The Science of Social Impact – Details, episodes & analysis

Twist Out Cancer (TOC) was built on the belief that when you share, the world opens up. At the age of 29, Jenna Benn Shersher was diagnosed with grey zone lymphoma—a rare form of cancer which affects less than 300 people in the United States.

Midway through treatment, Jenna, a dancer at heart, was isolated due to her compromised immune system. Alone and longing for the days when she could dance freely, she created an online video of herself doing the twist. She asked her friends to join her on her virtual dance floor, and within days, Jenna’s challenge was met by hundreds of videos of thousands of people dancing around the world. She no longer felt alone but instead connected to and supported by a community of twisters. When Jenna completed treatment she knew that she wanted to give back in a meaningful way. She recognized the power of sharing and the importance of creating a support community that caters to the psychosocial needs of those affected by cancer. Thus: Twist Out Cancer was born.

You can learn more about this awesome organization at twistoutcancer.org, and you can see the famous "Twist" that started it all right here. 

A universal fact is that we have only a finite amount of time on earth. It's something we can't change. What do get to choose is how we live that time out. 

Grant Hensel believes we must use that time we are given to do meaningful work. 

Listen about his multiple social impact ventures, including his current business, Nonprofit Megaphone. 

Nonprofit Megaphone helps nonprofits acquire and maximize the Google Ad Grant, helping them spread their mission and make more impact. 

For all nonprofits that are 501(c)3 and NOT using this free Google Ad Grant, we encourage you to reach out to Grant and the team at https://nonprofitmegaphone.com/

Access Trax empowers people of all abilities to access the outdoors through their innovative portable, durable pathway, Beach Trax. 

Co-Founders Kelly and Eric both attended graduate school at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in San Diego, CA where they were studying to become occupational therapists. 

As part of their curriculum they took a class called Assistive Technology. Students were challenged to create a device that would help persons with disabilities in their daily lives. Kelly and Eric were inspired to help local adaptive surfers cross the sand to the waters edge in their wheelchairs with dignity and independence. 

Motivated to create a user-friendly solution, the two designed numerous prototypes and tested them with the adaptive surfing community. The initial concept worked, and they have since continued to improve upon the design with the input of the adaptive surfers and other wheelchair users. 

Their goal to have Beach Trax available to the public has been realized in 2018 with the launch of their company, Access Trax.

Access Trax website: https://accesstraxsd.com/

Subscribe to Access Trax monthly eNewsletter:

Here is more information about The Scribes! Check them out at thescribes.co

The Mission

When we started The Scribes, we had two simple goals: design high quality journals and support worthy causes. If we can turn a simple tool into something powerful - that inspires you to do your best work and encourages you to think of others, we will know that we are onto something.

We Are On Our Way
Since launching The Scribes in November 2019, we are happy to say that we are well on our way to accomplishing both. We now have two journals available for purchase, The Original Scribe and The Crosby Scribe, and we’ve supported multiple non-profits by gifting journals to kids in need. We’ve been extremely lucky to meet some incredible people that have not only shown an interest in The Scribes, but given us an opportunity to make a difference that none of us could have imagined. 

Your Purchase Makes a Difference. 

If a child or young adult lacks the resources to improve their own education or express themselves through writing, we want to help. We support kids, teachers, and mentors by donating to schools, juvenile detention centers, and community organizations. To learn more, head to thescribes.co

The Investment App That Lets People Make Money - And A Positive Impact On The Planet:

The article features Tickr, the “new social investment app that enables people to back globally-listed businesses that are committed to make positive social change.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2019/10/10/the-investment-app-that-lets-people-make-moneyand-a-positive-impact-on-the-planet/

The Highs and Lows of Creating the World's First Social Stock Exchange:

After launching the world’s first social stock exchange, the Impact Exchange, Durreen Shahnaz reflects on her journey and shares her top three takeaways.

https://qz.com/india/1718779/some-lessons-for-modi-governments-social-stock-exchange-plans/

There’s a new way for investors to turn a profit while helping California prevent fires:

This article highlights The Forest Resilience Bond, created by the nonprofit investment firm Blue Forest Conservation. The bond seeks to lower the risk of dangerous and destructive wildfires by shifting the heavy reforestation costs to private investors.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/31/new-bond-lets-investors-help-prevent-california-wildfires-and-turn-a-profit.html

When Women Invest in Other Women:

Only 2.9% of total venture investments went to female-founded startups in the first half of 2019. Feature includes top considerations for women looking to invest in women-owned companies.

https://fortune.com/2019/10/31/when-women-invest-in-other-women/

This Search Engine Uses Its Profits to Plant Trees Across the World:

Berlin-based tech company, Ecosia, is taking on both Google and climate change as they aim to be the social impact search engine.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mbmde4/this-search-engine-uses-its-profits-to-plant-trees-across-the-world-v26n4

In this episode, we join Nicholas and Cam to go over and describe what various Social Impact Certifications mean, how they are achieved or gained and the costs associated with them.

With so many different labels and certifications sometimes we forget what each of them represents. We picked 12 different certifications such as B Corp, Better Cotton Initiative, Energy Star, USDA organic certified, and a bunch of others that you may or may not have heard of! 

https://bcorporation.net/

https://bettercotton.org/

https://www.c2ccertified.org/

https://www.energystar.gov/

https://greenelectronicscouncil.org/epeat/epeat-overview/

https://www.fairtradecertified.org/

https://fsc.org/en

https://new.usgbc.org/leed

https://www.msc.org/

https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic

In this episode, we sit down with Mallory Brown, impact storyteller, humanitarian filmmaker and founder of Walk A Mile. A marathon journey to walk 26 miles in the shoes of 26 different females working hard to get their families out of poverty. We discuss everything from her first trip to a developing country during college that sparked her drive in this field, all the way to her current endeavors with Walk A Mile, which takes us from displacement camps in Haiti to Syrian refugee camps.

