Social Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century: Innovation Across the Nonprofit, Private, and Public Sectors

by Levenson

"In her book Social Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century , Georgia Levenson Keohane provides a great insight into the emergence of social business and entrepreneurship. Her work provides a clear-sighted analysis of the many different dynamics at play as we test new models and solutions for global economic change." --MUHAMMAD YUNUS, 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate, author of Banker to the Poor "Entrepreneurship and venture thinking don't reside only in Silicon Valley; they can be found in the nonprofit sector, and they are changing the social fabric of nations and cultures around the world. Just how the nonprofit sector has evolved into a powerful agent of social change is the story expertly told by Georgia Levenson Keohane in Social Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century . This is a hugely important book for those who want to understand the nonprofit world and its evolving role." --ELIOT SPITZER, former governor of New York and host of Current TV's Viewpoint "A timely, comprehensive, and well-written perspective on one of the most powerful, positive forces for social change in our world today. Keohane's book not only synthesizes her state-of-the-art knowledge of the field, but brings new insight into impact investing, the growing role of the social capital markets, the essentiality of valid performance measures, and the blurring of the lines between the social, public, and private sectors." --WILLIAM F. MEEHAN III, Raccoon Partners Lecturer in Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Director Emeritus, McKinsey and Company "There's been much talk of a 'social entrepreneurship' movement over the past decade. But what is it? How new is it? How has it influenced nonprofits as well as the private and public sectors? What are its virtues and its limitations? What risks are there in its embrace? Georgia Levenson Keohane has provided the most comprehensive, deeply researched, critical examination of social entrepreneurship to date." --PHIL BUCHANAN, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy Modern social entrepreneurship is transforming the way we invest our money and change the world. Within 10 years, investors will channel hundreds of billions of dollars to achieve positive social and environmental impact in housing, health, education, energy, and financial services across the globe. While there are extraordinary financial and social gains to be made, many unanswered questions remain. What's the best way to harness markets to promote social change? And what kinds of investments can we make across the nonprofit, private, and public sectors to achieve a more shared prosperity? This book demystifies the complex world of social entrepreneurship, providing all the information you need to understand social investment and innovation, whether you’re a private investor, policymaker, nonprofit manager, or passionate and engaged donor. In clear and straightforward language, former McKinsey executive Georgia Levenson Keohane charts the development of what the New York Times calls "the emerging hybrid of philanthropy and private equity." In Social Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century , a must-read for anyone interested in innovative solutions to social problems, Keohane:

Genres: Business

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you think that business should not be focusing only on profit, but also think of ways they can improve the markets they're in? Or to even aim at disadvantaged markets? Well, I used to think that this was either part of Corporate Social Responsiblity, or the reason why Non-profit Organisations exist.

But, this book challenged me to think otherwise. Sure, it's quite technical, but it has so many case studies that just by reading them, you can get a feel of how these new businesses are trying to operate.

In a nutshell, social entrepreneurship well, it's extremely hard to define. But like it's name suggests, it uses techniques common in entrepreneurship, and the work done is system changing and innovation. According to the author, "system changing" refers to "systematic" and "far-reaching" change. So it's like a huge business, but for good.

The book is divided into three parts: Social Entrepreneurship in the Nonprofit Sector, Social Impact in the Private Sector and Social Innovation in the Public Sector. Well, there is a fourth part, where they discuss the debates going around this issue (for example, introducing business practices may lead to an over-emphasis on the needs of Nonproft Organisations to make a profit (or at least break-even), which in turn may detract from their original purpose.

I found this book extremely interesting. Sure, it was dry at times, but who cares! Ok, fine, most people care. I think the "dryness" comes from the large amount of technical terms like Social Impact Bonds, which, although are explained, make this book seem to be aimed at the specialist rather than the laymen. And in some of the case studies, too many corporate names are given, and it doesn't feel like a story at all.

In conclusion, I think this book is great for those who are interested in this fairly new field. But, since there's a large amount of technical terms, it'll probably be best that the reader have at least some background knowledge in business.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this galley from NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Fred Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written and clear summary of a complex topic. The author looks at the whole range of innovation across all sectors and includes the entire scope of things that might fit under the umbrella of social entrepreneurship. It's a comprehensive but readable book and if you want one source to get the scope this would be it. It was probably written to be a text book.

[Alexey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed, fresh, and deep book on social entrepreneurship, and development in general. Almost entire book focused on measuring and increasing impact social enterprise can make. Absolutely recommended read if you're working in international development, NGOs, social entrepreneurship, government, or solving Millenium goals. Very good investment of your time and effort!