It’s that time again: Friday’s round-up of news and views…
– First off, nothing riled me more this week than this article in Third Sector magazine…if I had a pound for every time I read the phrase "Social enterprise is flavour of the month", then suffice to say we would have another revenue stream. Grrrr. You can see my rant underneath the article, but the end of it demonstrates the problem: what’s needed is to "provid[e] a clearer explanation of what exactly a social enterprise is
supposed to be and how third sector organisations can take up this model". First of all, we’ve spent years arguing over definitions…there is a government definition which is widely used, and an understanding that social enterprises trade and earn to a greater degree, utilise different legal structures (CIC, Coop, etc) and have differnet governance (often, not trustees). Secondly, social enterprises are part of the third sector: they are third sector organisations themselves. Thirdly, there are a spectrum of choices, structures and legal models for organisations to choose from (or develop into), so why phrase it in such ‘them’ and ‘us’ terms? Cliched articles written from people who don’t understand the wider sector, or even the terms they’re using, are really not going to help in explaining things clearly, are they?
– OK, rant over, on to more interesting things; Bill Clinton’s been all over the news re. his philanthropic initiatives. Lucy Bernholz has probably given the best summaries: on Clinton Bookbay and Mycommitment.org . Check out this bit in the Guardian as well (on Clinton’s rich mates…)
– YouTube have launched a Non-Profit channel (also related to Clinton Global Initiative).
– Social enterprise: examples and links (US)
– Another potential revenue stream (see above) is the "if I had a pound for every time someone has told me about a new social networking site…." . All of them should read this article: Building a Social Networking Site is Not an Outreach Strategy. Go Laura at Idealware; I’m with you all the way.
– Too late for some, though: "What is Razoo? Social networking for changemakers…."
– Can’t find time to blog? [via Beth’s blog] Read How to blog without the time sink? (and use it as your back-up brain)
– UK-wise, Philanthropy UK have a new website, and it was good to stumble across Sal La Spada and the Institute for Philanthropy in an Observer supplement (a book on Money) recently.
– The Academy of Sustainable Communities have released their "Mind the Skills Gap" report about what skills are needed for sustainable communities. Worth a read.
– Heard of the World Entrepreneurship Summit? You have now.
Have a great weekend….
