Jan 6, 2022

Understanding the Tricky Balance When Launching Social Startups

At a time when our world is facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to political polarization to a global pandemic, entrepreneurs and nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders cannot afford to operate in silos. Entrepreneurs possess resourcefulness, creativity, and initiative; heads of nonprofit organizations are equipped with depth of knowledge, purpose, and the patient determination that comes with that purpose. Together, these partners can turbocharge impact if they properly calibrate their respective contributions to create new social enterprises.

A social enterprise can be a business with a social mission or a civic effort with an entrepreneurial culture and instincts. When a social enterprise is structured as a business, it can channel market forces to advance the social good while building a self-sustaining enterprise. When a social enterprise is structured as a nonprofit organization, its funding engine relies on donations instead of a commercial stream of income; but it moves more swiftly, acts more resourcefully, and may have a more innovative change model than does a traditional NGO.

The healthy tension between business entrepreneurs and NGO leaders who partner to create new organizations is important to navigate with balance…

Read the full article on Inc.

NGO          social entrepreneurship

More from Daniel

End of Year Note 2023

Dear Friends,
As we approach the close of this tumultuous year, I am reflecting on the challenges we’ve experienced in pursuit of our mission to foster kindness in the US and across the world.

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A Letter to College Students: 10 Ways to Side with Humanity

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By Lonnie Ali and Daniel Lubetzky

Over the past two months, people of all races, ethnicities, and religions have experienced enormous pain and suffering. Acts of terror, war, and ensuing hatred have deepened the cracks that were already threatening to divide our communities.

You, our nation’s young people, have been implicated in this. The campuses on which you live, learn, and strive to become the people you want to be, have turned into battlegrounds. Some of you are angry. Some are scared for your lives. Others feel confused and alone.

This is not your fault. It is not one group’s fault. Extremist ideologies sow division wherever they go. Most of you are not radical. We see you. Most of you are compassionate. We hear you. The overwhelming majority of you want to supplant the forces that divide, destroy, and diminish with ones that unite, build, and bring light to the world. You want to replace polarization with problem-solving to benefit all people.

As a passionate Muslim and a passionate Jew, we have come together to humbly share a path forward for how to transcend the construct of “us vs. them” and side with humanity instead.

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Terrorist Attacks by Hamas- Builders vs. Destroyers

As someone who has dedicated my life to build bridges between people, most centrally among Israelis and Palestinians committed to resolve their conflict and build a better future for their children (ie., OneVoice & PeaceWorks Inc), I hope everyone will unanimously and vocally condemn the appalling terrorist attacks by Hamas. Hamas proudly targeted women and children as hostages. Ukrainian President Zelenskyysaid it best: terror like that perpetrated by Hamas must be eradicated or else violent extremism metastasizes and harms us all.

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