Global Entrepreneurship Institute

The Greening of Wal-Mart From Stanford Social Innovation Review

For much of its history, Wal-Mart’s corporate management team toiled inside its “Bentonville Bubble,” narrowly focused on operational efficiency, growth, and profits. But now the world’s largest retailer has widened its sights, building networks of employees, nonprofits, government agencies, and suppliers to “green” its supply chains. Here’s how and why the world’s largest retailer is using a network approach to decrease its environmental footprint—and to increase its profitability.
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Companies that are socially responsible are frequently more attractive to top talent. One way companies can become more involved in charitable giving is to provide employees a day off for the purpose of working on a community service project or political campaign, motivational expert Bob Nelson says.

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We Help Social Entrepreneurs Too!

Our goal is to help you “kick-start” your social cause initiative—without hiring an internal team of employees, or working with a group of expensive consultants on an expensive retainer. We can help you combine traditional business practices and management objectives with your nonprofit. Continue reading ‘Do you need help with your nonprofit?’ »

Discussions of Marketing Strategies and Working With Nonprofits 

Social cause marketing is the planning and implementation of sound marketing concepts and tools in commercial marketing programs in existing companies that are designed to influence individuals, modify behaviors that improve their well being, and bring about change in society. Learn how you can incorporate social cause marketing into your next business plan. Continue reading ‘What is social cause marketing?’ »

Discussions About Combining Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Strategy 

Doing well has always been the priority of business. Corporate citizenship is evolving into a long-term commitment that aligns philanthropic strategies with business goals to boost profitability. So where does doing well fit into your business strategy? How do you measure your results? Here’s how you can make your company’s social contributions pay off. Continue reading ‘How does corporate social responsibility create value?’ »

Discussions About Performing a Corporate Social Responsibility Audit 

Is your company a good global citizen? Does your company “walk-the-talk?” How do you know? Do you want to “unleash” the social entrepreneurs at your work? This audit will help you measure your company’s actual social performance against the social objectives it has set for itself. Continue reading ‘What is a corporate social responsibility audit?’ »

Defining Corporate Social Responsibilities 

Conducting business globally, and making it work humanely, is quickly becoming the dominant issue of today. Trade, investment, and information technology are exploding across borders and overwhelming governments’ ability to provide social safety nets and public services to cushion the impact of globalization on people. The result is shaping up as a new era of corporate social responsibility. Being a “good global citizen” means conducting business responsibly and being committed to conducting business with the highest level of integrity and in an ethical and responsible manner. Continue reading ‘What is corporate social responsibility?’ »

Discussions About the Nonprofit Sector and Social Entrepreneurs 

A Social or Nonprofit Entrepreneur uses established, proven entrepreneurial management practices primarily in the public and nonprofit sectors to solve a range of social problems in the areas of health, safety, environmental protection, and community involvement. Continue reading ‘Why does social entrepreneurship make good sense?’ »

Discussions of Social Entrepreneurs and Their Work with Nonprofits 

Social entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs pursuing a social mission and substitute profits for social causes. A social entrepreneur uses formal strategic management practices primarily in the public and nonprofit sectors to solve a range of social problems in the areas of health, safety, environmental protection, and community involvement. Continue reading ‘What is a social entrepreneur?’ »

Preparing Your Roadmap To Success 

Our Roadmap For Social Entrepreneurs helps prepare entrepreneurs and managers of nonprofit organizations and projects. It is your action plan, designed for to you quickly develop knowledge, skills, and perspectives to support the application of traditional business management practices and concepts to nonprofit organizations and social cause efforts. Continue reading ‘Business Plan for Nonprofits’ »

Small Businesses Lead U.S. Growth: Report Documents Small Firms’ Significant Economic Impacts in 2006

The study, The Small Business Economy: A Report to the President for 2007, is the Office of Advocacy’s annual report on the state of small business in America. The report reviews the economic environment for small businesses in the year 2006, including the financial and federal procurement marketplaces. New research focuses on minority- and veteran-owned businesses, social entrepreneurship, and pre-venture planning. Other chapters and appendices provide data on small business and an update on Office of Advocacy initiatives.

NOTE: This is an Adobe PDF file. Download the Report in PDF

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Discussions About Microfinance

In the debate over whether microfinance works, few microfinance institutions articulate what, exactly, their ultimate goals are and how, exactly, they will achieve them. The authors cut through the confusion by mapping a clear theory of change for microfinance. If the goal of microfinance is to alleviate poverty, they say, then MFIs should focus on helping their clients build successful enterprises, rather than on making more and bigger loans.

NOTE: This is an Adobe PDF file. Download the Report in PDF

Nonprofit Web Resources 

Here are some Web Resources we use when mentoring with social entrepreneurs, helping them with their nonprofit projects and programs. Continue reading ‘Nonprofit Web Resources’ »