As we now are a few weeks into the project, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on how some of our perceptions of the process have changed since we started out.
- Admittedly some of our optimism setting out has been weakened in the realities of the global financial crisis. As it turns out, certain sources of funding (particularly newly created and private sector initiatives, as well as those funds hurt particularly badly by the crisis) are frozen at the moment. These sources will also be extremely cautious so bold, experimental organisations who are entering unexplored territory might experience extra difficulties for the time being.
- With the financial crises also come opportunities. The talks of a New Green Deal in the US and UK as emphasised what GlobalFOCUS has been advocating for some time, namely investments in low carbon technologies and infrastructure as an opportunity, not a problem. President Obama repeated in his first press conference a few days ago the green stimulus package as one solutions to three problems: the climate, the financial crisis and unemployment.
- In terms of fundraising some the restraints an organisation like ours generally face in virtue of being a not-for-profits have transformed into a relative advantage. Technology venture capitalist Trevor R. Loy from Flywheel Ventures in California asserted in a lecture last week that those companies in his sector who survive are those who can limit their ambitions and sustain themselves through the crisis. We have already secured our core funding and are looking to expand our operations. If this proves too difficult in the current economic climate we can comfortably sustain our current organisation, but our ambition remains to grow!
Tags: =mc, capital, climate entrepreneur, directory of social change, entrepreneur, environmental, flywheel ventures, foundation center, foundations, fundraising, funds, globalfocus, globalfundraising, grants, institute of fundraising, new green deal, not-for-profit, philantropies, philantropy, raising capital, social business, social edge, social enterprise, social entrepreneur, training, trevor loy