This begins with Mallory taking a school trip to Southeast Asia where she had a bike accident which led to her having to receive medical help and realizing how basic their medical care was compared to what we are used to in the United States. This experience changed her perspective and she then knew that she wanted to make it her goal to help as many people as possible across the globe.

That trip sparked her to visit more developing countries soaking up as much culture and experiences she could which then narrowed down to what is now her specialty of making short documentaries about charities around the world and the people that they help.

Her first fundraising trip was to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010, where she visited the displaced persons camps housing all of the refugees that had nowhere to stay after the disaster. She met a family there and her story of how she helped them is breathtaking.

From there we go into one of her next projects which was going to Greece to visit the Syrian refugee camps and see where and how she would be able to help. This story dives into the relationships she built as well as how she took the risk to be smuggled INTO the refugee camp to get the first-hand experience and meet the people living there, even though no outsiders were allowed in the camp. From there she went to raise almost $48,000 to help outfit the schools that these refugees were going to.

To wrap up the episode we talk more in-depth about her project Walk A Mile where Mallory visits 26 countries to make 26 short film documentaries about 26 different women from 26 different cultures and their different approaches to pulling their families out of poverty.

We are so lucky to have people like Mallory Brown doing such great things for us on this planet and hope that you all enjoy hearing her story as much as we did, and hope it inspires you to go make an impact too!

http://travelmal.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4nt5Phuday7oHtqr3t8qRw

Social Impact Bonds Help Nonprofits Help Others:

This article announces the Social Impact Bond for a Grand Rapids based federal Healthy Start program, Strong Beginnings, in "addressing social challenges at the front end to avoid significant problems down the road."

https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/columnists/carol-cain/2019/10/26/social-impact-bonds-help-nonprofits-help-others-heres-how/4090113002/

New Law Brings Overdue Changes to Nonprofit Tax Filings:

The Taxpayer First Act is signed into law, mandating the electronic filing of nonprofit tax returns by 2021.

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/new-law-brings-overdue-changes-to-nonprofit-tax-filings-form-990/

Meet the top performing B Corps creating impact through their business:

This article showcases the honorees of B Corporations featured on the Best for the World lists for Overall, Community, Environment, Workers, Governance and Customers.

https://medium.com/reinventing-business/meet-the-top-performing-b-corps-creating-impact-through-their-business-8ef4674501a1

New Website brings easy to use impact measurement to small and medium charities: 

New website helping charities understand and increase their impact.

https://www.inspiringimpact.org/about-us/our-blog/press-release-new-website-brings-easy-to-use-impact-measurement-to-small-and-medium-charities/

Charter Schools Are an Opportunity for Impact Investors:

This article highlights the opportunity for impact investors to have a spot in the Charter School space.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/charter-schools-are-an-opportunity-for-impact-investors-11572209068

As Investors Try To Be More Ethical, Some Find No Escape From Businesses They Detest:

An article about how investors are both looking and agreeing on the measuring stick for what is a truly sustainable impact investment.

https://www.npr.org/2019/10/26/771323268/as-investors-try-to-be-more-ethical-some-find-no-escape-from-businesses-they-det

This Saves Lives Snack Bar

A delicious snack bar with a mission to end child malnutrition.

https://thissaveslives.com/collections/all/

Yumbutter 

A buy one, feed one, nut butter snack that gives 100% profit directly to malnourished children in Guatemala. https://www.yumbutter.com/collections/shop/

The Soulfull Project

A Social Impact Oatmeal, buy one, give one to a food bank in the region where it was purchased. https://thesoulfullproject.com/products/

Endangered Species Chocolate

A Chocolate Bar with a mission. https://www.chocolatebar.com/where-to-buy/

The number one role for the Executive Director or CEO is to raise money for the organization so it can survive and thrive.

Adam's most passionate about helping young people see that they have potential in a future.

BUILD has served over 100,000 young people since they started over 50 years ago.

BUILD works with young people by creating a mutual accountability plan:

• What do you want to do while you're here?
• How can we help you?
• What are you looking to do?
• How are you trying to improve yourself?

Additionally, BUILD put on over 50 community events each year.

Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention reports the estimated cost of youth violence is more than $21 billion annually.

It costs $630 to serve one young person per year which amounts to a societal savings of about $16,000.

It costs $2,000 to serve one young person who is more heavily involved in violence which amounts to a societal savings of about $92,000.

In 2016 Adam brought up how BUILD was running low on physical space. He engaged a neighboring company to do a feasibility study. Adam and BUILD had to put together a 10 year projected budget before the board would approve the capital campaign.

Capital Campaign: 

Plan to build something new, or remodel your space to add additional space. Typically, it is outside of your annual operating budget; an additional set of fundraising goals.

To turn neighborhoods around you've got to give people hope, but not just speak it; you've got to show and demonstrate tangible results of that hope.

3 steps Adam took to overcome Capital Funding:

1. Be 100% bought in on your idea
2. Have a clear vision of why you need the money
3. Run the numbers

BUILD Inc.’s podcast: https://soundcloud.com/build50thstories/