Here are the 40 under 40 who are expanding the reach of social entrepreneurship while redefining what the term itself encompasses.

http://www.justmeans.com/40-Under-40-Faces-of-Social-Change-Part-1-of-a-5-Part-Series/22866.html

Positive social change is not the exclusive domain of social entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, it is the same intent focus on innovative means to address social, economic and environmental issues that propels exceptional individuals across a spectrum of fields in social enterprise, philanthropic entities, private and public sectors that instigates change. Last month, the New Leaders Council, a not-for-profit organization which provides advanced training and on-going support to the forthcoming generation of progressive political entrepreneurs and changemakers, named their 40 Under 40 Award winners. The list includes inspirational community organizers, elected officials, not-for-profit and policy leaders and staff members who "exemplify the spirit of progressive political entrepreneurship." Combined they represent leadership for positive change in education, health care, media, housing, environmental issues, politics and public policy.

If 60 is indeed the new 40, as we aging baby boomers desperately hope, then creating significant social impact prior to attaining the chronological age of 40 truly is an achievement worth recognizing. This series will provide a snapshot of the challenges these accomplished trailblazers have taken ownership of in their respective fields.

For the sake of simplicity, the series will be categorized based on the business models - not-for-profit, NPO coalitions, for-profit entities, public service and social enterprise - these noteworthy changemakers have employed as a medium of change. First up, not-for-profits that are making a positive impact.

Not-for-profits leadership conferred the New Leaders Council 40 Under 40 Award:

Veronica Chapman, founded and now fulfills the role of Executive Director of Boxxout, a not-for-profit that creates and implements innovative educational programs focused on events that facilitate learning 21st century skills to youth in low-income, urban communities. Financially sponsored by FJC, a Foundation of Philanthropic Funds, Boxxout serves underprivileged students by providing relevant insights and skills empowering them to excel in the new millennium.

Susan Ludwig serves as the Director of Redevelopment at the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. By providing best-practice planning models, innovative policy ideas, and technical revitalization assistance to individual communities across the state of Louisiana, this non-profit organization is elevating standards for community development, particularly revitalization strategies for distressed low-income communities in need of economic and social capacity revitalization.

Odest Riley, Jr., co-founded Baby Boomer Consulting, Inc, a non-for-profit organization providing youth with the life skills and specialized training essential for success in today's competitive society. Baby Boomer Consulting's programs emphasize cultural consciousness and personal empowerment to prevent "at-risk" youth from joining local gangs, while offering intensive job and life skills education to raise the bar for academic achievement.

Darrah Johnson serves as President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and Riverside, a not-for-profit health care provider that also performs services designed to educate, advocate, and be a global partner for similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood not only provides vital reproductive health care, but offers sex education and information to millions worldwide. For over 90 years, the organization has implemented a commonsense approach to women's health and well-being. Planned Parenthood is committed to respecting individual's right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning.

Josh Levy is the Online Campaign Manager for Free Press, a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization working to reform the media through education, organizing and advocacy. Free Press promotes diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and quality journalism, expanding universal access to communication.

Angella Martinez, Principal of Knowledge is Power Program: LA Prep Schools, (KIPP), is a not-for-profit organization operating high-performing K-8 public charter schools in South and East Los Angeles, featuring free, open enrollment for college-preparatory classes. The nationwide KIPP network prepares students in underserved communities, fostering their future success in college and in life.

Doug Shipman is the Executive Director of National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a new $125 million institution being constructed in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, that explores contemporary human rights issues, while creatively disseminating information about the legacy of the American Civil Rights movement through exhibitions, performances, events, meetings and special educational programs.

Amanda Terkel, Managing Editor of ThinkProgress.org and Deputy Research Director of the Center for American Progress also serves as the Managing Editor for The Progress Report. ThinkProgress.org emerged as a start-up not-for-profit blog that has evolved into an award-winning progressive site, which serves as a catalyst for political debate, focusing on rapid-response research, reporting, and analysis.

Matt Singer is the Executive Director of The Bus Federation, an innovative vehicle for hands-on democracy which boasts a bold motto: We drive leaders. We drive votes. We drive change. This not-for-profit engages and challenges the forthcoming generation of voters and leaders, mobilizing thousands of volunteers for political action and civic engagement. The Bus Federation has earned a national reputation for their unique work and methodologies, which mixes humor and hard-minded political savvy to achieve impressive results.

Michael Brune is Executive Director of the Sierra Club, America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Brune authored Coming Clean -- Breaking America's Addiction to Oil and Coal, which offers an ambitious plan for an contemporary green economy that would simultaneously create well-paying jobs and advance environmental justice, while reinforcing national security.

Erin Thompson-Switalski, who is the Executive Director of Women's Voices for the Earth, a national organization working to eliminate toxic chemicals, particularly those that adversely impact women's health. The not-for-profit educates consumers on how to modify their behaviors, recommends corporate practices that are healthier and gentler on the environment, and influences government policies. Especially noteworthy is Thompson-Switalski's development and implementation of the national Safe Cleaning Products Initiative, which garnered international attention.

