Resources

Below you can find organizations involved in social entrepreneurship at Stanford, in the Bay Area, and across the nation.

At Stanford

  • The Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business inspires and educates social innovators, providing knowledge and ideas that strengthen the capacity of current and future leaders to champion social change.
  • FUSION (Future Social Innovators Network) is a student group that aims to inform, inspire, and involve the next generation of social entrepreneurs–at Stanford and beyond.
  • The Haas Center for Public Service connects academic study with public service to strengthen communities and develop effective public leaders through fellowships, courses, research, community programs, and student leadership programs. A variety of fellowships are available to currently enrolled Stanford students.
  • The Public Policy Program gives students the foundational skills and institutional knowledge necessary for understanding the policy process, and provides an interdisciplinary course of study in the design, management, and evaluation of public sector programs and institutions.
  • The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Program brings together faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students from across Stanford to develop innovative, technology-based solutions with a potential for social benefit.
  • The Stanford GSB Public Management Program gives students the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to apply business principles to social and environmental issues.  It supports student learning in areas spanning public and nonprofit management, social and environmental entrepreneurship, international development, environmental sustainability, and corporate social responsibility.
  • The Stanford GSB Social Venture Club provides a forum for students to explore the intersection of non-profit and for-profit sectors, as well as the investors who support these two sectors’ efforts in promoting social responsibility.
  • The Urban Studies Program offers an Urban Society and Social Change track that includes coursework in social entrepreneurship.

Bay Area-Based

  • Benetech uses technology innovation and business expertise to solve unmet social needs through its Route 66, Bookshare, Human Rights, and Environmental Conservation programs.
  • The Bridgespan Group works with nonprofit organizations and foundations in three ways: through strategy consulting, executive search, and philanthropy advising.
  • BTW Consultants are driven by their purpose of “informing change in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.” They work collaboratively with clients, providing strategic consulting services to inform organizational effectiveness and learning.
  • BUILD provides real-world entrepreneurial experience that empowers youth from under-resourced communities to excel in education, lead in their communities, and succeed professionally.
  • The California Clean Tech Open seeks out early stage clean technology companies, and provides unique resources to empower these start-ups to become viable businesses. The six categories are Air, Water & Waste; Energy Efficiency; Green Building; Renewables; Smart Power; and Transportation.
  • The Center for Excellence In Nonprofits provides the nonprofit community of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties with in-depth leadership development and continuous improvement programs through an innovative learning community model.
  • Cisco Networking Academy Program is an innovative education initiative that delivers information and communication technology (ICT) skills to improve career and economic opportunities around the world.
  • Community Foundation Silicon Valley
  • Delancey Street
  • Echoing Green invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions. Through a two-year fellowship program, they help a network of visionaries develop new solutions to society’s most difficult problems. Several Social E-Challenge finalists were elected Echoing Green Fellows.
  • Enterprise Futures Network is a network of organizations and individuals helping to build enterprises that shape a sustainable future. EFN provides research, analysis and information on sustainable technologies and enterprises, holds forums and seminars, and supports university entrepreneurial and technology development activities through teaching and mentoring.
  • Entrepreneurs Foundation (EF) was founded in 1998 to make it easy for companies to meaningfully engage in their communities through strategic corporate citizenship and corporate social responsibility programs.
  • Free At Last
  • The Hewlett Foundation makes grants to address the most serious social and environmental problems facing society, where risk capital, responsibly invested, may make a difference over time. The Foundation places a high value on sustaining and improving institutions that make positive contributions to society.
  • Impact Online
  • Interplast provides free reconstructive plastic surgery for the poor in developing countries. Unlike many organizations, Interplast’s focus is to train and to empower developing world doctors to perform surgeries on their own for generations to come.
  • Joint Venture Silicon Valley provides analysis and action on issues affecting our region’s economy and quality of life. The organization brings together established and emerging leaders – from business, government, academia, labor and the broader community – to spotlight issues and work toward innovative solutions.
  • Juma Ventures is an innovative nonprofit organization that has developed a unique and highly effective approach to youth development: Juma develops and operates businesses – known as “social enterprises” – for the purpose of providing job opportunities to economically disadvantaged teens.
  • Moore Foundation
  • The New Schools Venture Fund is a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm that seeks to transform public education, particularly for underserved students, by supporting education entrepreneurs and connecting their work to systems change.
  • The Opportunity Fund helps their clients join the financial mainstream by lending a helping hand, through their award-winning approach that includes financial education, microfinance loans, matched savings accounts, and affordable housing financing.
  • Packard Foundation invests in and takes smart risks with innovative people and organizations to improve the lives of children, enable the creative pursuit of science, advance reproductive health, and conserve and restore earth’s natural systems.
  • Partners in School Innovation
  • People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)
  • Plugged In
  • Quest Scholars
  • Using the practices of venture philanthropy, REDF (formerly The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund) creates job opportunities through support of social enterprises that help people gain the skills to help themselves.
  • Rubicon Programs Inc
  • Sea Change Foundation is dedicated to achieving meaningful social impact through leveraged philanthropy that addresses the most pressing problems facing the world today. The Foundation’s initial focus is addressing the serious threats posed by global climate change.
  • Silicon Valley Comm. Ventures
  • Springboard Forward has developed a fundamentally new model called Engaged Employment, which inspires people to develop a long-term vision for career mobility that starts with engaging in the job they have today and using that job as a springboard for improving their economic future.
  • The mission of Start Up is to empower and increase the entrepreneurial capacities of socially and economically diverse people in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • The SVT Group advises investors, companies and mission-driven organizations, enabling them to
    measure, manage and communicate their social and environmental impact.
  • Working Assets
  • Working Partnerships

