Link Roundup 12/19

http://spiral16.com./ Eric Melin from Spiral16 and Engineers Without Borders - Sunflower State Professionals spotlights some tactics that can help drive not jus

One of my favorite things to do this time of year -- in addition to spending the holidays with friends and family -- is to look back on the year that was and also look ahead to what the New Year holds in store.

This year GiveMeTap, a social enterprise that enables bottle-holders to get free water from a network of cafes and restaurants and helps another person in Africa get access to water, won Start and Virgin Money's Be the Start sustainable business competition. In light of working together both sides have shared their experiences and the lessons they have learnt.

Mark Hrywna - December 17, 2013 The number of volunteers in the United States continued to climb last year, with a total of 64.5 million Americans contributing almost 7.9 billion hours of their time. More than one in four adults volunteered through a nonprofit organization.

We're so excited for our lineup of speakers and judges for the Lean for Social Good Summit in San Francisco! Want to hear our speakers in person? Get your tickets today! Introduction & Welcome Leanne Pittsford Co-Founder, Lean Impact www.leanimpact.org Leanne Pittsford has spent her career helping nonprofit organizations work effectively.

News & Articles > Survey: Fundraising Events Discouraging Volunteer Firefighters The NonProfit Times - December 18, 2013 The retention of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania was found to be very low at organizations that sponsored a high number of fundraising events, according to recent survey by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

Paul Polak was a social entrepreneur before it became sexy to be one. Polak first joined the global community of "do-gooders" in 1981 as founder of iDE, a social enterprise that pioneered foot-powered pumps for poor farmers in Southeast Asia. The rudimentary irrigation technology has reportedly reached 19 million farmers in the world, thanks to iDE's efforts.

How one organization is combining the best elements of accountability and entrepreneurship to redefine development paradigms of the past. The Hyatt Hotel in Kathmandu is a serene place, with beautiful Newari architecture, lush gardens, and impeccable service.

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Impact investing links measurable social outcomes and financial returns. By harnessing entrepreneurship and innovation it can fund the growth of non-profits and for-profits to tackle society's toughest challenges more effectively and at scale. It has made great advances in 2013. The debate is now increasingly about how the market will take off.

Vine recently expanded to 19 new languages, and today Twitter sent out an email saying the six-second video sharing service will soon add vanity URLs. Verified users will be able to get their own vanity URL starting December 20, and the feature is expected to roll out to everyone else on December 23.

Digital technology and data are driving the use of private resources for public good, and the shape of that emerging social economy will depend on how nonprofits, philanthropies, business and government address critical questions about the ways that data are collected, shared and used, a new report says.

This post originally appeared on Arabella Advisors' Greater Good blog as part of the series Impact 2014. For many years, people frequently suggested that Benetech, the nonprofit tech company I founded and lead, get more involved in Washington, DC policy and legislative action. "Isn't that where good ideas go to die?"

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Ever have one of those moments when a family member does something that just makes you slap your forehead and think, "How are we related?!" Like when your Uncle Davy asks you very loudly when the wedding is the first time you bring your significant other to a holiday gathering.

A new report shows how to increase the viability and sustainability of the apparel industry. MAS Holdings is the largest clothing manufacturer in Sri Lanka. It has annual turnover of over $1 billion and employs more than 55,000 people. The MAS Intimates Thurulie factory, a 10,000 square meter facility with roughly 1,300 employees, is its top plant.

The Global Information Internship Program (GIIP, pronounced "jeep") is a fabulous program at UCSC, which allows undergraduates to fund and work on projects they are passionate about in the areas of global social justice and sustainability. This video helps to explain more about GIIP, so students can find out how to get more involved.

Those of us who are active in the social enterprise space have spent a great deal of time tracking and discussing the emergence of the "conscious consumer." We've shared our excitement around a collective awakening, where individuals increasingly are showing preference for socially responsible products and services.

A beautiful Christmas card from our partner Shingirirai Trust in Zimbabwe. pic.twitter.com/orXAe4n2oW

If I could change anything about Twitter, allowing us to have more than 20 lists would be high up on my list. Pun unavoidable. Twitter grows with each redesign that expands its abilities, but it hasn't expanded the limits of its lists.

Marketing guru Guy Kawasaki is going APE -- as in APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur -- How to Publish a Book, the most recent book in the ever-expanding list of Kawasaki book titles. APE has been out for a year now, and to celebrate its anniversary, Kawasaki is giving it away free.

Like what you see and want to learn more? Check out our Social Recruiting Strategies Conference in San Francisco from Jan. 28-30 of 2014 and save 15% on your registration by using the discount code TDSOC15 .