Disciple leadership

 This week we focused on Disciple leadership. This week really touched my soul. Social Innovation is fascinating. It takes thinking outside the box for sure but it also takes Charity. The pure love of Christ. Having that love for someone or something like the Earth, motivates us to care for the person behind the issue we are concerned with. It really takes focus, drive and passion. You have to have grit keep at it. There will be many challenges in whatever our endeavors are. However when we lean on the Lord we can, along with his help see miracles happen. 

I love this quote I read this week: President Ezra Taft Benson said: “The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” This is so true. I have seen this in my own life and in many other people's lives. Christ literally takes us from nothing and molds us into something! So grateful that he does if we allow him.

I personally hope to make a difference in the foster care system. I have two foster daughters. The system is really broken and I see a need to fix it. This class has helped me to begin to understand how change comes about. 

Self Reliance

 This week we learned about self reliance and microfinance. I loved this weeks material. I love the doctrine of self-reliance. This doctrine that helps us care for ourselves is one that helps everyone. Being able to care for ourselves makes us feel valued and a contributor to society. I know this to be true. 

I love the video we watched by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel peace prize winner in 2006. He talked about a bonsai tree and if we took a seed from the tallest tree in the forest and planted it in a small flower pot, it would not grow tall like the tree it came from. it would stay small. Even thought the small tree looks just like the small one, it would never grow like it because it was contained in a small pot like a bonsai tree. He compared this to poor people. He said they were not lazy or dumb, or anything else other people think of them, they just needed the room, the space, to grow.

I have learned how to be self reliant over time. I was raised poor and for much of my married life I lived poor. After my divorce I decided I would not live like that ever again. I lived within my budget and started back to school. I started my own business and provided for myself. I am not rich, but I have no debt besides my home. No credit card debt, no car loan debt. None. I want to keep it that way. I am grateful to learn these lessons and apply them in my life. 

Hybrids

 This week the study was Hybrid organizations. Basically a hybrid company is one that takes parts of the nonprofit a for-profit business and combines aspects from both. This idea is really taking off. They are not without their trials however as a business who is trying to be socially innovative. 

One of the things that stood out to me this week was the chapter we read in the book “How to change the world”. The author talks about six qualities of a successful social entrepreneur. They are 1. Willingness to self correct 2. Willingness to share the credit 3. Willingness to break free of established structure 4. Willingness to cross disciplinary boundaries 5. Willingness to work quietly 6. Strong ethical impetus. I believe all of these to be great characteristics of a successful social entrepreneur. 

The question was posed as to why Hybrid’s are so successful. The first thing that came to me was they are the best of both worlds. They have a business model and background that helps them be the money behind the idea. As much as we want to believe things are different, they aren’t. It takes money to make real change. Having a hybrid allows money to be made to put back into the business to continue to bless others lives. 

Non Profit or NGO

 I think non profit organizations are amazing. They make things happen in this world in a time when many people thought it would be a good idea but they didn't put the rubber to the road. In todays world many business' are trying to do good in this world, hopefully with people in mind as well as the world we live in. Society at large is requiring business to do something to protect the environment and to help people who need it. 

We read an article called "Building Movements, not organizations" by Hildy Gottlieb She talked about how the world is experiencing individual organizations all over the world trying to become socially minded but they are all individual organizations or business'. She presents the idea that we need a movements! Doing so would help us define success, define leadership, and define means. 

This weeks assignments could help as a non profit volunteer, donor, board member, or employee in several ways. First off they address the issues and problems with current trends. This lesson can help to understand why we need sturdy infrastructure and we need to spend money on overheard. We need to be honest about our overhead. It takes money to be able to make a difference in the world and that includes paying the electric bills and rent on the organizations offices. We need to have honest conversations and portray things how they truly are if we are going to succeed. 

CSR

     CSR is a acronym for Corporate Social Responsibility. That means that Corporations feel and practice social responsibility hopefully in three different ways. These are called the triple bottom line. Basically it explains that profit is not the only thing companies need to focus on. It includes people, people and profits. I love the idea of a Venn diagram that overlaps all three parts. We need all three of these points to have success. Customers are interested in social issues. They want to take care of the environment, they want to support business that cares for the environment and try and leave the smallest carbon footprint as possible. The video from our studies this week did a good job of explaining the triple bottom line. 

    They also want to help people. If a business uses their business to help a population with a social need. Some help people have clean drinking water, sustainable farming, or literacy. There are tons of different issues that social innovation are addressing. They are using some of their profits to help people!

    CSR has become more popular in recent years because with the World Wide Web we are shrinking the world. We can see into many countries around the world. The social issues are more real for us when we can access it anytime on the internet. Also, I think we live in a time of plenty. Many have the things they need and they then look to help others. If there is a business that is helping others they want to spend their money there. In fact, it is demanded. If a business wants to succeed society is demanding a CSR.

 The Ted talk “5 keys to Success for Social Entrepreneurs”  really helped me understand what a good one liked. He spoke of five  points. Each one made so much sense. Number 5 was actually realizing  that your idea is worth nothing unless you have action. Talk is cheap but tam to implement what you have  is value. Number four was hating whatever they were fighting for. They are fired up about the social issue. Number 3. They are not quiet about their project. They want everyone to know about it. Number 2, They are paranoid! They are so focused they can’t sleep. They are keeping themselves up at night worrying about their venture. The number one tip for success is to look at social impact and at money

This week was not the easiest for me. We talked about lean start-up and business model canvas. The business side of things is not my expertise however I know how important it is in all aspects of life. Having a social business or non profit will need business skills to make this work!

Sharpening my business skills is imperative to being successful We are learning that all sectors of social entrepenurship needs money. Even if you are not for profit, everyone needs money to function. There can and are people with excellent skills but if they can’t run a business they will be ruined. 

Financial Impact

 NGO’s have a big job to raise money to solve the ills of our society today. Social Entrepreneurship  has become a great way to solve issues. Start up expenses are high for such adventures. This week we talked about options to fund the amazing ideas and business’ that can literally solve some of the the ills of this world. 

One such option is crowd funding. It is a great way to start up a business venture. Many people are invested in social issues and they want to make a difference in the world. One holdback is many people don’t have large capital to invest. Crowd funding allows many people to put in a small amount of money. Many people contributing a small amount ends up being a large amount. The article “Social Entrepreneurs don’t have it easy raising capital” does a good job of sharing these principles. It seems like people are wiling to donate money and invest in  a good cause. 

Can money change the world? I think it can. Money along with people with good hearts and  desire to do the right thing. Those desires to change the world and do good by the people of the world but it also takes money to solve many of the problems we face. So Yes, money can change the world along with good deeds of others. However, money doesn’t buy happiness. Life is happier when you have money. It is hard to be happy if you are hungry or don’t have a warm house to live in but I have learned from people who have very little, you can be happy. The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our life. No matter what, we can have happiness depending on where our life is focused!