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Young People and Social Innovation in Europe

By Ljupka Janevska.

“Social innovation is the process of developing creative ideas that will eventually ‘’grow’’ into practical solutions, which will improve the overall wellbeing of the community. The primary goal of implementing or designing a new social innovation is to solve different systemic issues that will hopefully contribute in increasing the enviorenment value. However, the basics of implementing a new social innovation can be found in the energy and passion of the young people, who are brave enough, not only to identify, but also to challenge and address global problems that are worthy of attention and investment.

In Europe, the process of youth social innovation is a growing challenge. Fortunately, there are a lot of successful social innovations in Europe that aim to raise awareness of the positive outcome that social innovations can have on young people and communities.

  • Student integration in employment

Young graduates often struggle to find their first employment experience. In Latvia, young people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the rest of the population, due to lack of a professional network and skills experience. The youth social innovation of ‘’The Demola platform’’, established in 2014 in Finland, connects companies with university students. The companies can submit a specific problem situation for students to address , and by participating in problem-solving workshops the students are developing their skills as potential problem-solvers instead of as young people in need of work experience.

  • Active youth participation in local decision-making

One of the priorities of the EU is to provide meaningful social, civic and political engagement opportunities for all young people. Young people prefer to support causes that are directly relevant to them, and they usually engage in them through alternative participation methods, such as volunteering or online support. ‘’The Youth Participatory Budgeting (YPB)’’ is a Portuguese youth social innovation that aims to foster an active participation of young people in the decision-making process, and thus promote a stronger sense of citizenship, through an online platform that serves young people’s need for democratic participation.

●     European exchange programme for young Entrepreneurs

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a youth social innovation that provides ambitious young European entrepreneurs with the necessary skills to start or successfully run a small business in Europe. New entrepreneurs gather and exchange knowledge and business ideas with an experienced entrepreneur, with whom they stay and collaborate for a period of 1 to 6 months. ‘’Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs’’ is financed by the European Commission and operates across the Participating Countries with the help of the local contact points, competent in business support.

  • Youth opportunities in the economy

‘’REvive Greece’’ is an interesting social innovation in Greece that helps young people from the most vulnerable groups (unemployed Greeks, refugees, migrants, etc.). ‘’REvive’’ is a registered non-profit mission that has the goal to integrate these vulnerable, social groups into the socioeconomic system by helping them to gain skills in the IT sector.

Conclusion

All over the world in the past decades, there has been an increased interest in social innovation as a way to achieve sustainable and economic growth. Today, social innovation as a valuable practice and worldwide movement is helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems with new solutions such as fair trade, distance learning, mobile money transfer, restorative justice, and zero-carbon housing. But, besides solving, social innovation by understanding and identifying a problem contributes in changing people’s beliefs , perceptions and practices about social enterprises, business engagement, and philanthropy. So, the rise of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises is not only encouraging the mobilization of people in the innovation process but also providing the’’force’’ for economic growth and social equality in the enviorenment.”

 

Source: https://digitalsocialinnovation.org/young-people-and-social-innovation-in-europe/

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Youth Entrepreneurship and the 21st Century Economy

We highly recommend you to follow the discussion by Philantropy Rountable  on the youth entrepreneurship in the face of the 21st Century Economy.

 

“Philanthropy Roundtable works with donors who want to build strong communities by introducing them to organizations that help people access economic opportunity. This includes programs that teach young people the skills and mindsets they need to succeed as entrepreneurs in a 21st century economy.

The Roundtable recently interviewed three leaders of nonprofit organizations involved in this work to seek their perspectives on the importance of youth entrepreneurship education and the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for aspiring entrepreneurs. They are Kylie Stupka, president of Empowered; Nicole Cassier-Mason, chief executive officer of Lemonade Day and Ayele Shakur, chief executive officer of BUILD.

Roundtable: How does an education in youth entrepreneurship lead to success in the 21st century economy for those who receive it and for society at large?

 Kylie Stupka: Like any career path, starting a business may not “work” for everyone — but the components of an entrepreneurial mindset are universally applicable.

