Top 10 social entrepreneurship books

"All of them started with the simple idea of making a profit by doing good the best way of running a business for anyone with a social conscience. There are many more high-profile examples, from Muhammad Yunus s work offering microcredit to the very poor to eBay founder Jeff Skoll s efforts to promote social values, but you don t have to be rich and famous or work on a grand scale to make the world a better place."

"Acumen Fund founder Novogratz blends two narratives in this memoir about her years fighting global poverty. In one thread, she recounts her early experiences in Africa developing microfinance organizations to assist women. Many of her reminiscences focus on relationships with the local women in government who were key to her success as well as the personal trials she encountered matching her Western vision with their ideas about the future. She also writes about later work in India and Pakistan. The other thread focuses on her return to Rwanda after the genocide. Although her inside view of global poverty initiatives and politics at the most basic level makes for interesting reading, her personal story intrudes in a manner that some readers may find self-serving."

"In The Search for Social Entrepreneurship, Paul Light explores this surge of interest to establish the state of knowledge on this growing phenomenon and suggest directions for future research. Light begins by outlining the debate on how to define social entrepreneurship, a concept often cited and lauded but not necessarily understood. A very elemental definition would note that it involves individuals, groups, networks, or organizations seeking sustainable change via new ideas on how governments, nonprofits, and businesses can address significant social problems."

"Developed by Echoing Green, a twenty year-old global social venture fund that seeds innovative social change organizations, Be Bold reaches out to the next generation of world-changers and equips them with the inspiration and qualities needed for developing meaningful careers that deliver the change they seek. This uniquely designed book shares the stories of twelve social entrepreneurs supported by Echoing Green, and in doing so, brings to life the core elements of acting boldly, thinking boldly, and living boldly."

"Capitalism is a very mutable, flexible beast, and what we re seeing is social entrepreneurs addressing some of these social challenges in profoundly different ways than traditional nonprofit organizations, said John Elkington, co-author with Pamela Hartigan of The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets that Change the World, a new book that was handed out last month to attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland."

"Tactics of Hope addresses these frustrations, by profiling the heroic deeds of 30 socially-conscious players on the world-stage. From the business leader who donated computers to schools in Cambodia to mediators who taught conflict resolution in South Africa, these extraordinary people are unwilling to succumb to apathy — and their passion for change might just spark readers to increase their social awareness and make change."

Community activist and MacArthur fellow Strickland explains the jazz expression tell your story as playing that doesn't just display your virtuosity, but also gives the audience a glimpse of your soul... It's the American dream with a twist: for Strickland, it was never about shedding his past and getting ahead but about following his bliss and making a difference. Which is not to say the skilled fund-raiser isn't savvy. He touts the value of a Brooks Brothers suit and knowing the right people. Unfortunately, we don't learn how Strickland's philosophy of making the impossible possible applies to his—or our—personal lives.

"Through extensive surveys and interviews, the authors develop six practices common to high-impact nonprofits: offering advocacy efforts and service, harnessing market forces and leveraging the power and resources of business, engaging individuals from outside the organization, working with and through other organizations, learning to adapt, and sharing leadership by empowering others."

"Jim Collins Answers the Social Sector with a Monograph to Accompany Good to Great. 30-50% of those who bought Good to Great work in the Social Sector."

"Written for students and practitioners, this unique text, with Harvard cases, provides detailed analysis and frameworks for achieving maximum impact through social entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector enables readers to attain an in depth understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the social enterprise context and organizations. The authors offer tools to develop the knowledge to pursue social entrepreneurship more strategically and achieve mission impact more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably."

"Published in over twenty countries, How to Change the World has become the Bible for social entrepreneurship. It profiles men and women from around the world who have found innovative solutions to a wide variety of social and economic problems. Whether they work to deliver solar energy to Brazilian villagers, or improve access to college in the United States, social entrepreneurs offer pioneering solutions that change lives."

"The rising spirit of social entrepreneurship has created all kinds of new opportunities for nonprofit organizations. But at the same time, many are discovering more than their share of challenges as well. This essential book will help anyone in the field gain the necessary skills to meet these challenges. Written by the leading thinkers and practitioners in the field, Enterprising Nonprofits offers concise and engaging explanations of the most successful business tools being used by nonprofits today. The authors clearly describe all the concepts so you’ll be able to embrace the methods of social enterprise for your organization. With this book, you’ll learn how to use practical business techniques to dramatically improve the performance of your nonprofit."