Categories for Thinking On…

Thinking On: The Search for Mission Return

Heron’s president and board chair turn on its head the question of whether pursuing mission reduces financial return.

President’s Letter: A Look Back at 2013

Heron’s President Clara Miller takes a look at how 2013 shaped the foundation, which has undergone significant changes.

Thinking On: Scaling Impact, Evidence Is Not Enough

Heron Fellow Rodney Christopher asks philanthropists and nonprofits: Are we focusing enough on enterprise when we seek to increase the impact of evidence-based programs?

Thinking On: Divestment and the Conscious Investor

Heron’s Buzz Schmidt responds to Stanford’s divestment from fossil fuels and says it offers lessons for reevaluating all investments for social impact.

Thinking On: The Market Basket Revolution

A battle over the fate of a supermarket chain is emblematic of the dilemma facing business today, maximizing shareholder value or reinvesting in workers.

Thinking On: Rediscovering the Enterprise Investment Approach

Heron’s Kate Starr argues that looking at investing through an enterprise lens is a return to basics.

Thinking On: Impact Investing Meets Development Finance

Heron president Clara Miller offers lighthearted thoughts on the cultural anthropology of two groups interested in poverty solutions.

Thinking On: Reshoring Jobs from China

Manufacturing jobs are coming back to the United States due to growing labor costs and strengthening currency in China, but it is unclear if it’s a win for workers.

Thinking On: Leaving Behind the ‘Undeserving Poor’

Heron’s Toni Johnson shares what it was like to spend part of childhood in poverty and how welfare reform debates fail to prioritize the future.

Thinking On: Adept (& Inept) Use of Social Impact Bonds

In the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Heron’s Clara Miller discusses social-impact bonds and whether or not they really can have an impact.