There’s a fundamental tension in the way we do philanthropy. It lurks in the background, hoping not to be noticed. It’s that dreaded word: overhead. There’s a tension between donors, who want as much of their money as possible to go to the cause, and the overhead...

I admit it. I’ve failed…a lot. I’ve made bad decisions. I’ve tried things that didn’t work out as planned. I’ve watched my efforts result in nothing. If you think I’m crazy to publicly relate this information to you, you’re not alone. A quick Google search of the word...

Dear Mr. President: Congratulations on a hard-fought race for your second term as President. With your recent victory, I hope you will use your power – as a legislator, but also a bully pulpit – to broaden your agenda and take on some of our society’s most pressing...

or: How I learned to stop worrying and love summer vacation Partnership sounds like a good thing, and it is, but when you are also an entrepreneur and the founder of an organization, it can get a bit intense. Picture the army cowboy riding the nuclear bomb into...

Could a strict definition of social enterprise do more harm than good? And whose interests does the definition best serve in this era of so many business hybrids? About a month ago, I was looking at my empty garden box and all the dreams I had for it this year. I...

It’s my job to meet with social entrepreneurs every day. Our conversations typically focus on what they’ve done so far, and what they’ll do next to get their ventures off the ground. Often, those conversations take a turn toward dispelling common conceptions about...

Food security refers to the availability of food and one’s access to it. We know from news reports and, in some cases, from firsthand experience, the complex political, environmental, and economic factors that are currently playing havoc with food security on a global...

In Canada we have a vibrant social economy that tackles complex social issues, often in imaginative ways. The problem, though, is that far too many of us don’t know much about the social economy, or we see the social economy as somehow inferior to the private sector....

Recently I gave a talk to a bunch of college students. The talk theme was a bit vague, and the title was simply "Apathy is Boring," so I took an opportunity to speak to these students about the reality and challenges of starting an organization - my favorite topic....