An entrepreneurial or growth mindset helps young people see challenge as an opportunity, not an obstacle. The development of essential skills like innovation, confidence and collaboration prepares students for their careers and lives. Experience-based, individualized, real-world relevant learning also helps graduates to create and seize opportunities. This type of education generally leads to happier, healthier people, who are more likely to positively contribute to society.

Our organization, Empowered, works with K-12 teachers who guide students through learning experiences that help them discover their unique passions and skills so they can, in time, succeed in our modern marketplace.

Nicole Cassier-Mason: Entrepreneurship is about much more than starting your own business. It’s a way to define yourself and make an impact on the world.

Our vision is for all children to be introduced to entrepreneurship through the real-world experience of starting their own business:  a lemonade stand. Through our licensed program, children learn how to set a goal, make a plan and work the plan.

By running their own lemonade stand, students understand the importance of earning, saving and spending money wisely. These skills are proven to ensure a lifetime of freedom from financial burdens, enabling important life steps, such as access to college, employment, housing and health care. By planting the seed of innovation and building foundational skills, youth are prepared to transition to what comes next in life.

Ayele Shakur: I truly believe our next generation of young people need entrepreneurship education to develop the skills necessary for success in a 21st-century economy. With the global workforce and economy rapidly changing, many of today’s jobs will not exist tomorrow and many of tomorrow’s jobs have yet to be invented.

We need to create a generation of young people who are prepared to thrive in an uncertain world, equipped with the mindset and ability to adapt, pivot, invent and reinvent within a digital, socially responsible and equitable society.

At BUILD, we teach our students the 21st-century “Spark Skills”: communication, collaboration, problem-solving, innovation, grit and self-management. Through the growth of their own businesses, our students demonstrate acquisition of and increased proficiency in these skills, and as they do, they grow in knowledge and self-confidence. Ultimately, entrepreneurship education helps young people become the CEOs of their own lives.

Roundtable: Why do you believe traditional schools do not train students in youth entrepreneurship and how does your organization attempt to fill the gap?

Kylie Stupka: Our traditional, national model for K-12 education is outdated and broken. Teachers and schools are not evaluated on the long-term value they create when they prepare students for life; they are judged by standardized test scores and forced rankings. There is no incentive to truly prepare students for life in the current system.

Empowered aims to fill that gap by reimagining an education system that better serves students and society, thanks to its community of great teachers. You can see the benefits in the 30%+ of students who start their own businesses through our education programs. And you can see it in the 95%+ of teachers who cite our organization’s support as a reason they remain in the classroom at a time when dissatisfaction and exodus are at an all-time high nationally.

Nicole Cassier-Mason: Traditional school learning is incongruous with the new world in which we operate. Youth entrepreneurship isn’t a textbook activity that may not be applicable in real life. It’s about things like negotiating terms, seeking investments, studying geography, dealing with difficult customers and using your creative and technical skills — all while dreaming and innovating.

Lemonade Day plays a vital role in the education and workforce ecosystem. We help prepare youth for life by introducing them and their families to an entrepreneurship model that provides tools for socioemotional learning, financial literacy, mentorship and sound business acumen. We develop strategic partnerships with schools, after-school alliances, community and economic development organizations, religious institutions, businesses and more to improve access to youth entrepreneurship education.

Ayele Shakur: Unfortunately, our outdated, 19th-century education system was designed to teach students to find the “right answer,” to fear failure and to limit creative thinking. Schools have become over reliant on standardized testing in order to prove growth and attainment of skills. However, life isn’t graded on a scale or a curve. Success in life is often determined by how you can overcome obstacles, demonstrate flexibility and exercise compassion.

At BUILD, our program is designed to help young people, particularly those from under-resourced communities, start real businesses in the ninth grade based on their passions and interests. Students learn and develop skills outside of what they traditionally learn in the classroom. Examples of success include students like Mehrin, a BUILD participant in New York City, who overcame adversity when her team was able to pivot, adapt and pitch their business successfully despite last-minute challenges they faced with their product.

Roundtable: What are the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for youth entrepreneurship?

