Root Cause announces new How-to Guide on Performance for Nonprofits

Hub Bay Area friends Root Cause, a nonprofit organization advancing enduring solutions to social and economic problems by supporting social innovators and educating social impact investors, announced their new How-to Guide on Performance for Nonprofits.  Their newest publication Building a Performance Measurement System: Using Data to Accelerate Social Impact coupled with free online templates on a new microsite on their homepage will prove to be a nucleus of resources for social innovators and nonprofit leaders looking to measure internal performance and assessing their needs.  The latest press release Root Cause had this to say about their new online resource center:

We are pleased to announce the launch of our newest How-to Guide, Building a Performance Measurement System: Using Data to Accelerate Social Impact. If you are a nonprofit leader looking for the right way to meet the growing demand for measurement in the nonprofit sector, this book can help. It outlines a step-by-step process for building an internal performance measurement system that will help you meet funder demands while gaining a clear picture of how your activities support your mission. Contrary to the fears of some, performance measurement doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. A performance measurement system will help lead you to significant improvements in your operations, an invaluable learning experience and cultural shift for your staff, better communication with your funders, and a reliable roadmap toward increased social impact.

New Conversation Online, “What Capital When?” Launches Today

Tony Wang and Lucy Bernholz from Blueprint Research & Design Inc. are launching a new Conversation online called, “When Capital When?” Below is short excerpt from their first post that describes the focus of the Conversation.

Instead of waiting years for a book to be written or months for a report to be published, what if researchers could publish up-to-the-minute findings of their latest research or thinking? Research (and thinking) could be done in real-time across organizations, involving not only the research team but members of the community, and be indexable and mashable by the latest in search and social media technology.

They would appreciate Hub Bay Area member’s participation in examining “the critical question of when to apply different types of capital in what kind of situations.”  Please check out the link and stay tuned for following posts on the subject.

Applications for Unreasonable Institute Are Open

The Unreasonable Institute is looking for 25 high-impact entrepreneurs, between ages 20-30, who will develop social ventures that history may one day recall defined progress in the 21st century – ventures with the ability to measurably improve the lives of millions of people around the globe. The 25 selected entrepreneurs will gather in Boulder, Colorado in May 2010 for a 10-week Intensive Institute where they will receive rigorous entrepreneurial training, daily mentorship from seasoned changemakers, and connections to the seed capital they require to launch their ideas and scale their ventures. Furthermore they will have access to an exclusive pool of capital that will be dedicated to their ventures and to prototype development.  All interested applicants can apply immediately and will find all of the details for applying by clicking this link. Official applications opened on November 15th and will close on December 15th. We firmly believe that the Unreasonable Institute is onto something great and we are happy to be helping them in their efforts to identify, incubate, and invest in the world’s most brilliant social entrepreneurs.  Furthermore we are convinced that a few of you will fit that profile perfectly.

Check Out the Pictures from Cutting Edge Capital Raising for Small Business

Here are some pictures from last Thursday’s Katovich Law Group + Hub Bay Area event, Cutting Edge Capital Raising for Small Business.  With close to 80 guests in attendance and a panel of 7 speakers, The Hub was filled with questions and discussion.  To keep involved in the dialogue started this Hub Bay Area event, check out the Ning link here.

2009 Harvest Gala @ The David Brower Center

Hub Bay Area friend Yonatan Landau’s organization Berkeley Student Food Collective is holding a Harvest Gala

THIS FRIDAY, November 20th from 6PM-9PM
@ The David Brower Center
Tickets are still available for this delicious feast

RSVP and purchase tickets here.

A new activist center and sustainable food business is opening in the East Bay!  After a launching successful campaign to prevent a national fast food chain from securing a contract, the food movement secured 120k to open a storefront in its place.  The Berkeley Student Food Collective will open its doors in August as a local, sustainable cafe and community center.

We’re having our big bash on Friday, come support the movement!

Ticket includes:
Dinner
Live Music
Keynote Speakers
Silent Auction
and FREE Childcare

One Last Thank You from the KIVA Party

GOOD has posted a recap of the KIVA Birthday celebration from two weeks ago.  We have to celebrate our success, and reaching 700+ guests to honor KIVA is definitely one of our largest achievements here at Hub Bay Area!

