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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 1d

"Philanthropy needs more movement funders who stand on the side of racial and economic justice and who take direction from the movement-led forces working to expand democracy. We can do this by changing our practices in fundamental ways..."

Building Political Power When Everything Is at Stake (SSIR)

Philanthropy needs more movement funders who stand on the side of racial and economic justice and against right-wing authoritarianism.

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 2d

Philanthropy advisor Ben Klasky sees donors hit four common roadblocks to giving:

1. Option paralysis
2. A less streamlined marketplace
3. Reputational risk
4. It's work

Luckily, there are ways to overcome each of these hurdles.

Helping Donors Get Unstuck (SSIR)

Many philanthropists have the capacity and desire to give more. A few simple strategies can help them overcome common roadblocks.

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 6d

Houston is a microcosm of the fossil fuel industry’s dominance and resulting devastation.

But many other communities—Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”; Gary, Indiana; Refinery Row in SoCal; the Ohio River Valley—have essentially been sacrificed to the industry’s profits.

ssir.org/articles/ent...

Resisting Oil and Gas, For Health’s Sake (SSIR)

As regulatory rollbacks invite polluters to poison air, soil, and water, funders and advocates can respond by rallying around community-led solutions that prioritize health over corporate gain.

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 6d

The harmful health effects of these pollutants are on full display in Houston, the so-called energy capital of the world.

The zip codes where life expectancies are lowest are those with the most of oil and gas sources. Houstonians have a name for this: The Houston Arrow.

ssir.org/articles/ent...

A series of maps showing how the locations of oil and gas infrastructure in Houston aligns with related health impacts

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 6d

"Funders and advocates must rally around creative and robust community-led solutions that prioritize health protection over corporate gain."

ssir.org/articles/ent...

New article from @mtejada24.bsky.social of @nrdc.org and Jen Hadayia of @airalliancehou.bsky.social

Illustration of a giant dark robot figure that represents the oil and gas industry looming over a small town landscape

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Paul Biggar 🇵🇸 🇮🇪 @paulbiggar.com · 8d

The Stanford Social Innovator Review (@ssir.org) shared their discussion of our work at Tech for Palestine. Good review of what we actually do.

ssir.org/articles/ent...

Technology Against Genocide (SSIR)

The Tech for Palestine business incubator is dedicated to strengthening pro-human rights projects within the technology industry, starting with the rights of Palestinians.

ssir.org

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Reposted by Stanford Social Innovation Review

Earthjustice @earthjustice.org · 8d

We need to support strong investments in bold local action to speed up the clean energy transition. Learn more in @ssir.org:

Americans Are Fighting Goliath—And Winning (SSIR)

Oil and gas's dominance over American life can feel like a David vs. Goliath story. Despite the odds, growing pushback in red, blue, and purple states shows that the Davids have more power than w...

ssir.org

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Marianne Dhenin @mariannedhe.bsky.social · 8d

I'm glad to have gotten to cover Tech for Palestine for @ssir.org. Read about the incubator's (v ambitious!) efforts to "change [the tech industry] into something that’s pro-freedom, pro-liberation, and pro-human rights."

ssir.org/articles/ent...

CC @paulbiggar.com @techforpalestine.org

Technology Against Genocide (SSIR)

The Tech for Palestine business incubator is dedicated to strengthening pro-human rights projects within the technology industry, starting with the rights of Palestinians.

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 12d

"...this government is executing its pro-fossil fuel agenda, often with zero input from the public and apparent disregard for the rule of law."

New article sponsored by the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas authored by leaders of @envirointegrity.bsky.social and @descendantsproject.bsky.social

The Democracy Emergency Coming From the Oil and Gas Industry (SSIR)

The fight to protect our communities and the environment is also a fight to protect democracy.

ssir.org

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Reposted by Stanford Social Innovation Review

Dominic Hofstetter @hofstetter.bsky.social · 15d

My latest in the @ssir.org, basically an executive summary of our white paper titled "Financial Backbones: Capital Orchestration for Systems Transformation".

ssir.org/articles/ent...

Financial Backbones for Strategic Capital Orchestration (SSIR)

A new kind of infrastructure for collective impact initiatives.

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 16d

"The benefits of clean energy are well documented and have become manifestly evident for many Americans, but it is no longer enough to simply promote renewables and hope policy catches on."

Removing the Barriers to the Renewable Energy Boom (SSIR)

Renewables are more reliable and affordable compared to their oil- and gas-powered alternatives. Can they survive political headwinds and continue to make big gains in the United States?

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 21d

How can nonprofits and funders maximize the effectiveness of litigation?

"The takeaway here is *both-and*: Fund the best legal teams to develop the best legal theories and pursue litigation where necessary. But don’t only do that part of the puzzle."

Litigation in an Information Vacuum Is a Missed Opportunity (SSIR)

In an age of lawsuits, storytelling is paramount for long-term progress.

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Reposted by Stanford Social Innovation Review

Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 21d

Community health workers are the bedrock of healthcare around the world. Over 70% are women, and 86% aren’t paid. Yep, most of our healthcare delivery relies on unpaid women ssir.org/articles/ent...

From Unpaid to Unstoppable: The Rise of the Professional Community Health Worker Movement (SSIR)

Health coalitions did the research, coordinated with donors, and secured strong government buy-in. Now, community health workers are finally getting the credit—and pay—they deserve.

