They say necessity is the mother of invention (humans required a more efficient mode of locomotion, so we invented the wheel; college students wanted a virtual way to connect to their friends, so Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook). Such is true for Dove, who, back in 2004 were suffering from low sales in an abysmally crowded and over-saturated market. So Dove’s parent company, Unilever, created The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty.
Let Them Eat Soup: How Soup Sisters is Bringing Shared Value to the Nonprofit Sector
Shared Value is usually viewed as a strategy for the business sector, but what if a nonprofit was able to apply the same principles and practices in order to deepen their value and impact? Sharon Hapton, a local Calgarian and the founder and CEO of Soup Sisters, unwittingly did just that.While her kids were growing up, Sharon Hapton used to deliver soup to her friends as a gesture of care and empathy.
Reflections on the SFU Community Economic Development Program
I recently completed the professional certificate program in Community Economic Development (CED) through Simon Fraser University. I initially applied for this program because I wanted to gain a deeper perspective to bring to my work here at JS Daw & Associates. I wanted to see how actions taken at the grassroots level might align with the CSR and community initiatives of our clients. Over the past five months, I have learned a lot and had a really awesome experience.
Asking Tough Questions About Shared Value
In our last newsletter I shared inspirations from the recent Shared Value Leadership Summit. While I am a committed Shared Value practitioner and work with my clients to help them design their portfolio in ways that authentically build business and community value, Shared Value isn’t without its critics. As advocates of shared value, it is important for us to reverse the lens every so often and ask the tough questions in order to keep a critical and objective view.
Partners in Learning: A Special Deal for Partnership Brokers Training
Building successful partnerships is hard work. Establishing a deep understanding of the art and science of partnering is critical since each phase of the partnering cycle requires finely-tuned skills.We all know that we can go much further on a journey when we travel together. That’s why JS Daw & Associates is offering a special deal for Partnership Brokers Training in Calgary (Sept. 29 – Oct 2, 2014). If you sign up with a partner, each of you will receive a 10% discount on your registration fee.
5 Inspirational Takeaways from the 2014 Shared Value Leadership Summit
The Fourth Annual Shared Value Leadership Summit was an inspirational lineup of speeches, case studies and snapshots, all pertaining to what’s happening in the emerging field of Shared Value. No longer must we ask, “What proof do we have that companies can unlock opportunities for innovation, growth and new streams of revenue by addressing social problems as core business objectives?” Held in New York May 13 - 14, the summit was attended by corporate, non-government and government thought leaders from around the globe.
Alberta’s New Social Innovation Endowment
As obvious as it sounds, the world’s most wicked problems, such as poverty, inequality, discrimination, and disease, all require solutions— and fast. But who should be responsible for solving these overwhelmingly massive issues? And more importantly, who has the ingenuity to do so? Introduced earlier this year, the government of Alberta’s new Social Innovation Endowment gives its citizens the chance to become the social innovators that the world so desperately needs.
The New Frontier of Partnerships
“If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together.” — African ProverbThe evolution of partnerships is that of a continual journey— its ebb, flow, and fluctuation largely contingent upon the world’s ever-shifting economic and social climate. Partnerships have changed over the years, but one thing remains the same: the act of partnering creates a whole that is significantly greater than the sum of the individual parts, and in the process builds greater value than any one partner could achieve on their own.
Applications Open for Partnership Brokers Training in YYC!
Social innovation involves new approaches to solving problems and new ways of working together. Partnership brokers can facilitate and support social innovation by connecting like-minded groups to create an organized force working towards solutions around a specific issue or cause. Ultimately, partnership brokers are catalysts for social change.
2014: Our Year of Accelerating Partnerships
As society’s challenges become more complex and interconnected, new approaches to problems and new ways of working together are required. Author Peter Senge suggests the future of our world rests heavily on our ability to foster partnerships ‘across every imaginable boundary.’ But, building successful partnerships takes hard work and a deep understanding of the art and science of partnering.