Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership
Social Impact Report, Summer 2011
Inspiring the next generation of leaders to achieve social impact is at the heart of our work. This Social Impact Report focuses on people and organizations promoting real solutions and achieving success throuh their support of social entreprises and community development.
| Alumni Spotlight | |
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Name: Loïc Comolli, MBA ‘05 NESsT (Nonprofit Enterprise and Self-sustainability Team) is an international organization developing sustainable social enterprises that solve critical social problems in emerging market countries. We believe social enterprise to be a key driver to achieving impact in a sustainable way in the following areas: fair employment, access to markets, affordable basic services, universal rights, and socially and environmentally-focused products. |
On working with the Center:
I took many courses at the Center. The one that had the biggest effect on me was the Berkeley Board Fellows Program. I was placed at Rubicon Programs, a social enterprise in Richmond employing low-income individuals. I learned so much about the challenges of running a social enterprise, from the day-to-day of running a bakery or gardening business, to the more challenging aspects of balancing the goal of providing training and jobs to unemployed/under-skilled people with long-term sustainability. I valued most the hands-on experience of being part of the Rubicon team for a year. From that point on I decided to work in the social enterprise field after graduation.
On the value of the social enterprise:
I want to put my energy where I can make a difference. The issues marginalized people face are solvable and we have the tools to help overcome them. At NESsT our approach addresses the high levels of capacity building and diversified financial support that social enterprises need to develop and grow. Our goal is to identify and develop a strong and unique pipeline of social enterprises at the early stage and concept idea of their product, and provide them with long-term support needed to increase social impact and reach sustainability. Our social enterprises currently serve close to 100,000 people from marginalized communities located in Central Europe and Latin America.
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On how i got to where I am today:
After studying economics in college and setting my sight on becoming a development economist, I went the corporate route for several years before deciding it wasn't for me. So I went back to my initial dream and realized that Haas could help me to reposition my career toward social enterprise. The two years I spent there were incredibly valuable: my classmates were a constant source of inspiration and motivation to develop social enterprise ideas. I also was able to develop a network of professional contacts that has helped me to this day.
| Community Partner Spotlight | |
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Opportunity Fund
Website: www.opportunityfund.org
Opportunity Fund is a non-profit microfinance institution helping thousands of California families build financial stability. Their mission is to advance the economic well-being of working people by helping them earn, save and invest in their future. As a social enterprise, Opportunity Fund makes investments that “do good” helping small businesses and low-income neighborhoods, while also generating a return. Since the first loan in 1995, they have invested over $200 million into local communities.
Similar to microfinance institutions worldwide, Opportunity Fund lends a hand-up to low-income entrepreneurs by meeting their small capital needs. “Our clients DJ and Rebekka are a tremendous example of ‘Opportunity Fund-ed’ entrepreneurship.” explains Missa Perron, Marketing Communications VISTA at Opportunity Fund. “This husband-wife team from Paris shared a love of food and started a food cart called La Crepes A Moi, selling crepes throughout the Bay Area. Business was strong but they needed new equipment to decrease revenue lost due to long lines. Unfortunately, their local bank denied their business loan application because the amount was too small and their business was too young. Fortunately, their banker put them in the capable hands of the Opportunity Fund, who was able to make a loan of $3,075. This investment helped them add the new crepe burners they needed for their small business to thrive.”
Opportunity Fund has a strong relationship with Berkeley-Haas. “Haas has made a considerable and enduring impact on Opportunity Fund over the years, primarily by sending us highly-talented new staff members! Our previous Director of Marketing and Communications joined us from Haas and she has had an absolutely transformative impact on our organization. Other critical staff members are also from Haas and we find it a real advantage to have senior staff with an MBA given that we have a nontraditional model.” says Eric Weaver, CEO, Opportunity Fund.
This relationship with Berkeley-Haas started when Opportunity Fund teamed up with the Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership in the spring of 2008 on a consulting project for Social Sector Solutions (S3). The S3 team, consisting of Haas MBA students and McKinsey & Company consultants, tackled Opportunity Fund’s evaluation system across all three of their programs and established metrics and a plan to help maintain their leadership in social impact evaluation. In the spring of 2009, Opportunity Fund worked with another S3 team to research their new product development for the Small Business lending program.
Photographs courtesy of Opportunity Fund and La Crêpe à Moi.
| Upcoming Events |
Save the Date!
October 4, 2011
Schwab Charitable Philanthropy Speaker Series:
Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development
Dr. Klaus Leisinger, President and Managing Director
The Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development serves as a competence center for corporate responsibility and internationsl health, focused on the poorest of the poor. The Foundation is committed to 'development with a human face' and is largely focused on the achievement of the health-related UN Millennium Development Goals.
September 6-9, 2011
What does Money + Meaning = ? Join SOCAP in San Francisco for 3 full days to explore the answers through pitch sessions, interactive workshops, art stands, open space sessions and more!
| UC Talent for Your Nonprofit | |
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Berkeley Board Fellows |
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Is your organization seeking new approaches to complex strategic and organizational challenges? S3 offers custom-built nonprofit consulting teams with Berkeley-Haas MBA students and McKinsey coaches to help you tackle a variety of challenges in the social sector. Contact Director Nora Silver to be considered for one of the client spots this Fall. Nonprofit applications due August 31, 2011.
See video highlights from S3 2011. |
| MBA Students Support Colleagues Doing Good |
This year 40% of Haas students donated one day of their summer internship salaries, raising a total of $53,375 for Haas For Students. This student-run fund, managed by the Center, provides stipends to full-time students who accept summer internships in the nonprofit or public sectors that cannot pay a "typical" MBA salary. A total of 14 students participated in the program this summer. Jenni Tonti is working at Education Pioneers, helping connect graduate students with education-focused internships. Gordon Chan received a prestigious Farber Fellowship position at REDF. And Brian Busch is working with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers to implement arsenic remediation technology in West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh.
Read the full article in the Haas School Newsroom
| Undergrads Spread a Little Sunshine |
This spring undergraduates put philanthropy into action when they gave local nonprofits $10,000 as part of the Cal Strategic Philanthropy course. The award was split among two nonprofit finalists, First Graduate, which supports students who will be their family's first college graduates, and Operation Access, which provides free surgery to low-income people. In addition, the students split a $2,000 award among four runners-up: ASUC Suitcase Clinic,Attitudinal Healing Connection, Innovations For Learning, andNew Door Ventures.
Read the full article in CalBusiness Magazine
Award funding was generously provided by Doris Buffett and the Learning by Giving Foundation, and Ted Kuh, Haas Alum BS '82.
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| Stay in Touch |
Have questions on any of the above items? Reach out to us:
| All Social Impact Reports | |
Global Poverty Alleviation |
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Board Governance |
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Investing for Social Impact |
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Social Enterprise & Community Development |
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Climate Change & the Environment |
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