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John Kostyack @kostyack.bsky.social · 22d

"Oil and gas's dominance over American life can feel like a David vs. Goliath story. Despite the odds, growing pushback in red, blue, and purple states shows that the Davids have more power than we might think—and philanthropy can help them win." ssir.org/articles/ent...

Americans Are Fighting Goliath—And Winning (SSIR)

Oil and gas's dominance over American life can feel like a David vs. Goliath story. Despite the odds, growing pushback in red, blue, and purple states shows that the Davids have more power than w...

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 22d

You can read the full un-paywalled article here:

The Nonprofit Sector Has an RCT Problem (SSIR)

Randomized controlled trials are touted as the benchmark for evaluating social programs. The social sector should focus instead on an improvement orientation to evaluating performance.&nbsp;| Open...

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 22d

Should RCTs be the gold standard of impact measurement?

SSIR’s Aaron Bady speaks w/ Nicole P. Marwell and Jennifer E. Mosley about their new article, “The Nonprofit Sector Has an RCT Problem.”

Join us tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT!

ssir.org/live-rct-conversation

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Reposted by Stanford Social Innovation Review

Abbie Dillen @abbiedillen.bsky.social · 26d

There’s a lot to worry about right now. The quiet part is a U.S. oil & gas renaissance. As extreme weather rocks the country, it’s time to invest in brass tacks planning, deep organizing, and the essential state and local fights to achieve clean energy transition … in time.
ssir.org/articles/ent...

No Way Out Without a Fight (SSIR)

The ground-up work to stop US oil and gas expansion and create new climate politics

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 23d

Can generative AI help evaluate social impact investments?

The @bettersocietycapital.com team designed an experiment to test this question on their own portfolio. They found some promising results—and some clear lessons learned that might be helpful to others.

We Tested AI Impact Assessments. Here’s What We Learned. (SSIR)

High-quality impact data and assessments are vital for allocating capital effectively, yet they are resource-intensive for investors and social innovators. Can generative AI speed up and strengthen im...

ssir.org

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Reposted by Stanford Social Innovation Review

dmchiz.bsky.social @dmchiz.bsky.social · 25d

👇👇👇 Important read @abbiedillen.bsky.social @earthjustice.org #climateemergency #nofossilfuelinfrastructure #stopLine5

Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 27d

"The scale and urgency of the current threat should settle a long-simmering debate about the strategic value of targeting oil and gas production directly."

@earthjustice.org president @abbiedillen.bsky.social writes in SSIR on the next chapter of the climate fight:

No Way Out Without a Fight (SSIR)

The ground-up work to stop US oil and gas expansion and create new climate politics

ssir.org

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Reposted by Stanford Social Innovation Review

Political Reform and Civic Engagement @politicalreform.newamerica.org · 26d

Hollie Russon Gilman provides an insightful review of Celina Su's new book Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities for @ssir.org. Exploring how budgets are more than just spreadsheets, but moral and political documents: ssir.org/books/review...

The Moral Stakes of Budgeting (SSIR)

Celina Su's Budget Justice is a call to reengage citizenry and build solidarity through participatory democracy.

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 27d

Our new fall print issue is online! Subscribe now for full digital access.

On the cover: An updated collection of essays on philanthropy's challenges in responding to government threats and funding cuts, including a brand new concluding essay from MacArthur Foundation president John Palfrey

Fall 2025 (SSIR)

Read about philanthropy’s response to new threats to the social sector; how community-led outcomes contracts are working for Indigenous communities in northern Canada; how randomized controlled ...

ssir.org

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Patrice Le Foll @plefoll.bsky.social · 27d

"Who should pay for the sustainability infrastructure that companies are using to measure, improve, and report on their ESG performance—and can they do so in a way that is sustainable for the tool developers and preserves the objectivity these tools were built on?" @ssir.org ssir.org/articles/ent...

Who Should Pay for ESG Infrastructure? (SSIR)

Foundations and nonprofits built the tools that companies now use for ESG reporting, brand credibility, and risk management. Is there a funding model for maintaining these tools so they remain credibl...

ssir.org

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Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 27d

This is the second part of a new series sponsored by the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas, a team of experts and innovators hosted by the Rockefeller Family Fund working to stop the expansion of oil and gas infrastructure.

Sign up to get alerts when new articles are published here:

The Impact of Oil and Gas on American Life (SSIR)

Progress on climate change seems closer than ever given rapid improvements in clean energy technologies. Yet the United States&rsquo; wealthy fossil fuel industry is determined to strengthen its g...

ssir.org

Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 27d

"The scale and urgency of the current threat should settle a long-simmering debate about the strategic value of targeting oil and gas production directly."

@earthjustice.org president @abbiedillen.bsky.social writes in SSIR on the next chapter of the climate fight:

No Way Out Without a Fight (SSIR)

The ground-up work to stop US oil and gas expansion and create new climate politics

ssir.org

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Reposted by Stanford Social Innovation Review

Jennifer Mosley @jenmosley.bsky.social · 28d

Come join the conversation!

Stanford Social Innovation Review @ssir.org · 28d

What does it do to social change organizations when RCTs aren’t just the best option, but the only option?

SSIR speaks w/ Nicole Marwell and @jenmosley.bsky.social about their article, “The Nonprofit Sector Has an RCT Problem.”

Join us Wed., Sept. 17 at 10 am PT: ssir.org/live-rct-conversation

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