Without a doubt, the latest campaign from Operation Smile sets THE example for how NGOs can better communicate their cause, their role, and their impact. The campaign absolutely KILLS IT, and going forward this will be required viewing to learn for the NGOs/ Social enterprises I work with. "So innocent. So loved. So full of promise. So... what's the problem? Every 3 minutes, somew…
Over the last 2-3 years, one of the more interesting developments in China's philanthropic landscape has been the explosion of foundations that have come onto the scene. Interesting because as the number of foundations, and the number of celebrities/ CEOs opening their own foundation, grew there was a general belief that this would improve the mechanisms for giving, transparency, and impact. Ho…
Last night, and this afternoon, I had a bit of a scare. A donor to one of the organizations I have been working with, a long time friend, sent me a message that she was pulling her donation because of an error I had made. It was a simple error in failing to recognize her firm as agreed on.It was an honest mistake, but one that tipped her over the edge.. or so I thought. It turns out she was…
For the last three years, I have been fortunate to be working at the China Europe International Business school as an Adjunct Professor of Sustainability and Responsible Leadership. In this time I have facilitated a course that over 600 students have been required to take, and why it is different (and so much fun) is that the students work in teams to understand an issue of sustainability and…
One of the main concerns for many firms, and donors in general, over the last few years has been the ability to identify and scale up partners that will provide for the highest report on their program investments in China. In part, this is a result of the various scandals and difficulties many have faced when engaging China's GONGOs and NGOs, but it is also the result of a concern that is found…
The other day, while making my way home I caught a glimpse of Toray's desalination advertisement. It was one of those moments that at first I was not sure what I was looking, or the greater meaning, until the very end where the advert cuts out with the ocean in the background and makes reference to it being an "endless resource". A message supported by on their website where they say the…
If the first step towards recovery is admitting that you have a problem, then readers will agree that Apple taking the time to meet with several of China's most prominent Green NGOs was a first step for Apple. Particularly given the fact that Apple was largely unwilling to address the numerous labor and environmental failures taking place over the course of years. And, for others, the fact that…
Chose any coffee shop in China, look in the trash can, and what you will find is piles of needless waste. Paper cups, plastic lids, and cup sleeves. Components of a coffee ritual that required energy and materials to produce, were transported 1000s of miles to the store, were given a useful life measured in minutes prior to ending up in a plastic bin, and then sent out to the landfill (incinera…
One of the more popular topics in China these days is the impact of social media. It's popular (in my eyes) for two reasons. The first is that firms in China see the potential in the platform as a way to reach consumers, and develop loyalty. The other is the fact that social media has proven very powerful as a catalyst in civil society engagement. For firms, it is the combination of these tw…
The morning while havinga coffee with the CSR manager of a large retailer, he mentioned the fact that on a semi-frequent basis he would find himself going around the office shutting off computers. After working hours. That while his firm, in his opinion, had done a good job of developing and communicating a framework for sustainabilty, there were still some (large) gaps. One of them be…
While shopping at my local grocery store this week, I was confronted by a member of TESCO's staff who would not accept naked fruit. Everything had to be bagged to be weighed. When I mentioned the fact that he wasn't thinking about the environment, he said: "only foreigners care about the environment." It was one of many failed systems. One that Ray Anderson, former CEO of Interface flooring,…
One of the things about corporate responsibility and sustainability initiatives is that the best programs are those that are part of the core operations of the firm, align to the greater goals, and do not require a constant champion. It is simply embedded into the economics and actions of the firm, and while the firm certainly benefits, the overall benefits are far wider. The Walmart Direc…
Last month while being interviewed for the New York Times piece China's City of the Future Rises on a Wasteland, I was asked about the importance of planning China's eco-cities... What should be the goal of an eco-city and why are they important to China? To me, this was perhaps one of the more important and interesting questions I have been asked on the topic, a topic I have been interviewe…
One of the biggest issues that underlies the problem we face is the belief that we cannot act alone, or that when we something it "isn't my problem", however the recent Foreign Policy article China's Missing Children highlights the role of the individual, the personal. More specifically, the respnsibility that exists at the individual level to act. Dealing with the kidnapping of children in…
The other night while speaking with my wife about achieving goals, she made the comment that I needed to think more like a rocket than fireworks. That, in the interest of achieving my "goals", I needed to have a trajectory with a goal as the destination... versus shooting straight up in the air, looking pretty, and then blowing up. It was one of those conversations where a simple visual…
