#plugintodevin - Your Mark on the World with Devin Thorpe

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

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The Pan-Mass Challenge 200 mile bike-a-thon in Massachussetts appears to be the biggest athletic-based nonprofit fundraiser in the world. Founded by Billy Starr in 1980, the just completed 2016 event will raise about $46 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

According to Starr, the PMC has an annual operating budget of about $4 million. Another $5 million of in-kind donations make it possible for 100 percent of donations to go to Dana-Farber. PMC funds the operating budget with event sponsorships and registrations so that 100 percent of funds donated can go directly to Dana-Farber for cancer research and treatment.

Riders are required to pay a registration fee of up to $230 in addition to raising $4,500 in donations. On average, the 6,300 riders each raise $7,500, according to Starr.

He started the PMC in 1980 after losing his mother, a cousin and an uncle to cancer in the 70s. He started, he says, “before biking was popular.” The goal was to raise money. The first event raised about $10,000 from 36 riders, including Starr, who continues to ride every year.

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

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2cf3wpx.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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To paraphrase the great philosopher Forest Gump, impact investing is like a box of chocolates; you never know what impact you’re going to get.

One of the foremost experts on impact investing, Cathy Clark, Director of CASE i3 at Duke University, is working on that problem. She is focusing on labeling impact into categories that will be recognized by investors and issuers alike.

Sasha Dichter, Chief Innovation Officer at Acumen, sits on the advisory board for CASE i3. Of Clark, he says, “She understands where the field is and where it is going, and her thinking and writing consistently push the field forward.”

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Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2cf3wpx.

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bK19I2.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bK19I2.

Need a crowdfunding speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bK6qPM.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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Andrea Barnes has spent her entire career doing nonprofit fundraising. She now runs AB Funding, a consulting practice focused on helping nonprofits raise money. She’s worked the past year to prepare “The Giving Principles Global Nonprofit Telesummit | Investing in Human Solutions” September 12 – 30, 2016.

The conference will bring together 15 nonprofit leaders to share insights into sustainable impact and the fundraising strategies that support them. “Our speakers represent proven, world-class organizations,” Andrea says. “They are thought leaders in support of social good. Their charities are tested and their results are proven. Each has a vital story to share.”

Some of the themes that will be developed by the speakers include:

Taking a local charity and scaling it to operate throughout the country

Asking the provocative question — How do we eliminate chronic hunger? And then evolving your charity to do just that.

Taking a stand for the greatness of women and girls

Challenging corporations to thrive while doing good

Developing future leaders for sustainable change

Changing the way we understand and use money

Engaging your entire team in raising money for your cause

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Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bK6qPM.

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bCOCXu.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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Solar Site Design, winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2015 Sunshot Catalyst Award, will unveil its Solar Commercial Marketplace for its industrial solar power site planning software at Solar Power International in Las Vegas on September 12 through 15th, 2016.

The trade show is the largest solar industry event of the year. Jason Loyet, President and Founder of Solar Site Design or SSD, says, “We are excited to introduce this enhancement to our platform that will revolutionize the cost of solar energy across the United States.”

Jason adds, “Our mission is to drive down the cost of solar and keep all coal in the ground. We are excited to be a part of the solution for driving down the cost of solar across the world.”

Solar energy isn’t just good for the environment. It is good business. Jason Says, “Solar energy is expected to grow to a $155 billion dollar global market by 2018. The solar industry is on track to install 100 GW worldwide by 2015. That is doubling the capacity in two-and-a-half years.”

Because virtually the entire cost of solar power is in the form of up front capital costs, the only way to bring down the long term cost of energy is to reduce the total capital cost of the installation. While solar panels are falling in price, the proportion of total cost represented by panels is also falling, meaning that reducing costs further will have to come from other aspects of the business.

Erik Melang, Senior Managing Director for Clean Energy Advisors [one of our sponsors], explains, “One of the biggest impediments to solar adoption is the soft cost of the installation. Large developers are paying over $.50 watt to find projects. Distributive generation requires distributive origination at the local level. SSD provides the platform to make that happen. SSD’s collaborative model is an impact capital model that is disrupting how the sales process is generally carried out. SSD is bringing down the cost of solar installations and making it easier for developers to find the projects that best fit their project profile.”

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Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bCOCXu.

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bCAfT9.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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Eclat Impact is building the global platform for impact investing. In order to bring institutional scale to the impact marketplace, there needs to be a marketplace that operates within the international regulatory framework. Eclat Impact is working to be that platform.

Brace Young, the recently appointed CEO of Eclat Impact, explains, “We are solving for the need for a financial institution with the standing to allow both institutions and individuals to have the confidence to make investments in both private debt and Equity with a focus not only on risk and return but impact as well.”

Creating that confidence will require more than a flashy website, Brace notes. “We are building an internet based sourcing, due diligence and distribution platform for private impact investments to connect individuals and institutions around the world that is approved by the major financial regulators.”

