A New Narrative of Business and Philanthropy
A generation ago, the nonprofit community was the main place to find people focused on transforming the world for the better. It used to be that if you wanted to make money you’d start a business and if you wanted to make a dent in global poverty, transform a local community, or care for widows and orphans, you needed a charity. It's an entirely too common, and damaging, false dichotomy. Too many business leaders have assumed that their chief contribution to the world was through the money they gave away.
Toward a Practical Theology of Capital
Impact investing from a Christian perspective necessitates a deep understanding of what the bible says about the issues involved – namely, how to invest, where to invest, and for what purpose. Seems obvious as I write it, and yet prior to last week, “develop a workable theology of capital” was nowhere near the top of my to-do list.
We're far from expert at this stuff, but we at least want to enter (or start) the conversation. A 15-minute Google search suggested this isn’t a conversation happening very many places yet.
The Benefits of Irrelevant Leaders
For followers of Jesus, there’s a tension we are constantly working to manage: the impact of what we do can never be the most important thing we seek and yet we’re called to love (through words and actions) those around us in the name of Jesus. As I've read over the collection of what we've shared on the blog, I'm worried that we could be sending the message that the impact of what we do is the most important thing. That can't ever be the case. The Most Important Thing is Jesus. Everything else flows from that.
You Can’t Steer a Parked Car
Momentum. That's the word of the day every day at Impact Foundation. We're trying to achieve and maintain enough momentum to accomplish our mission - helping donors invest in businesses that do good and make money. As we say a lot, "You can't steer a parked car." We've gotten going and now have enough activity so there's something to shape. It's exciting and sometimes we forget to share what's been happening. So here's a short update.
The World is Too Noisy for Another Marketing Campaign
I can't bring myself to follow the "rules" of marketing. They say I should add our voice to the commentary on the Zuckerberg/Chan gift. They say I should set aside time to write every day or every week on a regular basis. Don't worry so much about quality; just publish. I can't do it their way, though.
Confessions of a Broken Leader
Confession time: I didn't just write that post hoping it would help our audience; I wrote it as a reminder and caution for myself.
You see, a few years ago, I found myself feeling crushed by life--a big leadership role at work and high performance expectations coupled with the demands of a growing family left me cranky, stressed, worn out, and pretty much un-fun to be around. I'd accepted an ill-fitting burden called "the american dream" and mixed it with some Jesus stuff and come up with my own gospel narrative that goes something like this: I work hard; therefore, I find success.
An Entrepreneur’s Daughter
In the late 1980’s, before it was vogue to use the word “startup” my mom became the first employee of a new business. As the youngest of five in a financially strapped household with a single mom, I spent many hours at my mom’s side while she worked. I went with her to talk with employees, respond to alarm calls in the middle of the night, visit bankers, talk through negotiations with lawyers, review marketing materials, and fiddle with broken copiers.