount of insight on how to lead a good life through the “founding stories” that led to the creation of City Year: Download this PDF here: http://www.cityyear.org/uploadedFiles/CityYear_FoundingStories(1).pdf#cathedralbuilding That link takes you to one …
Christian Fight Club, or, Putting Your Organization Out of Business
Thanks to Baxter Underwood for connecting me to the Society Room Movement. Society Rooms are a new, yet historical way to explore issues of faith and culture in the context of an action-oriented, group learning environment. The Society Rooms of the late 1600’s and the Clapham Circle of the early 1800’s are riveting examples of small gatherings of leaders that would …