Kylie Stupka: One major challenge is ensuring change-making teachers have support and freedom in their careers and classrooms. Our future needs passionate teachers to “fix” our schools and reverse the trend of underprepared graduates. Teachers choose the profession wanting to build a brighter tomorrow, yet 40% quit within five years out of frustration.

Teachers are also our best opportunity. Educators, second only to parents, have the opportunity to influence the paths and outcomes of young people. Many of the frustrations they experience stem from a lack of resources, support and trust. Empowered aims to provide relief in the form of tools and encouragement as they collaborate to re-imagine schools from the bottom up.

Nicole Cassier-Mason: On the opportunity front, we must meet our children where they are and find creative, relatable ways to inspire them into action. Youth receive information differently today – on social media and YouTube. These are dynamic sources of information that shape their minds, perspectives, experiences and beliefs. By contrast, traditional school learning has been about sitting down and listening to the teacher.

Lemonade Day is committed to making youth entrepreneurship fun, engaging and experiential. Through our new digital platform, we borrow from the entertainment industry to make learning more entertaining.

Also, concepts around financial literacy and career development historically aren’t introduced until high school or college, assuming a youth is college bound. Studies prove such concepts must be introduced in early childhood to be lasting. This is especially true in underserved communities, and is an opportunity that should be undertaken.

Ayele Shakur: I think the biggest challenge that our industry faces is a lack of recognition that entrepreneurship education should be taught as a foundational course in every high school across America. Leaders in our education system need to be cognizant that the skills students learn through entrepreneurship are as important as what they learn in geometry or algebra.

Students today often don’t see the relevance in what they’re learning, and we’re at a critical moment in our nation’s history to make education relevant. With the spotlight on post-pandemic recovery and growing racial and social inequities, it’s time we equip young people with the skills they need to lead as a generation of entrepreneurial changemakers.”

For a deeper discussion on the subject of youth entrepreneurship, watch the Roundtable’s webinar Youth Entrepreneurship: Effective Community Based Programs featuring Kylie Stupka, Nicole Cassier-Mason and Ayele Shakur. 

Source: https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/home

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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From Tczew with Love

“Szafa serc”/Wardrobe of Hearts/ Charity Shop is a new social initiative based in Tczew, Poland, which started its’ activity in June this year.

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Recently we’ve visited “Szafa Serc”, as we were interested in finding out on our own how the 1st charity shop in Tczew works. We were amazed by the warm welcome, the genuine and heartwarming social idea behind the shop and the fantastic community gathered around the shop. Owners not only support women who had trouble with finding a suitable workplace when having a small child but also engage the local community and in the local community, i.e. by helping the family foster care located nearby. Read more about this great place, and do not miss your chance to stop by if you visit Tczew in Pomorskie Region, Poland, in the near future.

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It is a place with a soul, where things get a second life, people get new career opportunities, and the natural environment is taken care of. The shop was founded on the initiative of 3 active women, citizens of Tczew, who represent the “Prosto z Serca” Association, in cooperation with Social Entrepreneurship Supporting Centre “Dobra Robota” and the local community who care for their weakest members and sustainable development.

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The idea of ​​the charity shop is to help others. “Szafa serc” sells new and used items donated by organizations or individuals – clothes, small interior furnishings, toys etc. It offers articles at very affordable prices and good quality, often branded companies. Therefore, it contributes to balancing the social difference in local society. The basic principle of the charity shop is to donate the entire amount of money earned (after deducting the costs of maintaining the shop) for statutory purposes.Profits from the shop will go in financial or in-kind assistance to people in need and a difficult life situation. The initiative will permanently support heating space for homeless men in Tczew, and in addition, every month, it will choose specific institutions or families to give them the support needed.

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Entrepreneurs — here’s how you can improve your funding outcomes

“Cambridge Judge Business School has collaborated with Esme Learning to launch executive education programmes to empower working professionals’ careers.

The multi-year collaboration commences with two inaugural six-week online executive education programmes in startup funding and RegTech, which start in October 2021.

Startup Funding: From Pre-Seed to Exit aims to help entrepreneurs overcome the trickiest funding challenges facing startups.