Other Social Entrepreneurship Competitions

National & International

  • Established in 1961 and a leader in microfinance since 1973, ACCION International has over 45 years of experience in the field of international economic development.
  • The Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. Their associated blog, NextBillion.net is a great resource for the latest thinking and news in social entrepreneurship.
  • Ashoka is the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. Since 1981, they have elected over 2,000 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 60 countries.
  • A leader in corporate responsibility since 1992, Business for Social Responsibility works with its global network of more than 250 member companies to develop sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration.
  • CitySoft is an Internet software company that has one goal – to provide the most affordable, easy-to-use, web-based software possible. CitySoft’s Community Enterprise™ software platform is enterprise software – software that runs organizations, provided primarily to social sector organizations.
  • City Year unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them the skills and opportunities to change the world. As tutors, mentors and role models, these young leaders make a difference in the lives of children, and transform schools and neighborhoods in 18 U.S. locations and Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • Community Wealth Ventures is a social enterprise consulting firm that helps nonprofit organizations become more self-sustaining by generating revenue through business ventures and corporate partnerships and helps corporations improve their bottom line through the design and implementation of community investment strategies.
  • One part cultural investor, one part groundbreaking experiment, Creative Capital blends traditional philanthropy with venture capital concepts.
  • The Environmental Defense Fund tackles the most serious environmental problems with sound science, economic incentives, corporate partnerships, and getting the law right.
  • Fare Start provides a community that transforms lives by empowering homeless and disadvantaged men, women, and families to achieve self-sufficiency through life skills, job training and employment in the food service industry.
  • Grameen Bank provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural Bangladesh, without any collateral. At GB, credit is a cost effective weapon to fight poverty and it serves as a catalyst in the overall development of socio-economic conditions of the poor. Dr. Muhamad Yunus and the Grameen Bank were awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.
  • The one-year Green Corps program intersperses intensive classroom instruction with multiple campaign efforts. Trainees gain hands-on experience running field campaigns to win environmental protections and public health initiatives.
  • Guidestar gathers and publicizes information about nonprofit organizations.
  • The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University is a university-wide center for the study of nonprofit organizations and civil society. The Hauser Center seeks to expand understanding and accelerate critical thinking about the leadership of nonprofit and non-governmental organizations through the key goals of research, education, and practice.
  • Institute for the Arts and Civic Dialogue
  • The Morino Institute is a nonprofit organization that explores the opportunities and risks of the Internet and the New Economy to advance social change. Our work is focused in four key areas: stimulating entrepreneurship, advancing a more effective philanthropy, closing social divides and understanding the relationship and impact of the Internet on our society.
  • Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.
  • Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of leaders who use business to improve the world.
  • Patagonia evaluates raw materials, invests in innovative technologies, rigorously polices their waste and uses a portion of sales to support groups working to make a real difference. They believe in using business to inspire solutions to the environmental crisis.
  • Pioneer Human Services has been nationally recognized as a model social enterprise. Since their founding in 1963, they have served over 100,000 people through an integrated array of services including housing, employment, training, treatment, counseling, and re-entry services.
  • Powerful Schools is a nationally recognized non-profit based in Southeast Seattle that aspires to promote student success in some of the city’s academically and economically challenged public elementary schools.
  • The mission of Pura Vida Coffee is to Create Good by using business to empower producers, motivate consumers, inspire business leaders, and, ultimately, serve the poor.
  • The Robin Hood Foundation targets poverty in New York by finding and funding the best and most effective programs and partnering with them to maximize results.
  • Rocky Mountain Institute is a nonprofit organization that brings a unique perspective to resource issues.
  • Share Our Strength is a national organization that works hard to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry.
  • Social Venture Network inspires a community of business and social leaders to build a just economy and sustainable planet.
  • Social Venture Partners is a network of accomplished individuals who combine financial contributions and professional skills with a passion for philanthropy. Leveraging their collective expertise and resources, they partner with and strengthen promising nonprofits for maximum community impact.
  • The Surdna Foundation makes grants in the areas of environment, community revitalization, effective citizenry, the arts and the nonprofit sector, with annual grantmaking of approximately $37 million.
  • Technology Access Foundation (TAF) prepares underserved children of color for higher education and professional success by providing a rigorous and relevant K-12 curriculum.
  • Venture Philanthropy Partners is a philanthropic investment organization that helps great leaders build strong, high-performing nonprofit institutions. They concentrate money, expertise, and personal contacts to improve the lives of children and youth of low-income families in the National Capital Region and cultivate an engaged donor community to generate funding and influence in support of these institutions and of social change.
  • Ashoka’s Youth Venture helps teams of people start new youth-led organizations.

Stanford Fellowship & Research Funds

Research Opportunities

Related Graduate School Programs