In a recent article in Stanford Social Innovation, Carol Sanford explores the growing trend of young people opting to be entrepreneurs rather than pursuing careers at organizations. What stood out to me in her post was the last paragraph:
NextGenNow leaders are not social entrepreneurs because they don’t start with social or environmental problems, and build businesses around them. They start with and stay with their own drive and a unique vision. They use their personal passion to find ways to contribute in the world.
Up until now we’ve been hearing about how young people want to be involved in social change and are pursuing careers in the nonprofit sector or as social entrepreneurs. However, in her research she sees that young people are beginning to change the world without necessarily making that an explicit goal or pursuing a typical career at an organization. This is a unique shift in perspective, one that I think has many implications for social change and nonprofits.
What impact will young entrepreneurs have on social change?
1. Social change is a built in core value: Making the world a better place is simply a way of living. It’s not an additional action added onto an already hectic day. Instead it’s making conscious decisions about what we buy, what we eat, how we travel, and how we live.
2. Social change is more accessible: Once we remove the need for an organization to be at the center of a movement or social change in general, it becomes easier for people to feel as though they can take action wherever they are.
3. Social change is expected: Greater accessibility and the shared belief that all actions should have a positive impact will mean that people expect others to be mindful and engaged in social change. There is no reason not to be.
So what do these changes mean for nonprofits?
I see higher standards for nonprofits and the view of nonprofits as facilitators. Because people will no longer see a need for nonprofits (demonstrated in the rise of free agents for example) nonprofits will have to prove their worth and work more creatively with entrepreneurs. And as people build businesses and reshape their lifestyles in order to have a positive impact on the world, they will need information, access to like minded people, and social/economic capital, resources nonprofits can either provide or help young people find.
Of course many questions arise that young entrepreneurs often ignore, some of which I addressed in a presentation I gave at Demos on leadership challenges facing the sector. Specifically, how do we address the gaps in entrepreneurship along race, class, and gender lines? And are young people actually challenging power structures or just finding new ways to be part of them?
What do you think? Are we ushering in a new approach to social change? What impact do you forsee, if any, on nonprofits?
What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change: In a recent article i… http://bit.ly/lNmKUB #nonprofit
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This is a really good piece. I keep thinking that there is “something” different brewing out there, some new energy/idea/ideal…but I haven’t been able to grab a hold of it….yet. This very insightful article helped me inch closer to the top of the mountain. Thanks, Allison.
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What the rise of young entre. reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/1qwJCsj (read 4 entrepreneur of all ages) / @ajlovesya
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Social change right now is murkier than ever b/c its no longer the government or nonprofits committing themselves to change. Its all over and in many ways. And there are upsides and downsides to that. Dispersing taking care of social ill is good. Too much dilution is not. What I am searching for is a crystallized snapshot of what is going on where and then how can we link and maximize it. So in my secret social change laboratory that is what I have been thinking about and sketching out. Might blog it soon.
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/xgdLMz7 #socent
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/eN8YqRb
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/ujj9RPC
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Good stuff.
+1 to the notion that nonprofits are going to have to be better facilitators and accelerators for social change.
However, basic human services and programs will still have to be delivered efficiently, so I don’t see the nonprofits going away altogether. At the same time, nonprofits are going to have to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror and figure out if they’re advancing social change, because like the social entrepreneurs, the next gen of donors will also be eager to see tangible results.
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/THE690q @alisonjones
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Great thoughts Allison. I think we will continue to see this shift as the next generation becomes leaders in all parts of business, government, community. Good will become embedded, not an add on. I look forward to it
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RT @365give: What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/THE690q @alisonjones
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://zite.to/l3sOPm
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://zite.to/l3sOPm #socent
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/mc4eL4T
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"Making the world a better place is simply a way of living" – @ajlovesya via @socialchngediva http://ht.ly/5l7wI #dowhatyoulovewhereyouare
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change #nonprofit @ajlovesya http://ow.ly/5lpuD
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://zite.to/l3sOPm via @Ziteapp
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://zite.to/l3sOPm via @Ziteapp
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@dreamur_1 What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/apOOY2G
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RT @isss111: What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://zite.to/l3sOPm #socent
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://zite.to/l3sOPm #socent (via @JosepMiro)
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RT @JosepMiro: RT @isss111: What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://zite.to/l3sOPm #socent
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change: http://zite.to/l3sOPm (via @JasonHaber)
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What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change | Allison Jones http://bit.ly/jdJU0f
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RT @AlexiaVernon: What’s in store for Gen Y social entrepreneurs? http://ow.ly/5mP2t
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Really interesting trend to look at, but it sounds accurate to me. I think the internet has created a desire to create in thousands of students. Though the recent years have created a cloud of smoke that makes building businesses on the web seem easy and accessible. I will admit, it has some major inherent advantages to other physical businesses, but students seem to think they can instantly create a brand and a viral following to get going. Obviously this isn’t the case, or we would all be getting 1 million uniques day.
At InternMatch, the company was created due to a looming problem. Students did not have optimal (or even existent) resources to aid them in finding internships. This led our founders to create InternMatch and our organization been rapidly growing ever since. The truth behind a company like ours and startups in general, is that it takes an immense amount of hard work to get going. The process is grueling. Miles from as easy as our age of viral videos suggests. This is a good thing to keep in mind when a recent graduate has the light bulb moment. They will be investing a great portion of their time and life into whatever they create.
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Missed this good piece by @ajlovesya What the rise of young entrepreneurs reveals about the future of social change http://t.co/zcXsqt4
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