Building Social Business

1. Social Business: A New Paradigm for Solving Global Problems

"Social business is a new kind of business. It's quite distinct from either a traditional profit-maximizing business (which describes practically all private companies in the world today) or a not-for-profit organization (which relies on charitable or philanthropic donations)."

Redefining business objectives. Social business combines the efficiency and innovation of for-profit enterprises with the social mission of non-profit organizations. It aims to solve social problems while being financially self-sustaining. Unlike traditional businesses that maximize profits for shareholders, social businesses reinvest all profits to expand their social impact.

Two types of social businesses:

• Type I: Non-loss, non-dividend companies solving social problems
• Type II: Profit-making companies owned by poor people

Social businesses operate within the capitalist system but focus on creating social benefits rather than personal wealth. This model allows entrepreneurs to address issues like poverty, healthcare, education, and environmental sustainability in a sustainable and scalable way.

2. The Birth of Grameen Bank: Microcredit as a Catalyst for Change

"I found it increasingly difficult to teach elegant theories of economics in the classroom while a terrible famine was raging outside."

From theory to action. Muhammad Yunus's journey began during the 1974 famine in Bangladesh. Confronted with the stark reality of poverty, he started experimenting with small loans to villagers, leading to the creation of Grameen Bank.

Key features of Grameen Bank:

• Provides collateral-free loans to poor people, primarily women
• Owned by its borrowers, who elect the board of directors
• Achieves a repayment rate of 98%
• Offers loans for higher education and to beggars

Grameen Bank demonstrated that poor people are creditworthy and capable of using financial services to improve their lives. This model has spread globally, with microcredit programs now operating in almost every country, including developed nations like the United States.

3. Grameen Danone: Pioneering Social Business in Action

"The goal, of course, was to get our nutrition-packed yogurt into the hands of as many poor people as possible."

Addressing malnutrition. Grameen Danone, a joint venture between Grameen and French dairy company Danone, produces fortified yogurt to combat malnutrition among Bangladeshi children. This social business faced numerous challenges and adaptations in its early years.

Key lessons from Grameen Danone:

• Flexibility in business model and pricing strategies
• Importance of cultural understanding in marketing and distribution
• Balancing social impact with financial sustainability
• Cross-subsidization between urban and rural markets

The Grameen Danone experience highlights the complexities of creating a successful social business and the need for continuous innovation and adaptation to local conditions.

4. Grameen Veolia Water: Addressing the Global Water Crisis

"Access to clean water is also an issue of women's rights."

Tackling arsenic contamination. Grameen Veolia Water, a partnership with French water company Veolia, aims to provide safe drinking water to rural Bangladeshis affected by arsenic contamination. This project demonstrates the potential of social business to address critical environmental and health issues.

Challenges and strategies:

• Educating villagers about long-term health risks
• Developing affordable pricing models
• Creating a sustainable distribution system
• Balancing social impact with financial viability

The Grameen Veolia Water project illustrates how social businesses can leverage corporate expertise to solve complex social problems while navigating cultural and economic challenges in developing countries.

5. Healthcare Revolution Through Social Business

"To be clear, Cure2Children's programs in Pakistan and Kosovo are not run according to the social business model. Cure2Children is a traditional NGO that relies on charitable giving."

Transforming healthcare delivery. Social businesses are addressing critical healthcare challenges in developing countries. The partnership between Cure2Children and Grameen Healthcare Trust aims to provide bone marrow transplants for thalassemia patients in Bangladesh using a cross-subsidization model.

Other healthcare initiatives:

• Grameen GlaxoSmithKline: Affordable healthcare products
• Grameen Pfizer: Improving maternal-child health care delivery
• Grameen GE Healthcare: Developing low-cost medical equipment
• Grameen Intel: IT-based solutions for rural healthcare

These partnerships demonstrate how social businesses can make advanced medical treatments and technologies accessible to poor populations while maintaining financial sustainability.

6. Technology Giants Join the Social Business Movement

"Grameen Intel is now building up an IT-based healthcare service for the poor in Bangladesh through a pilot project that concentrates on infant-maternal health."

Harnessing technology for social good. Major technology companies are partnering with Grameen to create social businesses that leverage their expertise to address social problems.

Key partnerships:

• BASF Grameen: Producing mosquito nets and micronutrient sachets
• Grameen Intel: Developing IT solutions for rural healthcare
• Grameen Adidas: Creating affordable shoes for the poor

These collaborations show how cutting-edge technologies and corporate resources can be applied to solve pressing social issues in developing countries, creating sustainable and scalable solutions.

7. Creating a Global Infrastructure for Social Business

"I hope that, within the next few years, social business will become a standard part of the curriculum in every college, university, and graduate business school in the world."

Building a supportive ecosystem. The growth of social business requires a robust infrastructure to support its development, including academic institutions, research centers, and investment funds.

Key components of social business infrastructure:

• University centers and programs (e.g., Glasgow Caledonian University, California Institute of Social Business)
• Social business labs and incubators (e.g., Grameen Creative Lab)
• Social investment funds (e.g., Danone Communities Fund)
• Proposed social stock market

These initiatives aim to educate future leaders, foster innovation, provide funding, and create a supportive ecosystem for social businesses to thrive globally.

8. The Power of Type II Social Businesses

"Otto Grameen Trust has set up a for-profit company called Otto Grameen Textile Company as a joint venture between the Otto Group (owning 90 percent shares) and Grameen Trust (10 percent). Profits of the textile company will go to Otto Grameen Trust, which will ensure that the income and equity growth generated by Otto Grameen is spent as intended—to benefit the poor."

Empowering the poor through ownership. Type II social businesses, owned by the poor or trusts dedicated to their benefit, provide a powerful model for creating lasting social impact.

Key features of Otto Grameen:

• Owned by a trust dedicated to benefiting workers and local communities
• Focuses on sustainable and eco-friendly production methods
• Provides social benefits beyond employment, including healthcare and education

This model demonstrates how traditional businesses can be transformed to create significant social benefits while maintaining profitability and efficiency.

9. Rejuvenating Economies Through Social Business Initiatives

"If these projects meet our expectations, it seems likely that social business may become a major tool for policy-makers and others who are looking for ways to accelerate the pace of economic development in countries around the world."

Holistic approach to economic development. Social business initiatives are being implemented to revitalize struggling economies in regions like Caldas (Colombia), Albania, and Haiti.

Key components of these initiatives:

• Creation of social business funds and trusts
• Development of various social businesses addressing local needs
• Collaboration with government agencies and local stakeholders
• Focus on job creation, healthcare, education, and other critical sectors

These projects demonstrate the potential of social business to serve as a comprehensive tool for economic development and poverty alleviation at a regional or national scale.

10. The Future of Capitalism: Integrating Social and Financial Goals

"I remain convinced that the social business concept, with its clear demarcation of a dividing line between the pursuit of profit and the pursuit of social goals, is the best way to complete the unfinished structure that is contemporary capitalism."

Reimagining capitalism. Social business offers a way to address the limitations of traditional capitalism by creating a parallel economic system focused on solving social problems.

Key aspects of this new economic paradigm:

• Recognition of human beings as multidimensional, with both selfish and selfless motivations
• Integration of social objectives into business models
• Creation of new legal and financial frameworks to support social businesses
• Potential for a social stock market to facilitate investment and growth

By embracing social business, capitalism can evolve to address global challenges more effectively while maintaining its core strengths of innovation and efficiency.

Last updated: January 25, 2025