The document discusses the need for improved funding practices in the social sector, emphasizing the challenges of applying lean startup principles to social change. It advocates for incentivizing risk-taking and experimentation among social innovators while addressing the complexities of identifying beneficiaries and funders. The author suggests creating dedicated risk funds and encouraging transparency and collaboration among foundations to better support impactful initiatives.

1. We Can Do Better
Improving the Funding of #LeanImpact
@ christiegeorge

2. I was raised with one
very clear message:
if you can do better,
you should.

3. There are huge opportunities for
Lean Startup to be applied to the
social sector.

4. It’s already happening ...

5. But ...
there a bunch of challenges
that we don’t talk about.

6. When we fail,
we fail real people.

7. Social change takes a
long time.

8. Identifying the
‘customer’ is complicated.
8

9. Who pays for
social change?

10. Funders
have a hard time
taking risks.

11. We need to change the
way that we fund people
to solve big problems.

12. Encourage experimentation and
incentivize risk, in a way that doesn’t
penalize social innovators when
things don’t go as planned.
(things never go as planned)

13. Funding innovations

14. Rapidly Deploy
Seed Funding
Knight Foundation
Prototype Fund
Innovation Fund

15. Create a culture where
the truth is incentivized.
Worst Grant Contest for
Program Officers
15

16. Share information
obsessively.

17. Complement
Crowdfunding
$20k
match

18. Most impact funding
is low risk.
Traditional
Funding
Risk
Funding

19. What if we could convince
10 foundations to put $1m each into
their own ‘risk’ funds?

20. Let’s Do Better
@ christiegeorge

21. Thank You