The programme will help professionals understand how to fund a venture and navigate critical inflexion points along a company’s growth trajectory to achieve a successful exit or long-term operational viability.

The programme will also walk learners through, step-by-step, how to improve their funding outcomes for their entrepreneurial project. 

“You will learn how to structure your project so it is more investable, communicate the investment merits of your project, be more efficient in the fundraising process, and improve the terms of investments,” notes the course description.

Margaret Thatcher Professor of Enterprise Studies in Innovation and Growth and Entrepreneurship Centre co-director Stylianos Kavadias notes: “This programme equips you with knowledge that fuses together the two important perspectives that drive successful development for startups — the fundraising skill set and the managerial competencies and skills that will help you balance the steps forward and the decisions needed to go from pre-seed through exit.”

RegTech: AI for Financial Regulation, Risk, and Compliance will prepare risk, compliance, innovation, and data sector business leaders to navigate the industry’s complexities, including technologies such as AI and machine learning that support automated regulation.

In this programme, professionals will learn to identify new applications and revenue opportunities for RegTech solutions, including technologies such as big data, cloud computing and AI.

University of Cambridge Judge Business School management practice professor Robert Wardrop notes: “This programme is a good example of the application of data science to solve real-world problems — in this case, challenges around regulatory change, regulatory compliance and risk management for firms operating in the economy.”

Both programmes will feature high-quality video instruction; interactive, timely media such as podcasts and articles; and correlating formative assessments that test knowledge retention.

The startup funding course begins on October 13, 2021 while the RegTech course will begin on October 20, 2021. Registration for both programmes will close one week after they begin. 

Both programmes cost 2,200 US dollars respectively. Successful programme participants will receive a certificate issued by the Cambridge Judge Business School. “

 

Source: https://u2b.com/2021/08/13/cambridge-esme-launch-startup-funding-regtech-exec-ed-courses/

More information: https://u2b.com/

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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YOUTH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES

Numerous studies show that today’s young people are highly motivated to generate positive social change (Lewis, 2016; Punadi and Rizal, 2017). Social entrepreneurship may have great potential to mobilize youth to engage in efforts to achieve major social objectives, including employment creation, poverty reduction, inclusion and integration. Dedicated to serving the common good, social enterprises established by young people can directly contribute to the achievement of a number of Sustainable Development Goals (Holt and Littlewood, 2014).

What is it that enables youth to succeed or impedes their success as social entrepreneurs? This chapter explores the many factors and circumstances than can impact young people’s involvement in social entrepreneurship and their efforts to effect social change through social enterprises. Two key questions are addressed: What activities, settings and conditions (including support structures or the lack thereof) promote or impede the success of youth social entrepreneurship? What do practitioners, researchers and policy experts suggest is most needed in this field?

It is argued in this chapter that young people have significant social assets, including first-hand knowledge of their communities, and that they are naturally disposed and uniquely positioned to provide innovative solutions to social problems. However, ageism and institutional bottlenecks limit opportunities for young people to launch and develop their own social enterprises, which means that young people’s chances of success are often linked to external factors over which they have little or no control. With evidence indicating that tailored support can increase the quantity and quality of successful social enterprises, it is suggested that policies and programmes be strengthened or put in place to support young people throughout the life cycle of a social enterprise. The chapter also examines how intergenerational approaches to social entrepreneurship (such as mentoring) and formal and informal education can help young people fill business-related knowledge gaps they may have due to their age.

Please download the full text HERE.

 

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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How social entrepreneurship helps to educate the world?

How do social entrepreneurs and the projects they create impact the world at large?

