Giving to others with social entrepreneurship

— -- This the time of year when our thoughts turn toward those less fortunate. Donating to charity is of course a wonderful thing, but I have noticed recently that the face of charity is changing; it is increasingly taking on an entrepreneurial character.

Welcome to the world of social entrepreneurship.

Whereas an entrepreneur takes a risk with money to build a business and make a profit, a social entrepreneur uses entrepreneurial ideas and strategies to further a social goal.

The aim is not to make a profit or grow a business, but to be more effective, and earn money to serve a social need without having to rely solely on the charity of others.

The term social entrepreneur is not a new one, being first used in the 1970s, and popularized by, among others, Bill Drayton and his organization, Ashoka. According to Ashoka, social entrepreneurship is nothing less than a revolution: "Rather than leaving societal needs for the government or business sectors to address, social entrepreneurs are creating innovative solutions, [and] delivering extraordinary results."

Maybe the best-known social entrepreneur today is Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with Grameen Bank. Grameen popularized the idea of microloans in the third world - lending a seamstress money to buy a sewing machine and start a business. Social entrepreneurship is helping to lift millions of people out of poverty.

Here's an example of social entrepreneurship in action: Tad Kincaid is an American who runs an amazing organization in Vietnam called Orphan Impact. As in many third-world countries, the future for an orphan in Vietnam is usually not too bright as most are not adopted and have to fend for themselves once they are old enough to leave the orphanage. Lacking work skills, many Vietnamese orphans are destined to a life of poverty.

That is the problem Orphan Impact is changing. And they do so by using some forward-thinking entrepreneurial ideas.

Specifically, Orphan Impact takes teachers and computers to the orphanages, giving the kids computer skills so that they have the ability to get a job and earn a living once they grow up. "We have created an environment within the orphanage where we are inspiring an interest in learning and motivating the children to take proactive steps in preparing for their futures," says Kincaid.

Orphans fortunate enough to get to work with Orphan Impact learn an array of skills:

• They learn to type and create charts and graphs.

• They learn how to use Skype.

• They make videos.

• They learn how to use e-mail. I was told by one volunteer, my wife Maria, of a time when she witnessed a little boy send his first e-mail across the room at school. When his friend received the message, the boy jumped up and screamed with joy.

• They learn how to search and use the Internet.

"We believe it is crucial for the children to develop 21st century skills as they prepare for their lives outside the orphanage."