#plugintodevin - Your Mark on the World with Devin Thorpe

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This episode is unusually visual. Please consider watching this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/TNrwrwEQdRg.

Eric Hatch thought photographing volunteers from the community of people addicted to alcohol, meth and heroin would make for an interesting artistic challenge. Once he started meeting them and seeing them as human beings, his artistic project became a crusade.

The impact of being seen as a real, three-dimensional person with value to society changes the subjects in a subtle way as well. Having photographed just 50, he’s already found one that quickly decided to get clean and sober, checking herself into rehab.

Be sure to watch the entire interview in the player above to see a sample of the photos as well as to hear about the human beings Eric photographs.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

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Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2JCt4J2.

Customers at Even Stevens, which promises to give a sandwich for each one it sells, may envision a kitchen in the back where employees make sandwiches for homeless people, but co-founder Sara Day, 28, explains it doesn’t work that way.

Day, the cause director for the 20-store chain operating in six states, says they scrapped the idea of making sandwiches before the company opened its first store in June of 2014.

The team decided against making sandwiches for two reasons.

First, they quickly recognized that making sandwiches at exactly the moment that nonprofit partners would want them would be impossibly difficult. The result of not doing so would be lots of wasted food.

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2JCt4J2.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin.

Richard Marker has been advising philanthropists for 25 years. Today, he took time to share his insights with us! He not only shares some best practices for philanthropy he offers tips for nonprofits who seek money from them (hint: don’t waste your time building relationships with philanthropists who don’t have an interest in your cause!)

Interview with Richard Marker, the Co-principal/founder of Wise Philanthropy / Wise Philanthropy Institute.

The following is the pre-interview with Richard Marker. Be sure to watch the recorded interview above.

What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it?

We help philanthropists and foundations make wise and informed decisions about their philanthropy strategy - as educators, advisors, writers, speakers.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

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Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2K8CNIh.

David Shrier left MIT after adopting the school’s mission and applying it to his artificial intelligence startup, Distilled Analytics. He’s hoping to disrupt impact measurement for companies and investors alike with the company’s new product, Distilled Impact.

“MIT's mission is to solve the world's biggest problems through technology,” Shrier says. “We spun out of MIT to look at how can we apply the tools of data and analytics and AI to help address the world's biggest problems.”

“Distilled Analytics is applying data science to critical issues of activating private capital to build a better world,” he says.

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2K8CNIh.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin.

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2JmRw17.

The youth you hope to help as a social entrepreneur or nonprofit leader may be your most powerful tool for helping them. This message comes from a recent report published by the United Nations University called “Cradled by Conflict.”

The report’s author, Siobhan O’Neil, 39, points out that youth discussed in the report about kids who have been recruited or coerced into joining militant groups are vulnerable but also capable of helping to define and manage their own recovery.

O’Neil, the project lead for children and extreme violence at the U.N.-based think tank, says that studies show that when children are engaged in finding solutions, the solutions can be effective. As an example, she says that students in a high school experiencing violence were asked to help design a program to reduce violence in the schools. The result: violence dropped significantly within a year.

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2JmRw17.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin.

Offering banking services to unbanked, vulnerable populations is a model for lifting people out of poverty. It is also a model for indentured servitude and even modern day slavery.

Microvest Capital Manages has invested over $1 billion in in microlending firms. Candace Smith, the firm’s head of risk, joined me to talk about how the firm ensures that it invests only on microlending companies that improve lives with a sustainable business model.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

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Sebastien Duffillot says he was drawn first to Laos by its people but quickly became an activist for conserving the few remaining elephants in a place known as “the land of a million elephants.”

The Elephant Conservation Center houses 30 asian elephants. They are not required to perform or give rides. They live in a protected forest and are allowed to just enjoy being elephants.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin.

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2GKqm7j.

Three physicians who are appalled by the mountain of student debt in America have developed a plan to help students pay off their student loans early. Their plan would also provide free services to nonprofit organizations. The trio is now putting their plan into action in the form of a social enterprise.

NanaEfua B. Afoh-Manin, a physician who describes herself as a dancer and simply exudes energy, generally abbreviates her last three names as B.A.M., pronounced bam! As CEO of the Shared Harvest Fund, she is joined by two other female African American medical doctors as co-founders. Briana DeCuir joined B.A.M. for a discussion you can watch in the video player above. Joanne Moreau is the third member of the founding group.

The plan works like this: “debtfreelancers” who are people with student loans willing to volunteer for nonprofits find those opportunities on the Shared Harvest Fund Social Impact Job Board. Both the nonprofit and the debtfreelancers pay modest subscription fees to the Shared Harvest Fund. Additionally, sponsors and donors contribute to the fund. The funds pay down the student loans of the debtfreelancers.

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2GKqm7j.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin.

Merrilee Buchanan and Carol Storey working to empower women around the globe. Merrilee runs Villa Leadership Group, working to consult, train and coach women to successfully take on greater leadership roles. Carol writes their stores on the Villa Blog.

What is the problem you solve and how do you solve it?

Many women feel isolated today and do not have a community to connect with or realistic relatable role models to turn to for inspiration and guidance. The Villa blog provides a forum for all women who are looking for answers and direction to support their goals and needs.

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.

Never miss another interview! Join Devin here: http://bit.ly/joindevin.

Andrew Jewett, Co-CEO of Aperture, is writing a new script for raising money for the firm’s new real estate fund. The firm will issue a new cryptocurrency with each coin representing a share of the fund. The funds raised will be used to rehabilitate homes lost to foreclosure to make them habitable and ready for families to occupy them.

The use of a coin to represent a share of a fund is new. The SEC has argued for some time that the issuance of a new cryptocurrency may constitute the issuance of a security. Many coin issuers have avoided this by issuing their coins outside the U.S. Jewett chose to issue the firm’s new coin as a security under Regulation D section 506(c).

Check out my free webinar where I share the secrets of successful nonprofit crowdfunding at http://crowdfundingforsocialgood.org.