Go Global to Find Social Innovations

socialinnovationexchange.org (SIX, for short) opens doors to and for global social innovators. Founded by, among others, the Young Foundation in the U.K., a nuPOLIS partner, SIX is evolving into a "go to" site for learning about social innovations around the world. Like nuPOLIS, SIX focuses on building the field of social innovation.

"All over the world," declares SIX, "there is an amazing amount of innovation being done, but little settled understanding of how to do it best, or which methods work best. Many claims are made for methods coming from fields as diverse as public policy, social entrepreneurship, design and technology – but so far with little evidence to back them up, and little learning between the different fields. The relative underdevelopment of the social innovation field means that too many ideas fail to develop, to grow, or to achieve their potential. It’s also one reason why some of the institutions which should be most concerned to raise the game of social innovation – from governments to foundations – remain relatively unengaged."

Here's a sampling of the innovators you'll find through SIX:

• Banca Prossima--an Italian bank created to fund social enterprises. It is a commercial bank that is dedicated to delivering bank services to non-profit clients.
• Lien Centre for Social Innovation--a partnership between the Lien Foundation and Singapore Management University (SMU), established to advance the thinking and capability of the not-for-profit sector.
• KaosPilot--Denmark's international school of new business design and social innovation, providing entrepreneurial education for young entrepreneurs and project leaders.
• RootSpace--a non-profit organization in Lebanon dedicated to supporting and fostering sustainable social and economic development through innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.
• Knowledgeland--an independent Dutch thinktank based in Amsterdam. Founded in 1999, its mission is to help establish the Netherlands as one of the key regions in the international knowledge economy.
• New Zealand Centre for Social Innovation--bringing together public, private and community partners to create new solutions to New Zealand’s most pressing social needs.