Social Innovation
By Anthony Closkey, November 16, 2009
Have you ever looked up “social innovation?” Here’s what wikipedia says:
Over the years, the term has developed several overlapping meanings. It can be used to refer to social processes of innovation, such as open source methods and techniques. Alternatively it refer to innovations which have a social purpose – like microcredit or distance learning.
In all cases, the “social” part requires opening discussion somewhere within a process, and that this discussion will benefit all parties. You see that in the new initiatives of PSVP; particularly the new grant process and online discussions.
Here’s a great description of the LA Fast Pitch last week, which is inspiring the new PSVP model.
It’s really a professional development program for social entrepreneurs that builds skills they’ll use every day. It teaches them how to talk to people about their organization in a much clearer, more compelling way.
We found this article through Sean Stannard-Stockton at Tactical Philanthropy, where you can find posts from a lot of other websites talking about the joy and innovation of philanthropy. Today they bring us a post from Amy Sample Ward about involving online community in an organization.
Community feedback shapes everything from our goals to our website and everything in between. We are able to work as a small team on the organization side because of the passionate, collaborative, dedicated Community.
An excellent point she goes on to make is that the success of building an online community must be measure by it’s offline impact, and also that connections brought offline will last much longer for both sides. It is important to prepare ways online connections can come meet other members offline.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
This is a great post. It has a lot of similar thoughts and recommendations found in a new book I’m reading by Jeff Jarvis — “What Would Google Do?” It’s all about open, two way communications.