On social entrepreneurship – while I hate that term and most things associated with it or described by it, I have to admit that in some ways I agree with those looking for the newest and best ways to change the world now. Why should we wait around and allow people to suffer if we can change it and quickly? Of course, that doesn’t mean that any of these ‘entrepreneurs’ have that solution, but the desire for change is certainly understandable.

Thanks for provoking some excellent conversation Colleen and Rosetta!

Also, to get back to Rosetta’s point above: if we want to use ‘change’ as a verb then writing a check does apply – its an action after all. As someone who both writes checks (or more accurately, has donations direct debited from my checking account and works as an advocate I can see both sides of the coin.

In some ways, I see it as doing what is most efficient for me and for others; I pay someone else to cut my hair and do my taxes after all because I’m not good at those things. By the same token, I don’t know much about publishing a nonprofit magazine, but I give money to Bitch Media and they publish that magazine as well as an amazing website, etc. (www.bitchmagazine.org). Others may not be effective advocates for smart growth, which is the focus of my organization, so they pay us to do it. It makes sense for all involved.