Eclat Impact faces challenges, Brace acknowledges. “The major challenges are establishing a cost effective, collaborative process for sourcing and due diligence and getting global approval from the major financial regulators. We will need to help clients to be willing to execute away from the historical Brokerage and fund model.”

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Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bCAfT9.

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2biqICE.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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What if there were a way that you could give without giving? That is, what if you could make a donation to charity without actually giving any of your own money? Many people have tried to create meaningful ways to accomplish this, especially since the internet became a ubiquitous part of our lives. Loftii is one of the latest entrants into this field.

Most people give to charity. In fact, most people give a lot. On average, about $3,000 per year per household. Many people would like to give even more. Loftii has created a way for you to give without giving by taking a slice of your online purchases from the merchants and giving that to charity. You pay nothing and your charity gets real cash. It’s almost like magic.

Amy Larson, Chief Marketing Officer, explains, “Loftii is helping people who want to do more. Today’s consumer is more active in their desire to make a positive impact on the world, however, they often lack the means. Loftii enables them to support their favorite cause regardless of their current financial situation.”

Having tried it, I can attest that the process is really as easy as it sounds.

Amy says, “We enable people to select their cause, then have up to 10% of their online purchases through over 700 retailers donated to that cause. We make it simple through the use of our browser extension – just a click of a button to tell the retailer what charity to support.”

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Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2biqICE.

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bKCzd1.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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Devin Thorpe , CONTRIBUTOR

I cover social entrepreneurship and impact investing.

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Microsoft MSFT -0.24% reported doing over $1 billion of corporate giving, mostly in-kind, for fiscal year 2015. The software giant is making giving a more integral part of its strategy, as I explored here. One current initiative is a drive to encourage more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education, a three-year, $75 million program called YouthSpark. [Full disclosure: I own an embarrassingly small number of shares in Microsoft.]

Here’s the thing, Microsoft Philanthropies President, Mary Snapp (the first female lawyer at the company back in 1988), says, “No single organization or company can close the global computer science education gap. ” This may be the best lesson social entrepreneurs can take from Microsoft’s massive giving budget. When entrepreneurs set out to solve big problems, they need to partner with organizations who can help.

Microsoft has partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to expose a broader range of kids to computer science careers. The program provides a “Computer Science Pathway” with four modules, each one building on skills taught in the prior module. This builds upon Microsoft’s longstanding support of BCGA which includes more than $100 Million in cash and software donations.

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Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bKCzd1.

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bGCbKb.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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Hundreds of millions of Americans who have been statutorily and practically prohibited from investing in startups are now allowed to do just that under two new regulations. The 2012 JOBS Act created new rules for Regulation A offerings and Regulation Crowdfunding. Neither requires investors t o meet a specific net worth or experience requirement. Common sense suggests it is time to ask the expert how to do “due diligence” on a startup investment. Todd Crosland, CEO and Founder of Seed Equity Ventures, offers some advice on conducting proper due diligence. He suggests exploring each of the following questions:

Is there at least a minimum viable product or prototype with proof of concept?

If possible, you’ll want to use the product. If not, you should at least see it. If there isn’t a working prototype, be sure to ask yourself if you are prepared to invest at such an early stage. The answers to the other questions should be overwhelmingly favorable before investing in what amounts to a business plan.

Is there any initial traction with active users?

It is possible to have an active community without a product, but generally some type of minimum viable product will have to be in the market to prove the concept in the market. If the product is available and there isn’t an active user community, it may be time to move along.

Are there at least two full time team members?

Experienced investors have seen this movie before. A lone wolf entrepreneur fails because he can’t share credit, can’t delegate, can’t work well with other people or just thinks he can do it all himself. Look for a solid, committed team before you commit your hard-earned money to the deal.

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Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bGCbKb.

Need a crowdfunding speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.

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

Read the full Forbes artic le and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/2bqdgcg.

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher.

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Angela Parker, co-founder and President of Realized Worth, has built a profitable, $1 million revenue consulting practice helping companies like Mcdonalds, TD Bank, and even the UN with volunteering programs. She will share five guidelines for corporate volunteering below.

The firm designs custom volunteer programs for its clients and then works with them to implement them successfully.

Parker earned an MBA, but that may be where her typical corporate consulting background ends. She worked in a variety of social services efforts, including disaster relief, managing volunteers for nonprofits and helping at-risk kids, she says. While not the typical path for corporate work, it was perfect for the firm she launched with her business partner Chris Jarvis. Both she and Jarvis have written respected pieces on corporate volunteering and giving.

Parker approaches volunteering programs more as a corporate training function to develop leaders than as a corporate social responsibility program to meet those standards.

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

Need a corporate social responsibility speaker? Learn more about Devin Thorpe at http://devinthorpe.com.