news and blogs
New ICSF Report: Identifying replicable healthcare models with significant social benefit
On behalf of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the ICSF has undertaken the first ever global in-depth study to identify healthcare innovations in developing countries that have the potential to be replicated to increase access to affordable medicine. The report assesses over 900 healthcare programmes for their suitability for investment to scale up and replicate elsewhere. It identifies [...]
Are you ready to replicate?
One of the questions we get asked all the time is ‘is my organisation ready to replicate’? So many factors need to be taken into account from finances to staff, finding the right answer can be daunting. To help, the ICSF has created this simple 10 question replication readiness test. This basic test will allow you to quickly [...]
Growing CHILDLINE through Social Franchising
Kajol Menon Executive Director at CHILDLINE India until the end of 2012, tells us about growing the helpline, through social franchising. CHILDLINE India operates a toll-free 24-hour helpline for children in India. They provide medical assistance, shelter and counselling for children facing emergency situations, they then help the children escape abusive environments. They also conduct [...]
New blog: Insights on scaling up from the Social Impact Exchange
Building on many of our own thoughts and findings, this new blog posted on the Social Impact Exchange highlights motivations and barriers to scaling up. In the report the authors elaborate on the high levels of motivation for scaling up but a significant barrier in the lack of funding. Interesting reading for those thinking about scaling up.
Where are the Ray Krocs of the social sector? New blog featured on the Harvard Business Review
An interesting read from Liquidnet, a global trading and investment network, extolling the virtues of franchising over starting up from scratch: “If you were offered the opportunity to finance a high risk, low return investment, how eager would you be to write a check? That is exactly the premise of most impact investing opportunities today. Until the return [...]
Register now for Social Franchising taster session
Following the success of the Social Franchising Event in November and plenty of interest in the first social franchising taster session another will run in the evening of February 18th. The session will help you find out more about a longer course starting in March run with the School for Social Entrepreneurs and begin to explore whether [...]
The Social Franchising Event
Report by Katie Abbotts Yesterday the ICSF launched Dan Berelowitz’s research, Innovation and the Power of old ideas: McDonalds v Foodbank at a packed event. Held with Social Enterprise UK it took place at RBS in central London to a full house. People came from all over the UK from social enterprises, charity and investment community [...]
Innovation and the power of old ideas: McDonald’s vs Foodbank
Today, Dan Berelowitz, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of the ICSF, launches a ground-breaking report on social franchising and its possibilities for transforming the social sector. Challenging conventional wisdom that innovation always drives results, the report offers the sector new models of scaling up and making social organisations more effective and sustainable. This research was undertake as [...]
