Archive for 2006

Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management

The World Economic Forum, The World Bank and United Nations are hosting events this month which will discuss leveraging the currently improved economic conditions of Latin America; important changes in the strategic landscapes of both NGO’s and businesses; and identifying immediate and pragmatic solutions to some of Latin Americas most pressing problems.
World Economic Forum on Latin America, April 5-6
“Business, NGO’s and Development: Strategic Engagement to Meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)”, April 10-11
The 2006 Latin American Forum , April 19-20

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Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management
The European Commission has just published (March 22nd, 2006) a communication on CSR entitled: “Implementing the Partnership for Growth and Jobs: Making Europe a pole of excellence on CSR”.
It is intended to be a backing for a European Alliance for CSR, intended to further promote and encourage CSR. They look at this not as a legal instrument, but rather as a vehicle for mobilising the resources and capacities of European enterprises and their stakeholders in the interests of sustainable development, economic growth and job creation.

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Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management


The 2006 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship took place on March 29-31st, 2006. Conferences with speakers such as Al Gore, Muhammad Yunus, Ian Goldin and many others as well as the highlights of the event can be seen in video.
“Sustainability will drive business over the next 50 years”. The most enlightened professionals have figured that out. Civil society will force government and business to act on these issues. David Blood.
This and many other quotes are available at the links below. I encourage you to see the conference on sustainability offered by Al Gore, Chairman of Generation Investment Management. He has been working for the past years on helping to establish the competitive business advantage of sustainability in an investment context. He has been described by bloggers such as Loic Le Meur as it “having an effect on you and your vision of the world.”
Click here to view the entire presentation of Al Gore and David Blood
Click here to view the entire interview of Robert Redford.
Click here to view the entire Award Ceremony.
To access Wednesday’s highlights click here.
To access Thursday’s highligths click here.

Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management

The BBC World and Newsweek, in association with Shell, are organizing for second straight year a contest entitled “The World Challenge”.
This contest focuses on projects which “make a real difference on their local communities” and is awarded “upon nomination of a Social Entrepreneur who has demonstrated enterprise and innovation at a grassroots level.”
The process has just begun this March, and will receive nominations until June 4th, 2006, at 5pm (GMT).
They are looking for projects which have the following characteristics:
• A project that shows initiative, the innovative use of technology or an invention
• Small business projects that increase investment into the local community
• Projects that take a responsible approach to the environment in which they are operating
A prize of US$ 20,000 is awarded to the winner and a US$ 10,000 prize to the second and third places.
Last year 457 projects from more than 70 countries took part on the competition, having over 122,000 people vote for their favourite project, which is as described by them, as a “staggering amount which proves just how passionate people are about social, environmental and community issues.”
We look forward on having projects from IE and other Sumaq schools on this competition. Please share with us your experience in case you decide to participate or when nominating projects which you believe fit into the given description.
If you want to nominate a project click here.

Estimados Miembros de la Alianza Sumaq
Es un placer darles la bienvenida a la Comunidad de Responsabilidad Corporativa, misma que trata temas tales como Emprendedurismo Social, Buen Gobierno, Diversidad, entre otros.
La tradición de excelencia en la enseñanza de las escuelas de negocio que conforman la alianza Sumaq nos lleva a esta nueva etapa de interacción entre profesores, alumnos, alumni y expertos en Responsabilidad Corporativa. Iniciamos este reto con la competición de planes de negocio de Emprendedurismo Social, estando convencidos de que será sólo el inicio de una relación cada vez más ambiciosa y exitosa, misma que permitirá a nuestras escuelas el poder incrementar el nivel de conocimiento, involucramiento de sus miembros e impacto en la sociedad.
Quedo convencido de la oportunidad que esta nueva interacción representa y de que sabremos aprovecharla, generando valor a todos los miembros de la alianza y a la sociedad en general. Los invito a crear nuevas líneas de discusión e investigación, a compartir sus ideas e incrementar la masa crítica en un área tan importante para el desarrollo.
Reciban un muy cordial saludo,
Antonio Montes
Director de la Alianza Sumaq

Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management

The conference on “The Emergence of Social Entrepreneurship: Social Impact as a Performance Measure” took place at Instituto de Empresa on March 16th, 2006.
It was conducted by Pamela Hartigan, Managing Partner of the Schwab Foundation and Mel Young, social entrepreneur and founder of the Homeless World Cup. The session explored the key elements that define a social entrepreneur and some important lessons business can learn from social entrepreneurship. It was broadcasted live to all Sumaq schools. If you are interested in viewing these speeches, you can access them here.

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Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management

The Economist has recently issued a survey of wealth and philanthropy which builds up on the idea of how this is increasingly being a concern to business men and how all sectors are getting involved, including business schools and in a very relevant way. From amateurism, the industry is moving towards business mindset and tools ranging from “social investing, social entrepreneurship and venture philanthropy to strategic market-conscious and knowledge -based content” in order to leverage the donors’ money. Here are synthesized some of the main ideas of the report. For a full view you must be a subscribed member of The Economist (Issued on February 25th, 2006) and can download it here…
…Is the sector at a tipping point? Well, in America the number of charitable foundations has risen from 22,000 in the 80’s to more than 65,000 today, this according to The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Moreover, charitable giving in the US rose by 5% in 2005 to a record high of $249 billion, which is more than 2% of their GDP. In Germany it has risen from 4,000 in 1997 to 13,000 now.
The business of giving certainly posts a great opportunity and responsibility for business schools, who can contribute and create value in a significant way.

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Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management

At least that is according to The Bridgespan Group’s recent study of the leadership requirements of nonprofits with revenues greater than $250,000 (excluding hospitals and institutions of higher education).
Tom Tierney, Chair and Co-founder of the Bridgespan Group, noted that “the amount of social impact a Nonprofit organization delivers is primarily dependent upon the capability and performance of the people in that organization … results are a ‘who thing’ … no principle is more fundamental.”
Their study (which includes an executive summary, a white paper, a financial model and a space for commentaries from other social players) states that if the sector where to experience a significant consolidation, this number might fall as low as 330,000. on the other hand, following other trends, on their study they calculate that the total could increase to more than one million.

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Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management

The McKinsey Quarterly conducted a survey in December 2005 which had the participation of more than 4,200 executives in 116 countries. “Unquestionably, the global business community has embraced the idea that it plays a wider role in society. More than four out of five respondents agree that generating high returns for investors should be accompanied by broader contributions to the public good.” This in contrast with only one out of six who agrees with Friedman’s thesis that the “social responsibility of business” is to “increase its profits”.
Executives stress the risks to the reputation of companies when they are expected to address social and political concerns; yet only 3% report that their companies are doing a good job in the matter. Perhaps it is based on the notion that companies are taking the wrong approach? View the full report here.

Max Oliva, Associate Director of IE’s Social Impact Management

(CSRwire) Ashoka: Innovators for the Public announced on March 3rd the release of its new Social Entrepreneurship Series on Google’s latest video service, Google Video Store. The Series, produced in partnership with the Skoll Foundation, is the first-ever video collection of interviews with leading global social entrepreneurs.
The 16-program Series features the experiences and insights of the world’s most inspiring leaders of social change including: Muhammad Yunus, the power behind Grameen Bank and the global micro-credit movement, Peter Eigen, Transparency International founder and one of the world’s most powerful corruption fighters, and Fazle Abed who founded BRAC, the world’s largest citizen sector organization.