How do you know if your idea will work, without burning through all your time and money? To solve this problem, many nonprofits are turning to the “lean startup” approach, which emphasizes flexibility, pragmatism, and experimentation. The method, pioneered by entrepreneurs such as Steve Blank, allows organizations to learn as quickly as they can about what works, so that they can build and scale successful programs while avoiding huge up-front investments that might lead in the wrong direction. In this podcast, Blank and fellow author-entrepreneur Giff Constable lead a discussion of the lean process at our 2015 Nonprofit Management Institute. Chase Adam, founder of global healthcare crowdfunding platform Watsi, and Alethea Hannemann, who formerly served as vice president of product and national programs at the Taproot Foundation, share their personal experiences with the methodology.          https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/lean_experimentation_for_the_social_sector_build_smart_to_learn_fast

Lean Experimentation for the Social Sector: Build Smart to Learn Fast

Social entrepreneurs and leaders from business, government, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector discuss how they are confronting today’s most pressing challenges. From Stanford Social Innovation Review

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“Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Stanford Social Innovation Review. In this final episode of this special series, Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, and Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, share how they’re redefining the role of philanthropy in addressing public health crises and preparing for future pandemics.   A full transcript is available  here.

Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders— Navigating the Pandemic

“Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Stanford Social Innovation Review. In this episode, Larry Kramer, president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and  La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, discuss the origins of wealth inequality and its impact on American democracy. They also share how their institutions are creating new pathways for all communities to access secure and vibrant futures. A full transcript is available  here.

Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders—Economic Opportunity in America

“Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Stanford Social Innovation Review. In this episode, Tonya Allen, president of the McKnight Foundation, and John Palfrey, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, address the growing threat of a changing climate. They discuss how they’re answering the global call for solutions that promote equity and protect vulnerable communities and encourage others in the philanthropic sector to act at this critical time. A full transcript is available  here.

Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders—Climate Solutions

Powering Needs, Empowering Lives from Uncharted Ground, a podcast series produced by SSIR and Jonathan Levine. Each episode of Uncharted Ground tells a documentary-style story about one nonprofit or social entrepreneur’s journey to solve a daunting global problem. This episode travels to India where a social enterprise called SELCO has been transforming the lives of the rural poor with affordable solar power for 25 years. Now, SELCO is expanding its impact by helping other entrepreneurs replicate its model around the world. It’s a story full of lessons about how to design products and services that dramatically improve lives and build sustainable businesses at the same time. Listen and subscribe to Uncharted Ground here, and leave us a review or a comment letting us know what you think. For show notes and a full transcript of this episode go to  ssir.org/podcasts.

Uncharted Ground: Powering Needs, Empowering Lives

“Crisis and Change: Conversations With Leaders” is produced in partnership by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Stanford Social Innovation Review. In the series, leaders from across the social sector share insights about how they are innovating during challenging times and societal division. In this episode, Crystal Hayling, executive director of The Libra Foundation, and Sonal Shah, founding president of The Asian American Foundation, discuss how their organizations are transforming the way race is discussed in America and how to improve understanding about racial concerns that will lead to a more inclusive society.

Lean Experimentation for the Social Sector: Build Smart to Learn Fast

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