Maximillian Goetz, founder of the non-profit organization Robotics for All, discusses his experiences with social entrepreneurship and the real-world impacts he has witnessed firsthand. Maximilian Goetz is a first-year student at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. In April 2017, he founded Robotics for All when he was a high school freshman at Henry. M Gunn High School in Palo Alto, CA. He built Robotics for All from the ground up, teaching its first classes and eventually expanding it into a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In addition to Robotics for All, Maximilian is a pro-bono nonprofit consultant for three student organizations, a tour guide for Georgetown’s Blue and Gray tour guide association, and an online English teacher to students in China. In the past, Maximilian served as a student advisor to Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, a lead legislative aide to Councilman Greg Tanaka, and was a member of the Palo Alto Youth Council. Maximilian has served over 3,000 community service hours since his freshman year of high school and is honored to be a two-time President’s Gold Community Service Award recipient. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cET6kV83tO8[/embedyt]

 

Source: https://www.ted.com/tedx

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

POKAŻ MNIEJ

What are Social Impact Companies and Why Do They Matter?

Have you ever wondered what the term “social impact ” stands for and why so many companies indicate it as their core value? CauseLabs – a software company whose mission is growing positive impact, explains what are social impact companies and why do they matter.

 

If you pay any attention to business news and trends, then you have probably noticed an increase in the number of companies embracing “social impact” as a core value. Consumers are taking notice, as a 2018 study found that 78% of Americans expect companies to go beyond making profits; they must also positively impact society.

While corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a standard metric for companies and for-profit organizations in the past decade until a few years ago, it was far less likely for social impact to be the primary goal of a for-profit business. Now, the number of social impact companies is increasing, and the public is taking notice. Still, what exactly are social impact companies?

Google the term “social impact company” or “social impact organizations,” and it is difficult to find an official definition. Broadly speaking, social impact companies are organizations that prioritize doing work that consciously, systemically and sustainably serves or attempts to solve a local or global community need.

A diverse group of people in a circle with their hands in the center

The goal of social impact companies differs from the typical corporate social responsibility approach in that making or supporting positive social change is prioritized in all of a social impact company’s work, while CSR tends to be a secondary organizational value. Think carefully selecting clients, projects, and suppliers based on their impact on the world vs. mobilizing employees every few months to volunteer for a local nonprofit. The latter is still a decisive action, but it is not a sustained, systemic change.

So why do social impact companies matter? There is no denying that demonstrating positive social impact can increase a company’s appeal to consumers and job seekers. It offers people the choice to work for or do business with companies that are committing their time, their skills, and in many cases, a small portion of profits to making positive social change. Still, the (positive) repercussions of social impact companies go beyond that.

“Social impact strategy is any effort to create public value that is systematic, sustainable and innovative. Effectively creating social impact is an essential challenge to all organizations regardless of geography or sector.”


– Dr. Peter Frumkin, The Center for Social Impact Strategies

Download our 2020 Impact Report to see an example of the impact of social impact companies.

A diverse group of people holding hands in the air

In 2021, challenges that once felt hyperlocal are being discussed on national and global levels. Issues like financial literacy in underserved populations, access to clean water, education for women and girls, and environmental conservation are just a few of the problems that social impact companies are attempting to tackle. The increase in social impact organizations means that the people working to solve these challenges have more resources than ever before. 

Examples of Social Impact Companies (and the good they are doing for their communities)

  • CauseLabs (that’s us!) 
    • A custom software development company focused on creating digital tools for organizations committed to making a social change. 
  • Bombas
    • An apparel company who, for every sock sold, donates a pair of socks to someone in need.
  • Brandless
    • A household goods company who donates a meal to Feeding America® with every order.
  • Savhera
    • A wellness company who creates organic essential oils and products that create dignified employment for survivors of sexual exploitation around the world.
  • The Kapor Center
    • A social impact org making the tech ecosystem and entrepreneurship more diverse, inclusive, and impactful. Pioneering work ranging from education programs and community building to evangelism and investing. 
  • Vida Bars
    • A social impact enterprise that provides eco-friendly personal care products free of harsh chemicals, as well as a passion for positively impacting on our world.

Social impact companies are also usually committed to making sure that their supply chains are as sustainable as their work. While “sustainability” often refers to environmental sustainability, social and economic sustainability are also important. This commitment to sustainability means that social impact companies do their best to use suppliers and vendors that are conscious of their impact on the environment, pay workers a living wage, and do not support harmful social policies.

