Why I Didn't Post: Question about Weekly 3 Links posts

Some of you may have been wondering why this blog does not have a Weekly 3 post up every week.  The answer is short.
When I started this blog, I did not want to write posts just to post.  I don't want to waste your time with blog posts that do not add thought-provoking insight about CSR, social entrepreneurship and social impact.  I set a high bar for my posts and I enjoy reading blogs that have similar standards.

So, if I don't find articles that ask and answer important questions about pressing issues, I don't post a Weekly 3.  I hope you appreciate my posts and maybe this could be a trend with even more bloggers.

To avoid confusion, I am renaming the "Weekly 3 Links" posts to "3 Articles on."

What do you think?

Weekly 3: Topic - 'Buying' Earth Day

• Earth Day, at the Mall - Marc Gunther explores how Earth Day has become a "shopping holiday" and how some  companies are doing it right.
• The Perils of 'Green Watching' - Wood Turner of Greenbiz.com shows the challenges of vetting Earth Day Green claims.
• A Free Market Earth Day List - Jeff Seigel from Triple Pundit explores how to encourage business strategies that create real positive environmental impact.

What do you think?

Weekly 3: Topic - What's New at the Bottom of the Pyramid

As companies begin to invest again, the Corporate Social Responsibility community has been buzzing about how to harness the power of the bottom of the pyramid and bring positive social change. Here are three thought provoking articles to give you insight on current BOP issues.

• The Bottom of the Pyramid: A Disruptive Force to be Reckoned With? - Mark Beckford shows how BOP strategies force companies to toward innovation.
• Selling water to the global poor - Marc Gunther looks at how for-profit companies, like The Water Initiative, can bring water (and jobs) to the BOP.
• Multiple Facets of the Pyramid: Defining the BoP - NextBillion's Bloggers tackle how to identify the characteristics of BOP markets. Hint: It's not just low income level.

What do you think?

Weekly 3: Topic - CSR and Social Media

• Lessons from Nestlé on How to Handle CSR and Social Media - Associates from BSR give their advice on how to avoid CSR pitfalls in Social Media
• Social Media CSR Tips for Small Businesses - David Coethica shows how social media provides an effective way for small businesses to do good
• Opportunities to make business better - Straight from the WSJ: There are two revolutions going on in business: Social Media and Corporate Social Responsibility.  This posting explores how they can work together.

Weekly 3: Topic - CSR and the Job Search

What does it mean to pursue a socially responsible job search?  My thoughts on the how any job search can utilize Corporate Social Responsibility strategies will be in my next blog post.

But first, three links (with my comments) to get you thinking:

• Using ‘Strategic’ Volunteering to Help With the Search Angela Dorsey, a blogger for the Wall Street Journal, writes about how volunteering for professional organizations or your target companies can help you network.  While I agree with her argument, I think she missed out by not mentioning how volunteering for other type of non-profits can help you to exhibit your relevant skills in another way to an employer and will give you a perfect way to talk about those skills with any professionals you meet via networking.
• Sustainability Is a Growing Theme: Corporations Work With Schools to Train Potential Employees, but Jobs Are Scarce This article makes it clear that some MBA employers realize that CSR is important for recruiting top talent and also touches on what CSR skills professionals need and how schools are teaching those skills.  Rather than just speaking at schools and hosting recruiting events, I would love to see more companies follow Dow's lead and actually ENGAGE with the students outside recruiting events.
• CSR Jobs Report - The State of the CSR Job Market: Key Findings and Trends Ellen Weinreb of Sustainability Recruiting shares the state of the market for CSR professionals in a very complete and academic analysis.

What do you think?

Weekly 3: Topic - Measurement: Why Measure CSR AND Why Not

Measurement is always a hot topic in the Corporate Responsibility world.  These articles focus on the pros and cons of measurement:

• Ethical Corporation: Stakeholder engagement – Must everything important be measured? Mallen Baker points out the pitfalls of focusing on measurement over substance especially when dealing with stakeholders.
• Stanford Social Innovation Review: Corporate Giving Needs Better Metrics Todd Cohen argues that bringing measurement to corporate philanthropy will bring corporate philanthropy into the serious business realm by doing "a better job showing it is worth the cost and in sync with the corporate bottom line."
• Mission Measurement: The Blueprint: Measurement as a Tool for Scaling What Works Effective measurement make it easier for successful programs to scale more efficiently.

What do you think?

Weekly 3: Topic - Philanthropy

Once a week, I will be posting three links about one specific topic in CSR.  

This week's topic is Philanthropy.  Specifically, I have been thinking quite a bit about how nonprofit social enterprises can be more effective in raising money.  Check out these articles for some interesting insights:

• Stanford Social Innovation Review: Grantmakers Can Do More Than Make Grants: One positive outcome of the decline in financial markets is that it might spur foundations to get more involved in program and mission related investments.
• The Power of a Case | Social Velocity: Nell Edgington makes a compelling case for why nonprofits should all have a "case for support" at the heart of every funding raising campaign. Although I do think that such a case should be shared with major donors in their entirety.
• Does Philanthropy Have a Place in Social Enterprise? | Social Entrepreneurship | Change.org: Nathaniel Whittemore comments on the Tactical Philanthropy track at this year's Social Capital Markets conference and discusses the historical debate over whether the phrase "social enterprise" should include both nonprofits and for-profits.