Emily Arnold-Fernandez serves as Executive Director of Asylum Access, an international not-for-profit organization working to create a world where refugees are recognized and treated as people with rights, not just people with needs. Through legal aid, strategic litigation, policy advocacy and community education, Asylum Access empowers refugees in Africa, Asia and Latin America to assert their human rights and pursues effective, lasting solutions for refugees around the world through improved national and international refugee policy.

Dana Mortenson, co-founded and now serves as the Executive Director of World Savvy, a global education not-for-profit organization serving youth and educators through three core programs designed to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs as a means of preparing them to learn, work and live as responsible global citizens in the 21st century.

All of these not-for-profit leaders deserve applause for their ambitious agendas and dedication to creating positive change. Tomorrow's post will feature more impressive leaders also in the not-for-profit sector, who have established coalitions as a means of amplifying their voice and who were also honored with the 40 Under 40 Award.

Interesting article from Forbes.

http://blogs.forbes.com/csr/2010/07/07/the-democratization-of-corporate-philanthropy/

These days, there are few things getting more attention in the cause-marketing field than the trend of directing corporate philanthropy dollars by crowd sourcing. The retailer Kohl's today joined the trend after it announced its Kohl's Cares 10th Anniversary promotion. The program stands on the shoulders of the giant $20 million Pepsi Refresh Campaign. Refresh followed the first major initiative in this space, the million dollar American Express Members Project.

All of these campaigns share positive and negative traits that we'll explore in greater detail below. But it is now undeniable that this trend has become a powerful tool in cause-marketing.

THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY

Corporate giving campaigns are known for their secrecy. In fact, that is one of the primary complaints nonprofit fundraisers have of corporate donation programs. Unlike foundations, companies aren't legally required to disclose detailed information about their charitable giving. Most corporate giving programs are set up to control the number of requests that come in from nonprofits throughout the country. Having been on the inside of a corporate giving program, I can tell you that this is absolutely necessary because of the sheer number of requests corporate giving officers receive.

Philanthropic contests such a Refresh, Kohl's Cares, and the Members Project turn this philosophy on its head. By using social media, the general public is in charge of dictating a company's giving. For sure, this can be a positive thing. Charities with solid missions that haven't received the support of major foundations can now have access to the brand building awareness that these highly visible programs offer. Not to mention potentially accessing much-needed cash.

VOTER BURN OUT

But these programs are not without their problems. I recently received a solicitation from a nonprofit in the Chicago area that shall remain nameless. It requested that I log-on to Pepsi Refresh to vote for its charity. Every day.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it. While I wouldn't mind doing my part to help a charity I care about, there are only so many times I can hear such a pitch before I either a) tune out the charity and have a passive interest in its mission or b) get frustrated to the point where I no longer want to engage with the organization at all.

Keep in mind, this is a competition for "only" $50,000. Sure, that's a lot of money for most charities, but it's not an insurmountable amount that couldn't be raised by a professional fundraiser.

THOU SHALT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S NETWORK

The inherent problem with these contests is that they reward an organization with the largest and most active network. There are no requirements for these organizations to be well-managed or effective in achieving their purpose. True, one would hope that through natural selection, the effectiveness of crowd sourcing will only promote those charities worthy of money to eligible positions. But this is not guaranteed.

DIVERTING RESOURCES

This economy has been tough on everyone and nonprofits are not an exception. Nonprofits across the nation have seen donations fall and have cut back on staff. Resources are tight. In the current grant cycle for Pepsi Refresh, over 1,100 organizations are vying for $1,3 million in funding. This means that a lot of charities are devoting time, talent, and potentially treasure to chase wind.

Not everyone will win, which isn't that much different than foundation or traditional corporate fundraising. But rather than emphasizing effective management and fundraising techniques, these contests reward nonprofits that put resources behind being effective communicators.

MARKETING-CAUSE, NOT CAUSE-MARKETING


These programs are exceptional marketing tools for a company. The Kohl's Cares Facebook page has surpassed one million "likes." This gives Kohl's an effective way to engage people with its brand, a permission-given way to communicate with these potential customers, and very valuable demographic information.

To some extent, the benefits for the few selected charities that actually receive the scarce financial resources (even in a well-funded $20 million campaign) are outweighed by the marketing benefit the company receives. This reverses the traditional order of cause-marketing and puts the interest of the company first. That's not necessarily a horrible thing as long as there are real resources put behind the effort, but it's an undeniable facet of these programs.

WAVE OF THE FUTURE?

These programs are popular and based on the trajectory after the initial Members Project, we are likely to see more of them. What's your take, would you like to see more of these initiatives? Democracies aren't perfect, but is this better than other ways of structuring corporate giving programs?