Echoing a 2006 article by Slate, the future of philanthropy is coming to pass as a form of “venture philanthropy”. We even have the same familiar faces that drive the business world appearing on the non profit scene. Consultants, marketing specialists, etc. abound in start up organizations like PoP and other likeminded nonprofits.
Just got back from Building A Movement in An Interconnected World featuring the global philanthropist Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of Acumen Fund, a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty.
The talk …

UNESCO released a special edition of its publication last year that focused on the barriers that stand in the way of education.  Entitled “Education: roads closed”, it’s a meaty document that we highly recommend to anyone interested in the topic – so, most likely anyone reading this blog!
But for those who want the Reader’s Digest version, the document criticizes the lack of urgency governments have shown towards education, especially relative to their quick, decisive and large-scale response to the economic crisis.  The article highlights two interesting case studies, Ecuador and …

Nothing has brought the world together like the Internet. Just think about how many times you’ve logged on Facebook in the past 24 hours, and gchatted with a co-worker who’s moved to the other coast.  Even Obama used online social networking sites in his campaign for presidency, and it worked well - 42 percent of voters who looked to the Internet for information went to “social media” sites, such as Facebook, YouTube and MySpace. And the rest was history.
In this vast net, one trend we are (happily) seeing is that many creative Internet …

In case you were wondering, our very own AB – Adam Braun, PoP’s founder – has been backpacking in Southeast Asia and conducting field work in Laos for the last few months.  Between visiting the adorable kids PoP is helping, checking out the construction site, and discussing partnership opportunities with local organizations, he has managed to write us an update from the field. So here is the first message from Adam, just in from Laos:
Today I found myself being laughed at. A lot. It’s rained almost nonstop for three straight …

Kobe Bryant won his fourth NBA title this year and silenced those who questioned his status of being the best player in the league. But a fourth championship doesn’t seem to be enough for this man as he sets his sights on something new – global education.
He recently established the Kobe Bryant China Fund, which partners with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation to support education and health programs in China. The Soong Ching Ling Foundation is a government-backed charity and is evidence of the Chinese government’s growing interest in developing …