Attached you will find a copy of the G8 Young Business Joint Declaration encouraing our countries' leaders to support, invest and encourage economic growth through the entrepreneurship of young business owners.

   read more »

Over the past 24 hours the term innovation has been bantered about without clear definition.  Depending on who you ask at you will get the following feedback on what innovation means to them:

• Access to new knowledge
• Access to new markets
• Access to new suppliers

 read more »

Calgary, Alberta - Two of Calgary's emerging entrepreneurs will be joining a delegation of 10 other Canadian business owners at the inaugural Young Entrepreneur G8 Summit (YE G8) in Stresa, Italy. Gena Rotstein, Founder and Philanthropic Advisor, Dexterity Consulting and Derek Major, CEO of Eligeo IT, are bucking the trends of our current global economy - these two business owners have set high, yet achievable goals for their businesses, and are well on their way to meeting those objectives.  read more »

What makes these two individuals unique?

 

This is the Chinese word for crisis - weiji.  Many new-agers believe that it is made up of two characters - danger and opportunity.  In reading an essay entitled, "Danger + Opportunity≠ Crisis" by Victor H. Mair, professor of Chinese language and literature at the University of Pennsylvania, with contributions from Denis Mair and Zhang Liqing, I learned that this is not the case.  According to Dr. Mair, the second character means incipient moment or crucial point.  As I interperate it further - it is a time in space for change to occur.

We are facing this time of Ji.  A time where as society, we have choices we can make that will further entrench us in our crisis - social, environmental, financial, etc. or choices that can elevate us out of these situations thereby "saving our neck."  It is in the latter that I see the opportunity of the Ji.

A friend of mine - Chris Hsiung, has created his business helping individuals reshape their businesses and themselves by looking at the crisis points of the human venture and shifting the thought process.  In a recent posting on his blog, Chris points out as humans we can justify anything even if it contradicts who we are as an individual. 

When we are looking at crisis management, whether it is addressing funding issues as a result of Madoff or a national stimulus package as reiterated by Obama in his speech to Congress last night, we can either choose to keep ourselves in the boxes that we have self-defined.  Or we can choose to take this JI and flip it over, turn it inside and come up with a new paradigm.

What is this new paradigm?

We can no longer depend on the traditional models that ran society, because in front of our eyes, those models are falling apart.  The people and institutions that we held as pillars are crumbling.  Many people are talking and writing about the social shifts.  The impact that Twitter is having through its Twestivals.  Or the business models that are being tested by social entrepreneurs.  Or, the new ways that people are seeking out venture capital. 

So, unlike what Victor Mair states that ji is not opportunity.  I believe that the space that surrounds ji is definitely one for opportunity.  It just depends on how we chose to use it.

Kickback: A remarkable new law reveals how you get what you want by putting others first by Robert Urbanowsk

This book was promoted at the AFP National Philanthropy Day luncheon in Calgary, Alberta in November 2008.

 

CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World by Tom Watson

I have had this book sitting on my shelf for about a month.  It was on the holiday reading list but was pushed aside for other catching up's.  Sean Stannard-Stockton whom I have referenced in previous blog posts recently wrote a review on the book on his blog: Tactical Philanthropy.

Daniel Segal spoke at the Calgary Jewish Community Centre last week about micro-philanthropy and how to talk to your children about social impact.  His presentation, while jumping all over the map, had one key message - DUH!  Seriously, DUH, was the message.  He has worked with children and teens for the majority of his career and it is this age-group that is quick to identify opportunities, and it is the older generation that is quick to say, but will it really make a difference...

When interviewing parents, he asked them what do they want their children to accomplish.  They answered the following - be good citizens, be happy, be successful, be respected.  What did the kids say they thought their parents wanted them to achieve?  GET GOOD GRADES.  As a society we are missing something when our message is not getting translated down.  What is one way to clarify the message - let our actions lead.  If we start to model behaviours, such as citizenship and respect, our children will understand what we want from them. 

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com.

What does this have to do with micro-philanthropy?

Definition - "... is a model of philanthropy that is based on smaller, more direct interaction between "helpers" and "doers." Because of this finer level of granularity, it provides greater potential for feedback. It uses the definition of philanthropy as "love of humanity", which is broader than just charity or donating money. This opens up a broader range of activities such as volunteering, emergency response activities, mentoring, and many other patterns of uplift." (Wikipedia)

Going into a nursing home once a week with our children and visiting the elderly is a form of micro-philanthropy.  Taking an afternoon to go to the animal shelter to walk the dogs is a form of micro-philanthropy.  Taking your own pet into a nursing home and seeing how the residents respond is micro-philanthropy.  It is the little acts, that are direct between the doer and the recipient that can teach our children that we expect more from them than just getting good grades.

On Canada Day 2007 I wrote a posting on another blog about what we have in common as Canadians.  Pursuit of happiness was the topic.  As we look at what it means to be happy, actions around micro-philanthropy can help us achieve that emotion.  The look that spreads across the face of a person who is bed-ridden due to illness when the Art a la Carte volunteers enter their room with a new painting and time to visit, is so uplifting.  This was one woman's initiative to do something for those who were suffering due to cancer.  It is based on research showing that people heal faster when they are surrounded by things that MAKE THEM HAPPY.  What more can one say, if we can share happiness is this not a way to teach happiness?  If we can teach happiness will we not, as parents, have accomplished the task of modeling behaviour.

