Editor’s note: Below you’ll find a link to Kiva.org’s 2011 annual report. Started only in 2005, any person (me included) can go onto this site and “connect” to a third world entrepreneur to whom they wish to lend money which, over time, is paid back. All candidates are the very, very poor and the average loan is about $400. Using this method, they lent almost $100 million in ’11, their sixth year in “social business.” Read the whole report if I’ve piqued your interest. They are amazing.
Finding Your Funding Model” by Peter Kim, Gail Perreault, & William Foster http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/finding_your_funding_model
"You've got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction." Alvin Toffler
Editor’s Note: Seth’s first popular book, “Permission Marketing” was a guide for me as we ramped WorkPlace Media into a national permission database media. I’ve since enjoyed “Purple Cow” particularly among Godin theses. As with all Godin books, “Poke the Box” is a quick read. Even then, he repeats points hoping we’ll get them. This theme of this one might be his best. That is that everyone, not just entrepreneurs, can improve their and others’ lives simply be starting something – Anything. He believes most of us spend most of our time thinking about doing as our excuse for not doing.
Editor’s Note: I finally went to see the Avett Brothers Saturday night. Thanks again to Craig Niess for turning me on to them years ago. Though just a guitar, a banjo, a stand-up bass, a cello and drums, these guys put on the highest energy stage show I’ve ever seen. And in the midst, they turned down the lights and Seth Avett sang this exceptional ballad whose brilliant lyrics tell a physical story to the struggle of love and hate. It reminds me of the old Buddhist saying when the student asks “A lion and a lamb struggle within me each day, Teacher, which one will win?” To which the teacher says, “Whichever one you feed.”
Author’s Note: These short stories wind up a 12-part series exploring the lessons I’ve learned in building a foundation. I realized in writing these twelve articles that I’m not embarrassed by the mistakes I’ve made; perhaps I’m even proud of them. They have been my tuition for learning.
Editor’s note: The video link below takes a look at how StudentMentor.org is helping college students achieve their dreams. StudentMentor.org, a ground-breaking national mentoring organization, has been invited to The White House to meet the President and talk to White House officials about the critical issue of college completion and career readiness.
Editor’s Note: The following article, written by Alex Shahidi and passed on to me by my partner, Jake Crocker, is an interesting take on long-term secular trends in the U.S. stock market. It looks at the financial markets in terms of decades and thus reminds you to focus on forest as opposed to the trees. This is certainly important in the world of investing as well as mission building in the non-profit world.
“If you're really listening, if you're awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly. In fact; your heart is made to break; its purpose is to burst open again and again so that it can hold evermore wonders." Andrew Harvey
