In addition to consulting projects, SIC also runs the ThinkTank, a body dedicated to the formal research of social entrepreneurship and philanthropy. ThinkTank members are interested in investigating non-profitism and social impact from an academic perspective. Typically, ThinkTank members team up in pairs and write one paper or article per semester investigating a topic of their choice under the guidance of an Executive Board member. These papers will be published in SIC's very own ThinkTank journal and distributed to other SIC members and organizations in Philadelphia's non-profit community.
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"The World of Philanthropy through the Eyes of Gates Foundation and Google.org"
By Tanya Louneva and Romy Fuchs
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| | "The World of Philanthropy through the Eyes of Gates Foundation and Google.org"
By Tanya Louneva and Romy Fuchs
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Introduction Excerpt:
How do organizations approach philanthropy to make the greatest impact? In order to answer this important question that many companies face, we focused on the forerunners of philanthropy today: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google.org. These organizations certainly have much in common: their founders have a profound belief in the power of technology to make an impact and certainly have the wealth to spend on philanthropy (Exhibit 1). While Google.org has taken a modern, for-profit approach to philanthropy by focusing on five projects that build upon the company's competencies, the Gates foundation has continued to allocate its funds from donations across three broader initiatives in the more traditional approach. At the same time, while these approaches are different and have their benefits and flaws, both organizations take on ambitious projects, and only time will tell which approach will make the greatest impact...
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"To Donate Now or Later? Estimating the Time Value of Social Impact"
By David Lin and Henry Tai
| | "To Donate Now or Later? Estimating the Time Value of Social Impact"
By David Lin and Henry Tai
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Abstract:
Philanthropists seeking to donate large sums of money may sometimes forego the chance to do so immediately and instead invest their donations in the marketplace to accumulate returns. By allowing their donations to grow, philanthropists can give even more in the future. However, waiting to donate creates a timeframe within which social issues can worsen and spread because the money arrives later. Thus, investing donations is only justified if the accumulated returns outpace the rate at which social problems proliferate, a rate characterized by the time value of social impact. This paper estimates this time value of social impact by investigating the socioeconomic burden of disease in third world countries. In particular, we model the growth of economic burden caused by malaria in Uganda. Our findings suggest that this burden compounds annually at 26.3%, an astoundingly high rate that demonstrates the need for donations now rather than later.
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"A Recipe for Success"
By Cathy Gao
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| | A Recipe for Success
By Cathy Gao
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In an effort to better understand the business models and motivations behind successful social entrepreneurs, Cathy interviewed three local entrepreneurs who based success not only on profits, but on social impact. These social entrepreneurs included Judy Wicks (owner of White Dog Cafe), Greg Salisbury (RX), and John Doyle (Jubilee Chocolates). In doing so, Cathy uncovered some of the secret ingredients behind what can make a social entrepreneur successful. "A Recipe for Success" is a short but sweet article that can be a valuable primer to anyone interested in starting a socially responsible business.
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