CAWST

I was recently at a Calgary+Acumen Fund event where CAWST presented on social impact investing and measuring performance of an organization.  It was a great conversation, in large part, because here was a charity that was advocating for stronger evaluation metrics before donors make charitable contributions.

When an individual evaluates a company before s/he invests there are several things that are evaluated:

• Leadership
• Financial stability
• Product
• Opportunity for financial gain
• Future plans and growth opportunities (new markets)
• Competitive landscape
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With Christmas right around the corner International Aid organizations like World Vision and Oxfam are promoting their "Gift Catalogue" of charitable products like goats, ducks, hens and rabbits.  How effective is buying livestock for someone living on less than a dollar a day?  It depends on the other supports that are provided the family who receives the animal.  It also depends on if that animal is indigenous to the region.

Photo from the Brampton Tanzania Trust. Read more »

Yup - you read correctly a Mutual Fund of charities.  What is this you ask? Read more »

You know how you get energy off of being around people who have great ideas.  That is how I am feeling today - energized!  I was at a wonderful luncheon today with some of my dearest friends and colleagues - Jay Baydala, CEO of Christmas Future; Alison Pidskalny, Director of Business Development for CAWST and Shauna Curry Director of International Project also from CAWST.

We got to talking about charitable investment models for individuals.  One of the things that I have been promoting through Dexterity Consulting is this Philanthropic Brokerage model whereby individuals can make charitable investments through a "mutual fund" model.  There has been much discussion from the Rockefeller Foundation and others on what a stock market for the charitable sector would look like.  What we came up with is more of a Cause Marketing approach to philanthropic investments.  We are still putting the pieces together, but in an hour and a half we have identified who we want to to be a part of this process.  If you are interested please share your contact info with me.  This is going to be an exciting ride, a movement of individuals and organizations to collectively change the world.  I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Whew - now that I have that bit of unprofessionalism out of the way...

As I am putting together my book on Strategic Philanthropy, one of the topics that has come out of the interviews is the use of technology.  In my next post I will be sharing with you how technology is empowering every-day people in generating large-scale global impact.

Something else to get excited about!