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Leading a Social Impact Organization During COVID-19: Eight Ways to Navigate the Current Crisis
Leading a social impact-focused organization during a crisis like COVID-19 isn't easy. Alex Counts, the founder of Grameen Foundation and author of two recent books on mission-driven leadership, shares some of the top lessons he has learned from his decades in the sector, to help leaders guide their non-profits and social enterprises through this time of national and global crisis.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship
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Scaling your Social Enterprise – While Handling your Success: A Q&A with Microfinance Pioneer Alex Counts
Few people know more about the opportunities and pitfalls of scaling a social enterprise than Alex Counts. A seminal figure in microfinance, he led Grameen Foundation's growth from a $6,000 start-up to a $20 million powerhouse, while playing a key role in the often turbulent expansion of the broader microfinance sector. NextBillion caught up with Counts to discuss his latest book, “Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind.” The book – and this Q&A – provide essential advice for social impact leaders working to grow their organizations – and dealing with the new tensions scale can bring.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Finance
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Spinning Off a Tech Firm from a Nonprofit: How to Solve the ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’
Social impact technology startups capture a lot of media attention – leading to the impression that, on the whole, most are successful. In reality, failure rates are high. Brent Chism, CEO of TaroWorks, discusses the reasons why these businesses often falter. He also shares how his company and its parent organization, Grameen Foundation, were able to sidestep common pitfalls through smart funding strategies, well-timed adjustments and wise managerial choices.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Technology
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Established Social Enterprises: Have You Outgrown Business Accelerators?
Before joining established social enterprise TaroWorks as its CEO, Brent Chism spent two years earning an MBA degree and worked at three tech startups. So when a friend suggested he enroll in a business accelerator, Chism scoffed: "Did I really need to go back to school to learn how to raise the investment capital needed to fuel growth? Hadn’t I checked that box already?" Chism admits it was partly his ego talking; with some new research on their benefits, he advises business leaders not to overlook the benefits of accelerators.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Impact Assessment
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Why Impact Investing is the Next Big Move for Grameen America
David Gough of Grameen America says philanthropy will always be at the heart of the organization's funding, but the nonprofit saw impact investing as an untapped opportunity to fight gender inequity. In celebrating its 10-year anniversary of supporting female entrepreneurship and financial inclusion in the U.S., the group established its first Social Business Fund. The impact investing vehicle is allowing Grameen America supporters to directly invest in the success of more than 100,000 entrepreneurs and receive a financial return in exchange, writes Gough.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Impact Assessment, Investing
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Camilla Nestor Named CEO of Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX)
MIX provides data and analysis on financial service providers, funders and other organizations involved in serving the financial needs of low-income clients through avenues including the MIX Market website, which offers financial and social performance data on approximately 2,000 organizations.
- Categories
- Finance
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Muhammad Yunus: No reason for Grameen Bank operations in India
"In the mean time I suggested (them) to give limited banking license to successful MFIs (microfinance institutions) so that they can take deposits to become financially self- reliant, and expand their operation at a faster speed," he says.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Giving Capitalism a Social Conscience
Yunus has recently written a new book, “A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions,” in which he argues that capitalism is in crisis and remains moored in a flawed conception of human motivation. He proposes a far more robust role in the economy for “social businesses,” which he defines as “non-dividend” companies “dedicated to solving human problems.”
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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