Good Works and Almsdeeds

This week's study was impactful as it tied scripture with social innovation. The reading was powerful testimonies of apostles and prophets from verses of scripture across the standard works into these latter-days. From the Church Handbook of Instructions, we learn: “The Savior has commanded the Church and its members to be self-reliant and independent. “To become self-reliant, a person must work. Work is physical, mental, or spiritual effort. It is a basic source of happiness, self-worth, and prosperity. Through work, people accomplish many good things in their lives... “As people become self-reliant, they are better prepared to endure adversities” and are “better able to care for others in need.  Elder Ballard, in his March 2009 message " Becoming Self-Reliant—Spiritually and Physically",  laid out five needs for one to achieve self-reliance  First, every person must know that he or she is a child of God and is loved by Him. People need to realize that regardless of the...

Social business is sustainable, scalable, and replicable which makes it ideal for the output of social innovation which spurs tangible hope for  the most desired society, one that is free from inequality, injustice, negative externalities, or unintended impacts (Taylor, bus374 Spring'21). Taylor went on to say that "this only works if we accept two things … First, humans … possess a desire and capacity for selfless actions. Second, humankind is naturally proactive, not reactive. Luckily, the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ confirms both".   S elf-reliance --  " helps people move from poverty to prosperity  …   self-reliant people possess a set of  A ss ets  t hat come from performing specific  B ehaviors  which in turn results from a set of  C ognitions.  Cognitions are thoughts beliefs and attitudes … r esponsibility touches our deepest sense of right and wrong …  provides the fuel ...

  Impact investing = long-term sustainable solutions + goal of better society.  Impact investing is a way to turn a profit and invest resources  in areas that would have the most measurable benefit to a social or environmental cause. Mayor states  in the article  Impact Investing is Hot Right Now. Here's Why ( 2019, Sept.) three   attributes in companies that it’s considering adding to its Global Impact portfolio:  Materiality (meaning a prospective firm’s core products or services — rather than its operations — must solve a problem that falls under one of three global impact themes: life essentials; human empowerment; and environment).  Additionality (meaning the company provides a product or service that a competitor or government entity isn’t providing, thereby advancing rather than simply maintaining social or environmental goals).  Measurability (which provides a way for investors to ensure the company continues to meet or exceed th...

Hybrids  -- have 2 legal entities --o ne for-profit and the other non-profit. Keys to both are  social missions and the clear integration of practices or infrastructure from both sectors. They  can be extremely successful, but they also have trade-offs, for instance, the profit driving activities and the social activities conflict so one overcomes the other.  Pure hybrids --are still few in number.   What makes hybrids so successful it that it  produces both social value and commercial revenue through a single, unified strategy --r ather than take a nonprofit m odel and add a commercial revenue stream—or take a for-profit model and add a charity or service program. Early on social innovation was through organizations that primarily pursue a social mission but rely significantly on commercial revenue to sustain operations --and hybrids existed in certain sectors, such as job training, health care, and microcredit. In recent years new sectors have taken shape...

  The nonprofit industry is changed by incorporating the ideas and practices of social innovation. Nonprofits, though still needing a lot of help, are once again a strong force.  This week, we covered nonprofits and their respective solutions. I had to take a look at nonprofits and  consider what I expect them to look like with ideas on how to transform an organization into a socially innovative powerhouse.  I gained clearer understanding of non-profits. bot (sigh). I am still confused about NGO's.   In a TED message this week given by 'Pallotta' (reference below), he said that  we've been taught to think about giving and about charity and about the nonprofit sector, are actually undermining the causes we love, and our profound yearning to change the world. Many of today's social problems are massive in scale and our organizations are tiny up against them. Our current belief system is what is keeping them tiny.  why do we think...

The youth speaker in church on Sunday, was my gal, whom I fondly refer to as 'Sweet T'. The topic she was to center her remarks around was How do I hear Heavenly Father and draw others to Christ?   I jotted down things she said that stood out to me.  For her, drawing someone to Christ hasn't ever been having a friend agree to take missionary discussions and be baptized. After further thought, realized that drawing others to Christ takes other forms: a smile, words of hope, being a friend … 'Love Centered Actions'.  Music. The 2nd verse of hymn #270, a favorite of hers, says, " perhaps today there are loving words which Jesus would have me speak; there may be now n the paths of sin some wonderer I should seek. O, Savior, if thou wilt be m guide, tho dark and rugged the way, My voice shall echo the message sweet: I'll say what you want me to say" .   If you are trying to hear Him then you'll have love centered actions. The lord asks of us a broken...