Home

timothy wade

Is "social enterprise" just another fad?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Margo Conner
Topics: Economic Development, Innovation, Microfinance
Attendees gather at Voice11, a 2011 "social enterprise event" in London. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43781428@N04/5577158382/">Kristian Buus (Flickr)</a>
Attendees gather at Voice11, a 2011 "social enterprise event" in London. Photo: Kristian Buus (Flickr)

Helping people is pretty much always in vogue. But the way it gets done can go out of style.

Just like pop culture trends, the strategies that development agencies use to try to alleviate poverty fall in and out of favor. Last year, Global Envision reported on the Global Microfinance Summit, where many pointed to the weaknesses of an approach that is often lauded as a sort of silver bullet for impoverished populations.

We’ve reported on social enterprise in the past: Tom’s Shoes and Warby Parker, Oliberté, and SELCO in India are all examples. But is this a sustainable model? Check out this recent piece by GOOD Magazine, which asks some of Africa’s social entrepreneurs to weigh in on the future of social enterprise and the tension between making an impact and making a profit.

Bookmark/Search this post with
Keywords: andrew youn, ashley murray, chid liberty, good, microfinance, microfinance crisis, oliberte, peter gross, SELCO, sharon chang, Social Enterprise, timothy wade, tom's shoes, tzamaret fuerst, Warby Parker

Stories We're Watching
Subscribe

Jobs for Billionaires - By Joshua E. Keating

Foreign Policy - Thu, 05/24/2012 - 07:25
A few problems back here on Earth in need of some serious capital.

Panda glasses are Toms shoes for your face

Washington Post - Innovations - Thu, 05/24/2012 - 02:30
Growing up in a Chinese home, Vincent Ko saw the many uses of bamboo — in the kitchen utensils, decorations and even furniture. Years later, as a recent Georgetown University graduate, Ko began to wonder if the trendy Asian grass had a place in fashion — in sunglasses, to be exact.

Old Ways Disappearing In The New Mongolia

NPR - Thu, 05/24/2012 - 00:17
With desertification, drought and a booming mining industry, Mongolians are leaving the traditional life of herding. Herdsman Bat-Erdene Badam says he will be the last in his family to tend livestock. His children are trading in their nomadic lives for more stable, often urban jobs.

Two Worlds, One Climate - By Peter Passell

Foreign Policy - Wed, 05/23/2012 - 14:35
Forget Kyoto. There’s a much better way to persuade the developing world to fight climate change.

Brazil and China, Oiling the Wheels of Business

Inter Press Service - development - Mon, 05/28/2012 - 06:21
China's voracious demand for energy has prompted it to embrace Brazil as a major oil partner, fuelling the dramatic expansion of Chinese companies in this South American country. But while some see this as a boost to the Brazilian economy, others fear that it poses a risk to this country's future self-sufficiency.
See all Breaking News >

Recent comments

Countries

An initiative of Mercy Corps
“You must be the change
you wish to see in the world”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Learn more about Mercy Corps >

Efficiency

Over the last five years, more than 89% of Mercy Corps' resources have been allocated directly to programs

Excellence

America's premier charity evaluator gives Mercy Corps four stars in organizational efficiency. Click here to learn more.

High Value

Every dollar you donate to Mercy Corps helps us secure $11.16 in donated food and other critical supplies.

Mercy Corps — Dept. W — 45 SW Ankeny — Portland, OR 97204
 All original content Copyright © 2009 Mercy Corps. Quoted and linked content is property of the creator(s). Mercy Corps will not sell, rent or trade your personal information.