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Philanthropy is Changing Fast: 12 Lessons from Three Reports
A slew of reports over the last two years from the more progressive spheres of the social good sector shows that philanthropy cannot continue with “business as usual” if we hope to actually achieve the global SDGs. Mark Horoszowski and Petra Barbu of MovingWorlds pull some nuggets of wisdom from several recent reports, all pointing toward new rules the changemakers of the future are, or soon will be, following.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Tags
- philanthropy
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Four Bottom-up Solutions to Strengthen Land Rights in Emerging Markets
On an estimated 70 percent of land in developing countries, people live without formal recognition of their property rights. Despite significant investment, big improvements in protecting the property rights of most citizens have not materialized. But several civil society and private sector organizations are working to address these gaps and ensure land rights for people most in need - and technology solutions are providing a blueprint. BRAC and Landesa explore four innovative approaches.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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Toilet To Tap: Solving the Global Water Crisis With Wastewater
World Toilet Day is Nov. 19, and as it focuses global attention on how to improve sanitation and fight water scarcity, one somewhat uncomfortable solution is emerging: the re-use of wastewater. Of course, not everyone agrees with the methods, and the thought of "drinking human waste" isn't palatable. But thanks to rapid technological advancement and the growing recognition that waste can be profitable, the practice could finally be overcoming the "ick" factor to become an important strategy for solving the world’s water crisis.
- Categories
- Environment, Social Enterprise, Technology, WASH
- Tags
- waste
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Reimagining Slums: Innovative Solutions to Bangladesh’s Urban Housing Dilemma
Bangladesh's housing deficit has quadrupled in the last decade and, in the absence of adequate measures, it is projected to increase to 8.5 million units by 2021. Due to extreme demand and lack of rent control in slums, housing prices are sky-high. BRAC's Asif Saleh and Mahira Khan say these challenges highlight an opportunity for testing out models for urban development that leverage government, private business and the development sector.
- Categories
- Investing, Uncategorized
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Empowering OPIC: Why the U.S. Should Embrace Development Finance and Harness the Power of Impact Investing
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) supports projects in nearly 100 countries around the world, leveraging limited public investment to attract billions of dollars in private capital. And for 39 consecutive years, it has returned money to the Treasury, reducing the deficit by $2.6 billion over the past eight years alone. Yet it remains constrained in the types of investments it can make. Fran Seegull urges the U.S. to let OPIC better harness the momentum of impact investing.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Making it Rain: Solar-Powered Irrigation and the ‘Household Productivity Ladder’
Solar energy can be put to many constructive uses in emerging market households, but SunCulture focuses on helping smallholder farmers move water. Why? Because it has the greatest impact on a key area: household productivity. Their CEO Samir Ibrahim shares the story of a SunCulture customer, whose experiences highlight the value of solar-powered irrigation to 2.5 billion farmers living on less than $2 a day.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Exclusive Giveaway for NB Notes Readers: Free Chapter of Jed Emerson’s New Book
Along with curating NextBillion's top articles, jobs and events in an easy-to-read format, our weekly e-newsletter has grown to include something equally cool: free stuff! We have two giveaways this month, exclusive for NextBillion Notes subscribers: A free chapter of “The ImpactAssets Handbook for Investors," edited by Jed Emerson, and 1 free ticket to the Social Finance Forum, Canada's leading conference on impact investing and social enterprise.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing
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When Failure is Hard to Recognize: Facing Hard Truths about Microfinance
After decades of faith in the ability of tiny loans to transform people’s lives, quantitative research has revealed that microfinance rarely lives up to the hype. But in spite of their lackluster impact, microfinance projects have persisted – the question is, why? After seven years of observing various actors throughout the microfinance value chain, Erin Beck, an assistant professor at the University of Oregon, has an answer. She discusses how policymakers, MFI leaders, employees and even customers contribute to microfinance’s persistence.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
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