Bill Drayton Quotes

Over the past decade... while many businesses have pursued what I call 'business as usual,' I have been part of a different, smaller business movement, one that tried to put idealism back on the agenda.

Increasingly, I'm inspired by entrepreneurs who run nonprofit organizations that fund themselves, or for-profit organizations that achieve social missions while turning a profit.

It is important to view philanthropic ventures with an eye for business.

I am convinced that only by applying the values of an entrepreneur to philanthropy will you ever be able to meet the needs of the greatest number of people.

I've always known I've wanted to build companies that have a social impact.

If private-sector capital can be harnessed for social good, the potential to scale humanitarian solutions is vast.

While governments are not off the hook, the charity world needs to innovate and find new ways to attract outside investment to boost our social productivity.

I hope to be remembered as someone who promoted positive change in Mexican business and society - even if this is not currently understood.

By simply capitalizing on core strengths and knowledge, companies and entrepreneurs can engage in an emerging business model that will enable them to create - and demonstrate - real, sustainable social impact in society.

Charity only works when smart, innovative, compassionate people in the field are supported from home. The World of Children Award raises money and visibility for change makers, people doing the real work. We are a conduit for funding and resources only; all of our operating costs are covered by our generous board of governors.

I think all philanthropy invests in product innovation, whether in a vaccine or a new kind of product of one sort or another, and I think we'll all continue to do that.

In the same way that you're driven in your business to keep innovating - Facebook is a wonderful example of constant innovation - think about doing that in philanthropy.

If you had told me when I was at high school that one day I would be working for a for-profit company, let alone running one, I would have said you were crazy. But I am interested in how you can empower individuals to make change, and Causes is doing just that.

Large-scale philanthropy, based in the private - not the public - sector, is a relatively recent historical development.

I believe my business and non-profit investments are much more beneficial to societal well-being than sending more money to Washington.

Business can be a source of progressive change.

When I started teaching at Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2000, no field-based courses in strategic philanthropy existed.

I have set up several businesses as social businesses, and I am a great believer that the power of business should be used for good.

The way that we are going to solve social problems is by working with multiple different types of investing.

Social enterprise is an effective solution for social problems.

Philanthropic funding can play a vital role in testing and stimulating innovation that, when proven, can be implemented at scale by business or government.

I have a philanthropy advisor, Hari Menon, who was earlier at the Gates Foundation.

Prior to SunRun, I was headed toward a career in venture capital and then realized I wanted to apply my knowledge of finance more directly to helping change the world.

It's time to re-think charity. It's time to give charity the big-league freedoms we really give to business. The fight for these freedoms must be our new cause, because without them, all of our causes are ultimately lost.

I don't run a non-profit. There are lots of non-profits in America - in Detroit, parts of Wall Street, etc. I run a not for profit. We're a business. The only difference is that instead of selling soap or sneakers, we sell hope and leadership.