When looked at as a whole, it is clear that social impact companies matter because they take for-profit business models, which have historically been unsustainable in many ways and made them sustainable. This shift creates a snowball of actions that lead to impactful social change. Are social impact companies the solution to global challenges? No. That still requires significant shifts in public awareness, policy, and economic practices. However, the increase of such organizations can be interpreted as a step toward a future where positive social impact is inherent in all business practices.

 

Source: https://www.causelabs.com/post/what-are-social-impact-companies-and-why-do-they-matter/

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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Sotsiaalse ettevõtluse ja sotsiaalsete ettevõtete arengu stimuleerimine Eestis

Strateegia süvaanalüüs

Käesolev raport esitab Eesti sotsiaalse innovatsiooni, sotsiaalse ettevõtluse ja sotsiaalsete ettevõtete jaoks kindlaks määratud strateegilise ökosüsteemi süvaanalüüsi. See tuvastab riigi peamised tugevad ja probleemsed küljed ning esitab strateegilised soovitused tugevama strateegilise ökosüsteemi arengu toetamiseks sotsiaalseks ettevõtluseks ja sotsiaalsete ettevõtete jaoks. Peamised strateegilised probleemid, mida analüüsiti, hõlmavad: sotsiaalse innovatsiooni ja sotsiaalse ettevõtluse kultuuri loomist (osa 2); sotsiaalse ettevõtluse toetamist ametkondlike ja seadusandlike raamistike kaudu (osa 3); juurdepääsu parandamist finantseerimisele ja turgudele sotsiaalse ettevõtluse stimuleerimiseks (osad 4 ja 5) ja sotsiaalettevõtjale vajalike oskuste ja pädevuste arendamise toetamist (osa 6).

Loe veel siit

SOTSIAALSE ETTEVÕTLUSE JA SOTSIAALSETE ETTEVÕTETE ARENGU STIMULEERIMINE © OECD 2020

 

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5 ways social enterprise funders can act differently in 2021

As world is rapidly changing in face of the COVID-19 crisis we highly recommend you reading this article by Lior Ipp from Roddenberry Foundation, explaining how social entrepreneurs can act differently in current year.

5 ways social enterprise funders can act differently in 2021

  • The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the fragility of global systems and created a new awareness around glaring inequities;
  • Many organizations, including the World Economic Forum’s COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs, are calling for a more urgent and intentional focus on “building back better”;
  • Funders have an opportunity and a duty to reimagine their roles in order to make grantmaking more equitable and move us towards the new normal.

The profound economic and social devastation caused by COVID-19 has placed the world in uncharted territory. The fragility and inequality of our core societal systems have come into sharp relief and the tools we use to bolster them have been tested in unprecedented ways.

With recovery efforts in full swing, many organizations including the World Economic Forum’s COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs are calling for a more urgent and intentional focus on “building back better”.

Amidst these efforts, many philanthropic institutions have revisited their funding strategies and priorities, committing billions of dollars and pledging to streamline and improve their funding processes. Indeed, the Alliance has highlighted five important actions that funders can take, including more collaborative, expedited and innovative models, that will move us towards a new normal.

5 actions from the COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs
5 actions from the COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs
Image: World Economic Forum

In our own work at The Roddenberry Foundation and through feedback from hundreds of social entrepreneurs involved in our +1 Global Fund, we’ve heard an appeal for funders to do things differently. As social entrepreneurs shift from survival to resilience, their priorities and obligations are changing. Mahila Housing Sewa Trust in India, a recent recipient of +1 funding, used its vast networks in 14 cities to help women and girls survive during the pandemic. As this organization looks ahead, the reality facing its constituents – lost wages, homelessness and long-term poverty – amidst weakened and broken systems is as daunting as the crisis itself.

The question now is less about how funders operated pre-COVID-19 or even our response in 2020, it’s about what’s next. In the past year, five important themes have emerged from our work that are worth considering as we all reimagine our roles beyond the pandemic:

1. Lean into trust
For too long, we have accepted the trust deficit between grantors and grantees. We see it in risk-averse funding strategies, over-reliance on reporting, top-down decision-making and unnecessary demands on grantees. As we look ahead, the easiest way to (re)establish trust is to make the time-consuming mechanisms funders typically use – applications, interviews, deadlines and lengthy reports – more user-friendly or, better still, just eliminate them. If we intend to work alongside and in partnership with grantees, we need to take an honest look at the tools we use to identify, vet and select them.

