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An Overlooked Path to Health Impact: Four Tools to Increase Consumption Frequency for Beneficial Consumer Goods
Fast-moving consumer goods like fortified food products can improve nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. But as Lucie Klarsfeld McGrath and Louise Berthault at Hystra point out, they can only deliver health impact if they are consumed every day or every other day. They explore how increasing the consumption frequency of these products can boost their nutritional and health impact and drive companies' sales growth, and share four tools that can motivate consistent and frequent consumption patterns among low-income consumers.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise
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Designing an Impact Measurement Strategy: What’s Your North Star?
As impact investing evolves, there are a growing number of impact measurement solutions available to investors and the ecosystem at large. But as Shruti Goel at Upaya Social Ventures and Sachi Shenoy at Calidris explain, the deluge of impact measurement data, frameworks and methods can be confusing. They share some key lessons Upaya has learned in its 11 years of supporting impactful entrepreneurs, and explore how investors can develop a robust measurement strategy that helps them understand the breadth and depth of their impact.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Acceso Connects Farmers to Formal Markets for Increased Earnings and Food Security
With a business model based on keeping both profits and produce local, Acceso is aiming to reduce rural poverty by providing opportunities and stabilizing local food systems.
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- Agriculture, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Latin America
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Creating New Pathways in Retail to Support Persons with Disabilities in India
In many countries, the retail, hospitality and services sector is a great source of employment for people with disabilities. Yet in India, which has one of the largest retail sectors globally, current working conditions within this industry are often unwelcoming for disabled people. B.S. Nagesh at Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN), Celia Sanchez-Valladares Barahona at Ashoka Nordics, and Kristina Humphreys explore how TRRAIN is working to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities in India’s retail sector at an industry-wide scale.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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J-Pal Expands Evidence-To-Policy Government Partnerships to Fight Poverty Worldwide
In collaboration with Community Jameel and Co-Impact, rigorous research will inform social policies and programs.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Region
- Global
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Why Social Enterprises Struggle to Measure Impact – And What Impact Investors Can Do About It
Impact investors typically rely on output measurements, such as total capital invested or number of people served, to assess their impact. But it's harder for investors and their investees to sustainably capture outcome data that assesses actual improvements in customers' lives. Spencer MacColl at Kiva shares data from Kiva's annual impact measurement survey, which reflects the current measurement practices and challenges of the microfinance institutions and other social enterprises Kiva supports. He explores the lessons these findings offer to impact investors and others who are working to design more effective measurement practices.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise
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D.light Raises $50 Million for Its Solar Home Systems
Several investors are raising $50 million to support d.light's expansion in Africa. In rural areas, the company based in San Francisco in the United States of America distributes solar home systems and other solar-powered appliances.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Accomplishing the Impossible: Lessons on Scaling From BRAC Founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
Countless books and articles have addressed the challenges of going to scale in the development sector — yet a systematic approach to scaling remains out of reach. However, as Scott MacMillan at BRAC USA explains, BRAC founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed was arguably more successful than anyone at scaling effective poverty programs. He shares insights from his new book on Abed's life and work, which sheds light on how BRAC has created and scaled programs to an extent that no other nonprofit or social enterprise has managed to achieve.
- Categories
- Education, Finance, Health Care, Social Enterprise