With the resources of both governments and traditional philanthropy barely growing or in decline, yet the problems of poverty, ill-health, and environmental degradation ballooning daily, it is increasingly clear that new models for financing and promoting social and environmental objectives have become urgently needed. Fortunately, a significant revolution appears to be underway on the frontiers of philanthropy and social investing that is providing at least a partial response to this dilemma. This book examines the new actors and new tools that form the heart of this revolution and shows how ... More

With the resources of both governments and traditional philanthropy barely growing or in decline, yet the problems of poverty, ill-health, and environmental degradation ballooning daily, it is increasingly clear that new models for financing and promoting social and environmental objectives have become urgently needed. Fortunately, a significant revolution appears to be underway on the frontiers of philanthropy and social investing that is providing at least a partial response to this dilemma. This book examines the new actors and new tools that form the heart of this revolution and shows how they are reshaping the efforts being made to address major social and environmental problems throughout the world. After an introductory overview, the book proceeds in three parts to provide a comprehensive analysis of the many new institutions that have surfaced to channel not only philanthropic, but also private investment capital, into social and environmental problem-solving, the new tools and instruments these institutions are utilizing to carry out this task,the challenges that these actors and tools still confront, and the steps that are needed to overcome these challenges and achieve the maximize the impact that these actors and tools can have. The result is a powerful guide to developments that hold the promise of bringing significant new resources into efforts to solve the world’s problems of poverty, ill-health, and environmental degradation; of unleashing new energies and new sources of ingenuity for social and environmental problem-solving; of democratizing giving and social engagement; and of generating new hope in an otherwise dismal scenario of lagging resources and resolve.