Will “social capital” be the next big industry to emerge?
It’s new enough that there’s not even a commonly accepted term for it. Some call it “social capital” or “social entrepreneurism”, others “blended value”, and some choose the Starbucksian name “double-triple bottom line.” You might just call it making money from doing good.
Microcredit is the major innovation that popularized the idea of alternatives to traditional philanthropy. An economics professor named Mohammed Yunus famously pioneered giving very small loans to people in developing countries to build… Continue Reading
Better World Books draws up $4.5M for textbook rescue service
San Francisco-based Better World Books looks a bit like a philanthropic mission: The company saves old textbooks from the landfills, selling them cheaply through its online store and buying carbon credits to offset emissions from shipping.
However, Better World is a for-profit venture, and earned over $16 million in revenue last year. The company says it has also saved 6,500 tons of books from going to landfills and bought 2,400 tons of carbon offsets.
Good Capital provided… Continue Reading