2. Build an inclusive framework
Access to funding is too often a result of social capital, access to information, and fundraising skills that are unavailable to many. Gender, race, geography and education all play a role in influencing who has access, so we need more democratic and transparent funding models that focus on reaching a more diverse pool of organizations and individuals. Without such adjustments, these grantees would be difficult to find, let alone fund. To make grant-making more equitable, it’s critical we consider alternatives for how and from where potential grantees are identified and selected.

The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs in numbers
The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs in numbers
Image: World Economic Forum

3. Don’t reinvent the wheel
We must recognize and take advantage of existing networks, efforts, and strategies – particularly those of our grantees – in support of new funding models. The year 2020 was a powerful reminder of the speed and creativity with which social entrepreneurs can pivot, amplify their work and use their networks to meet the challenges of a crisis. We should tap into and further support these new networks (such as Catalyst2030), collaborative frameworks (such as Alliance4Socent) and adaptive strategies that have emerged in recent months.

4. Shift the locus of power
Confronting the underlying issues of inequality in our societal systems that have come to light in 2020 will require the expertise and insights of those who have a stake in seeing them dismantled or altered. One way we’ve done this is by placing social entrepreneurs at the centre of the funding process – by creating a space for genuine partnership that enables shared decision-making and accountability, promotes flexibility and transparency, and accepts experimentation and failure. This needs to become a standard approach for funders.

5. Make it local
The hyper-local nature of the pandemic has meant that most interventions must account for variances in geographic, economic, political and public health systems across and within different countries and cities. The greatest need and opportunity to combat the long-term impact of the crisis is at the community level. It is crucial that we work hand-in-hand with our communities to understand their specific needs and priorities. as well as how we can jointly benefit from collaboration for years to come.

The call for more creative and efficient ways to fund social entrepreneurs is certainly not new; what is new is an awareness of the glaring inequities that have been brought to light and worsened by the pandemic.

As we’ve come to realize and reckon with the fragility of our systems and understand the magnitude of the crisis, so too must we consider what role we as funders want to play shaping and embracing a ‘new normal’. We have an opportunity and an obligation to do things differently; ensuring that we “build back better” will depend on it.

Source: https://www.weforum.org/

 

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

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UpLink – a place where ideas can become a reality

Imagine you had a ‘eureka’ moment – an idea for a new way of doing something that could, in some way, make the world a better place.

How would you go about turning that idea into reality? One place you could go, is UpLink, a platform which lets anyone from anywhere in the world submit their ideas on how to solve global issues.

Announced during the 2019 Sustainable Development Impact Summit and launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2020, UpLink is a digital crowd-engagement platform that connects entrepreneurs and champions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its goal is to link-up the best SDG innovators to a growing network of experts and decision-makers who can implement the change needed for the next decade.

As a global platform, UpLink responds to the demand for a more inclusive approach to SDG action by targeting the creativity and expertise of grassroots innovators who can meaningfully contribute to the delivery of the SDGs. Through its challenges and collaborative action groups, UpLink aspires to nurture a world whereanyone with impact-oriented ideas and solutions is empowered to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRUsgiXUMJg[/embedyt]

 

UpLink is the first World Economic Forum-managed online network that anyone can sign up and contribute to. Through its challenges, UpLink seeks to connect entrepreneurs with game-changing SDG solutions to experts and investors looking to identify and scale-up the most innovative solutions. Through its action groups, UpLink offers thought leaders and activists a curated platform to discuss ongoing roadblocks to SDG attainment and build alliances with like-minded champions from across the globe. UpLink also provides clear support for organisations that are keen to surface innovations that respond to specific needs by enabling them to co-design topics and challenges.

 

Read more here: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/uplink-radio-davos/

Source:  https://uplink.weforum.org/uplink/s/

 

received_2563814793867341

erasmus_plus_logo-300x86

This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.