Kellogg Seeks Forum for Entrepreneurs

As the idea of using market-based approaches to social problems becomes more and more popular, philanthropists, non-profit groups, and businesses involved in “social entrepreneurship” need a forum to swap ideas and find investors, says a new report.

The report, called “Unleashing New Resources and Entrepreneurship for the Common Good,” was released by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, in Battle Creek, Mich. It is based on interviews with more than 100 charity and business leaders about the emerging opportunities for non-profit organizations to operate more like entrepreneurs, and for entrepreneurs to become more philanthropic.

The report did not state exactly what type of forum would work best, or how it would be created. Instead, it focuses on what the forum would do for the field of social entrepreneurship: stimulate investment and deal making, foster information sharing, and provide management advice.

The report says the Kellogg Foundation plans to meet with leaders in the field to find a way to put its forum idea into practice.

For more information or to request a free copy of the report, contact the foundation at One Michigan Avenue East, Battle Creek, Mich. 49017; (616) 969-2160. The report is also available on the foundation’s World-Wide Web site at http://www.wkkf.org.