Hundreds of social enterprise organizations were represented at the event, fostering countless conversations and connections valuable to all attendees. The growing interest and emergence of social enterprise organizations was clear at the Kiva celebration, signaling a bright enterprising future!  -Isis Krause, GOOD

Cutting Edge Capital Raising for Small Business THIS THURSDAY

This Thursday, November 19, 2009, 6Pm-8PM at Hub Bay Area, Katovich Law Group will be hosting panel discussion Cutting Edge Capital Raising for Small Business – Existing Options and a Policy Agenda for the Future.

FREE, Please RSVP here, wine and snacks will be served.

Speakers include:

• Thomas Greco, Author of The End of Money and the Future of Civilization
• John Katovich, President of Katovich Law Group, Presidio School of Management Professor, and Chief Legal Officer of the Boston Stock Exchange
• Don Shaffer, President and CEO of RSF Social Finance
• Leslie Christian, President and CEO of Portfolio 21 Investments
• Derek Huntington, President of Sonoma County Go Local
• Mike Leung, Worker Cooperative Credit Union Organizer
• Jenny Kassan, Managing Director of Katovich Law Group and President of Community Ventures

In the United States today, small businesses constitute about one-half of the private economy in terms of output and jobs, but they receive almost no investment from the nation’s pension funds or from mutual, hedge, venture, or any other kind of investment funds.  In a well-functioning financial system, roughly one-half of the investment should go to roughly one-half of the economy.

We will begin the evening with a presentation about one of the primary causes for this market failure: the legal barriers to raising capital that disproportionately burden small businesses.

Next we will discuss some cutting edge strategies that have been used to overcome these barriers.

We will conclude with a discussion of legislative changes needed to address the barriers to capital-raising for small business and the formation of a working group to move the agenda forward.

Please join us at Hub Bay Area for this engaging discussion!

Building a New US Economy Grounded in Sustainability and Social Equity THIS WEDNESDAY

THIS WEDNESDAY, November 18 from 6PM-8PM @ Hub Bay Area

NEW DATE: Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 from 6PM-8PM @ Hub Bay Area

FREE, please RSVP here Please RSVP to this Hub Member Event here!!!

Hub member Rose Penelope Yee, co-founder of Green Retirement Plans, is a volunteer for ASBC and has invited David Brodwin to speak.

American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) is a national coalition of mission-driven businesses, social enterprises, and sustainable business networks working to create a just and sustainable economy. The organizations that have become partners in the Council share a deep belief that the U.S. must build a new economy grounded in principles of sustainability and equity. The partners that have joined in this effort represent more than 20,000 businesses, social enterprises, and similar entities, plus more than 150,000 individual members, many of whom are entrepreneurs, executives or business professionals. These partners include Green America, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), Social Venture Network, and many others.

David Brodwin is a co-founder of American Sustainable Business Council , a network of business associations that promotes sustainability through public policy. Before ASBC, he was president of New Voice of Business, a business advocacy group focusing on climate protection. Earlier, he was executive director at Rockridge Institute, where he worked with George Lakoff on political communications issues. At Rockridge Institute, he assisted many progressive non-profits on framing and messaging issues central to their mission.

WAM//Namaste Direct//Hub Bay Area International Trade Show and Shopping Party Pictures!

WAM//Namaste Direct//Hub Bay Area International Trade Show and Shopping Party

Special thanks to The Hub’s Hratch Achadjian for snapping pictures of the event.  The pictures display many of the wonderful goods for sale.  If you are interested in getting more information on the various vendors in attendance last night, contact us at Hub Bay Area or leave a comment!

Tonight: International Trade Show and Shopping Party

Tonight at Hub Bay Area from 6PM-9PM, Women Advancing Microfinance-Northern California Chapter and Namaste Direct are hosting a FREE trade show and shopping party.  Designed for microcredit entrepreneurs, hundreds of people throughout the Bay Area have been invited to the event to do some pre-holiday shopping.  Please come by The Hub to support both local and international businesswomen and entrepreneurs.

What can I sell?  Everything!  Crafts, Jewelry, Clothing, Pottery, Furniture, Food, Sweets, Drinks!

What if I provide a service?  This is a unique opportunity to market to a new audience.  Bring flyers and posters – provide a demo – bring coupons!

What do I need to bring?  Tables, chairs, and electric outlets will all be available for use.  Bring your products and displays as well as small change!

I would like to attend!  Please contact Jennifer Williams: 415-244-8920 or jstout@calalum.org

We would love to see lots of Hub Bay Area members, friends, and community supporters tonight from 6PM-9PM.  Event pictures to be posted soon!