by Joshua Avedon and Shawn Landres “Apple is regularly voted the most innovative company in the world,” writes The Economist in its January 30 edition, “but …rather than developing entirely new product categories, it excels at taking existing, half-baked ideas and showing the rest of the world how to do them properly.” Creating economic value - or, beyond the corporate world, social value - isn’t always about big ideas, nor new ones. Improving on what’s already out there often is a more reliable way to produce results. New ideas are important drivers of change, but broad transformation depends on the scaling, replication, and adaptation of existing models with demonstrated promise. Much attention has been paid to the expansion of the Jewish startup sector (what we have called … Continue Reading
28 Days, 28 Ideas: The Conversation Continues
eJewish Philanthropy is partnering with five other media outlets and the Jewish Federations of North America on a project to publicize new ideas for improving the Jewish nonprofit landscape. In February, we will join with The Fundermentalist @ JTA, The Sisterhood @ The Forward, Jewcy, Jewschool, 31 Days, 31 Ideas and The Jewish Federations. Together, we will publish one new idea per day from a total of 28 Jewish thinkers across the Jewish world. Keep up with the project beginning a week from today, Feb. 1st, at 28 Days, 28 Ideas. … Continue Reading
Is Start-Up Nation Also the Big Lesson for the Jewish Nonprofit Sector?
by Gary Wexler Just when the bureaucratic and risk-averse culture of the Jewish nonprofit sector was unraveling my love of the organized Jewish world, along comes the book Start Up Nation. Reading it has been like an adrenaline shot, allowing me to recapture the hyper-excited hope and dreams that drive my passion for this work. Start Up Nation is about how a once backwater Israel created a globally influential hi-tech sector emerging as the pre-eminent foreign country with listings on the NASDAC. If the Israelis could figure it out and radically change their business practice - and their economy, certainly we can take a page from them and learn how to do it with what has become in many cases, our lackluster, entrenched nonprofit culture. Start Up Nation is a book that can make even the most … Continue Reading
Building a Thriving Innovation Ecosystem
In a recent JTA op-ed piece, Adene Sacks of the Jim Joseph Foundation shared a critical insight about the state of philanthropy and Jewish innovation. One the one hand, social entrepreneurs need support that “nurtures these early stage ventures into maturity and supports the growth of individual entrepreneurs into full leadership.” On the other hand, funders have become more strategic in their grantmaking, using grants primarily to achieve particular objectives as distinct from supporting worthy organizations. The result, she observes, is that “when JDub gets a grant for two concerts or Keshet is supported for teacher training but not for their work with GLBT students, then we, as funding entities, are not increasing impact.” A few weeks ago I wrote in this space that “helping these … Continue Reading
Spinning
It’s that time of year again - the days are shorter and colder, and across cultures people huddle together with family members, and brighten the dark evenings with orbs of light. Chanukah is upon us. We eat latkes and jelly donuts to remember the oil that miraculously lasted in the ancient temple. We light candles each night, increasing light and holiness in the world. We remember the miraculous victory of the few against the many, and celebrate our religious and cultural freedom. And, of course, we play dreidel - and teach our young and tender to gamble. I have a vivid childhood memory of gathering with aunts, uncles, and cousins at my grandfather’s house for Chanukah. He had a jar full of coins, and each family member would line up in size order to take a turn dipping a hand into the jar … Continue Reading
Breaking The Myths of Innovation
by Bill Robinson Well, it’s a beautiful summer day here in Reisterstown, MD as the fellows and faculty of Project InCiTE take the first steps toward tearing down the myths of innovation to which we have succumbed over the last decade. Fifteen years ago, I entered the world of Jewish education as a full-time researcher for arguably the first national philanthropic initiative - Mort Mandel’s Council for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) - bringing innovations from general education into a moribund Jewish world. Today, I see our world filled with dozens of new philanthropic initiatives offering innovative solutions for engaging Jews. Great strides have been made and yet at times all seems to remain the same. Everyone is still searching for the next great innovation. We have … Continue Reading
Young and Old: Innovative Start-up Projects vs. Established Institutions
"What should I do?" you wonder. The economic crisis has eroded your assets and earnings, leaving you with less money for philanthropy. The community foundation, university, hospital and museum to which you always contribute are asking you to consider an increased gift this year due to their own depressed financial situation. At the same time, a close friend introduced you to a social entrepreneur who is seeking seed money for an innovative start-up project that aims to tackle the root causes of social inequality. You consider your options. One is to continue to contribute to those institutions that are counting on you as a loyal friend and supporter, and politely decline the seed money proposal. Alternatively, you can put up the seed money for the innovative start-up project and inform the … Continue Reading
Innovation and Tradition – A Perfect Match?
What is Jewish innovation? Do we really need it? Isn’t Judaism really about Tradition, like the song from Fiddler on the Roof?” Innovation is actually a basic tenet of Jewish thought, especially in the area of Jewish education. Jews around the world read thrice daily the command to be innovative in how they relate to and understand the Torah they are learning, as hinted in the third verse of the “Sh’ma Israel” prayer (Deuteronomy 6) “And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart.” The Midrash explains that the extraneous word “today”, teaches that each day we should learn the Torah as if we had just received it just that day. Expanding on this Midrashic idea, the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 61:2) declares that we are commanded to be innovative “that … Continue Reading
Innovation: One Size Does Not Fit All
by John Ruskay Seth Cohen, Yoni Gordis, and others are raising important questions about innovation. I’m interested in exploring where innovation and sustainability meet on the Jewish communal landscape. Most would agree: innovations can only have lasting impact if they are sustained. Why launch a project and see it succeed, only to abandon it for the next new thing? Yet, sustaining - providing the funds necessary to strengthen new and existing programs and community institutions - often gets a bad rap. For some, it lacks the appeal of innovation. I’d argue that sustaining is the silent hero in this narrative. For in sustaining our community’s proven initiatives and institutions, we are positioned to act boldly, respond to crises decisively, and seize opportunities to … Continue Reading
English