If You Want to Do Good, Capacity Matters

Former CEO and venture capitalist Jeffrey Miller lectures at the Global Social Benefit Incubator 2007 (from SFGate.com)

When I was an undergraduate at Northwestern, my friends and I witnessed an increasing number of our peers becoming interested in global social change, and going out and finding ways to be involved now. Our cohort wasn't interested in sitting on the sidelines and waiting till the appropriate time to file-in and contribute our little part; we were passionate, energetic, and ready to go. The problem was, of course, that our passion dramatically outstripped our capacity to create change.

It wasn't even about "hard skills," necessarily. It was about a lack of resources to help us place our action in the context of a larger world of social change and a lack of mentors who could act as guides as we learned. The problem wasn't just that we were under-maximizing our ability to create change. There were very real possibilites for unintended harmful consequences, perhaps the most damaging of which, in the long-run, was the mutual frustration, burn-out, and mistrust that can grow within and between partners from different cultural environments. We saw students turning away from the nonprofit sector in frustration, and community organizations around the world growing ever more wary of well-intentioned but ineffectual outsiders.

This is a travesty. People who are passionate about getting involved and changing the world should be able to find the support to learn to do good well. This has been the driving force behind our work at the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement, which provides training for undergraduates who want to be involved with global problem solving. Its also a big part of the mission behind Change.org: to provide the starting point for anyone who cares to learn about the issues that matter to them and get piped into meaningful action.

This "travesty" is exactly why I think the Global Social Benefit Incubator may be the best short program for aspiring social entrepreneurs in the world. GSBI, run by run by Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology and Society and supported by Social Edge, brings together approximately 20 innovative social startups for approximately 4 months of online training, culminating in a two-week intensive summer institute held at Santa Clara.

Everything about the program - starting from the three-stage application process, in which applicants post different elements of their business plan to receive advice, criticism and support from the Social Edge community - screams commitment to serious training. The program includes close mentorship with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and other social innovators, and builds a global community that does not go away when the training ends. GSBI06 Alum and Kiva Founder Matt Flannery writes: "Through the GSBI I made trusted connections with people across the world. I now work with one of the GSBI participants I met there and have partnered with another."

If my time at Northwestern has taught me anything, its that the most powerful educational experiences for young change agents are those that dole out affirmation, challenge, and support in equal measure. Affirm the intense passion that people have for making the world better, challenge them to think deeper and build their capacity to do good, and then support them with training and resources to make it a reality.

GSBI is a unique and powerful program, and I encourage every one with a big idea - no matter how rudimentary - to apply. Part one of the application, your Value Proposition, is due this Friday, January 16th.