Paul Bloom & Edward Skloot
2010
This volume grew out of a conference titled “Scaling Social Impact: What We Know and What We Need to Know” hosted by CSPCS, the Fuqua School’s Center for the Advancement for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Bridgespan Group. With a Foreword by Bridgespan’s Jeffrey L. Bradach and an Introduction by the editors, Scaling Social Impact presents twelve essays by a variety of scholars and practitioners. The central issue that animates all the essays is the meaning, opportunity, and cost of “scaling up” enterprises that apparently are running successfully. How do we do this? When is the right time? What principles of success can be distilled and shared? There are no clear answers yet, but what we do know is that if system change is to be achieved, then successful but isolated, largely unknown, and smallish ventures—and the ideas that underpin them—will need to grow in resources, operating capacity, and demonstrable impact in order to thrive.
Bloom, Paul N., and Edward Skloot, 2010. Scaling Social Impact: New Thinking. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
“This collection is an ambitious and comprehensive account of an issue of critical importance to social entrepreneurs and their stakeholders. The editors have assembled an impressive group of scholars and thoughtful practitioners to offer cutting-edge insights into various aspects of scaling and growth with a strong focus on impact and performance. This book represents a valuable addition to the growing canon of serious social entrepreneurship research.” —Alex Nicholls, MBA, Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship, University of Oxford, Fellow of Harris Manchester College, author of Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change and editor of The Journal of Social Entrepreneurship
“Scaling Social Impact could not be released at a more opportune moment. When resources to support social change seem more limited than ever, two of our field’s most significant thought leaders collaborate to bring us some of the best, most current and engaging perspectives on a topic that to this point one might argue has been more fad than strategy. By presenting us with writings from a host of researchers and experienced field builders, Bloom and Skloot offer us not only vision but informed, research-based insights into the concept and complications of what it means to attain the highest potential of effective social programs.” —Jed Emerson, founder, Blended Value Group