The beauty about this type of philanthropy is that ANYONE of ANY AGE can do it.  If you need ideas, drop me a line.  If you have ideas, drop me a line.  If you are in need of people to help you achieve your mission and purpose, drop me a line.

These little steps can make huge differences in our communities.

Check out this link for answers to the question about what donors are thinking of charitable fundraising tactics.

"As a donor to charity, what do we nonprofits do that REALLY annoys the tar out of you?"  This question was posed my Marc Pitman.

While you are on LinkedIn, check out the group Generating Social Capital.  A very interesting gathering of people trying to foster social change.

Finally, a few words on last nights speech by Barak Obama as it pertains to social change and social capital.  Here is a man who, for the first time since I have been engaged on the periphery of politics, actually moved me and made me believe in what he said.  Most importantly that he will deliver.  I have pulled out an excerpt from his speech that speaks to the generative changes that his government intends to make. 

This past week I have been in NYC.  Everywhere I went I asked people thoughts about the election.  One person's response was to ask me why I was interested.  The importance of this election does not simply impact the lives of Americans, this election and the policies that come out of it will directly impact the lives of Canadians, Afghanis, Iraqis, Africans, Chinese, Israelies, Russians... the globe.  I know for this Canadian, the need for change is desperate, change in environmental standards and policies, change in foreign policies, change in economic policies. 

As the American economy sinks further, the Canadian economy is also slowing.  This in turn can have major effects on charitable investments and the services that our non-profit organizations provides; as part of the social safety-net, as part of the cultural activities, as part of the educational opportunities provided and as part of the environmental securities we seek out.

Obama's platform is all about social change.  Hopefully his fiscal policies will reflect generating social capital to assist in that change.

Here is the excerpt from his speech.  The whole version can be found on his website - Barak Obama.

...What is that promise? 

It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us.  It should help us, not hurt us.  It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

Generating social capital is the means to raising human and financial resources that enable positive social change through innovation.  I am in the middle of reading Getting to Maybe by Westley, Zimmerman and Patton and this book has articulated the process in which I engage my own life, but also advise my clients on their charitable investments.

Social Change is inherently fraught with paradoxes and opposites.  These opposing systems can be seen in simple cause and effect situations like children living longer because they are not dying from diseases like malaria, but they don't have access to education because the system in place was never meant to have so many children living beyond the age of three.  These systems can also be seen in more complex situations like the removal of government funding for social services to be replaced by private foundations.  This in turn means that private foundations that are typically established to fund innovative ideas, are now supporting baseline programming in order to ensure that the basic needs of an organization are met.

Supporting social change is done through a process, according to Westley, Zimmerman and Patton.  The basic premise of this process is as follows:

• Support vision, people with a passion and emerging possibilities
• Support knowledge transfers, networking opportunities and connections between people and systems that can take things in a new direction
• Remove barriers to innovation
• Be passionate about things that matter to you
• Express your vision to others, this in turn will attract them to what you are trying to accomplish
• Be the change. As systems change around you, you will also adapt and change
• Support others in their attempts to change systems. Social innovation does not always conform to organizational management systems - be okay with this
• Watch and listen
• Accept the imperfections

This can be translated into Generating Social Capital in the following ways:

By investing your financial, human and intellectual resources into a person or an organization with passion, means that you agree with what they are trying to achieve.  If you don't, or you can't align your values with their passion then this is not the type of social change you want to be engaged in.

Philanthropic investors can learn from each other.  This knowledge transfer happens on many levels from attending conferences like the Global Forum for Philanthropy to more passive experiences like blogging (see my blog roll for some sites that I read regularly).  The more you know about what others are the doing the stronger your network can be for leveraging your philanthropic investments to generate greater impact.

Don't always be hung up on outcomes.  I write a lot about impacts.  I think this is what is important.  Working with a charitable organization to help them achieve their mission is just as important as providing them with the funding to achieve that mission.  By providing unwieldy reporting requirements, or not providing the funding to generate those reports is, in essence, preventing you from achieving your objective of generating social capital and change.

If you believe in what you are doing, share that with others.  Your passion will inspire others.  Over the past few months, as I have been interviewing people on how and why the started their foundations, so many of them have said they were inspired by someone else who also wanted to change the world.  It is that inspiration that fosters innovation.  You might not end up working on the same project or with the same mandate, but your energy will encourage others to invest their energies into their own beliefs.

Social innovation, as stated before, is about conflict.  The conflict can be around the issue that is being addressed, it can be around the process that is feeding into the current system or it can be the different approaches implemented to address the issue.  As the system evolves and adapts, and as you influence that movement, you will be changed.  Be okay with this.  Innovation in and of itself is about altering the status quo, so you cannot be part of the status quo.

Did you know that LISTEN and SILENT are anagrams of each other?  There might be a reason for this.  As you see how others are generating social capital, learn from them and adopt their best practises into your own systems.  As questions and hear the answer.  You are impacting the world on so many levels, it is important to understand how one action can impact an entirely different system.

We live a in world, as you know that is imperfect.  These imperfections are what drives us to change and be innovative.  Enjoy this as you discover new ways of generating social capital as they align with your values and passions.