Best Social Impact
Feeding America is the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. They operate a massive network of food banks and meal programs that provide millions of meals to people in need across the United States. By leveraging corporate partnerships and logistics expertise, they efficiently move s...
B Lab is a non-profit organization that certifies B Corporations companies meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The B Corp certification provides a framework for businesses to integrate purpose into their operations and demonstrates a com...
Partners In Health is a global health organization that works to provide high-quality healthcare to the world's poorest and most marginalized populations. They focus on treating infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria while also addressing social determinants of health such as h...
BRAC is a global development organization dedicated to alleviating poverty and empowering communities. Their holistic approach integrates education, skills training, microfinance, and healthcare to create sustainable pathways out of poverty. BRACs unique model emphasizes community ownership and loca...
Platon, born Kornelius Gerasimovich, is a British photojournalist renowned for his intimate and powerful portraits of world leaders and individuals affected by conflict. His work goes beyond mere representation; it seeks to reveal the humanity and vulnerability often hidden behind political facades....
Founded by Matt Damon and Patrick Schinnas, Water.org provides affordable access to safe water and sanitation for people in developing countries. Unlike many charities that simply build wells, Water.org uses a microfinance model, providing small loans to families so they can install their own water...
Kiva is a non-profit microfinance platform that allows people to lend money directly to entrepreneurs in developing countries. By providing small loans for starting businesses, Kiva helps individuals break the cycle of poverty and build sustainable livelihoods. It uses a unique peer-to-peer lending...
Quest Atlantis was an educational multi-user virtual environment developed at Indiana University by a team led by researcher Sasha Barab. Designed for children between the ages of 9 and 12, the platform functioned as a learning game where players completed academic quests related to science, mathema...
The Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is a government-supported program promoting community-based crime prevention. It provides grants to local organizations implementing Neighborhood Watch Programs and fostering collaboration between law enforcement and residents. This initiative aims to strengthen civ...
Atlantis Remixed is an educational, multiplayer 3D virtual environment developed at Indiana University as a redesign of the earlier Quest Atlantis project. Designed for children, the game immerses students in narrative-driven missions that require them to apply academic concepts to solve social and...
Sweatshop is a browser-based strategy game developed by Littleloud and commissioned by Channel 4. Released in 2011, it functions as a serious game that tasks players with managing an overseas clothing manufacturing factory. As players progress, the game mechanics force them to confront the ethical r...
Disability:IN promotes inclusive workplaces through advocacy and consultation services. The organization works with corporations to improve accessibility and foster diverse teams. It supports businesses seeking to enhance their commitment to human rights and social impact, primarily benefiting emplo...
Aisha Khan leads global initiatives focused on bridging the digital divide in developing economies. Her expertise lies in designing user-centric, low-bandwidth technological solutions that empower marginalized communities. She masterfully combines deep technical understanding with nuanced cultural a...
The Global Water Initiative (GWI) focuses on providing sustainable access to clean water and sanitation in underserved communities across Africa and Asia. Utilizing innovative engineering solutions, including low-cost filtration systems and rainwater harvesting techniques, GWI empowers local communi...
GlobalGiving is a mobile app and online platform facilitating direct donations to vetted nonprofit organizations globally. It’s notable for its focus on transparent funding of grassroots projects addressing humanitarian needs such as disaster relief, education, and health initiatives. The platform b...
PlayCore is a playground and recreation equipment company headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Through its inclusive playground programs, the company provides design frameworks and specialized equipment intended to create play spaces accessible to children with diverse physical, sensory, and cog...
The Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) isn't an activist organization in the traditional sense, but it's fundamentally reshaping activism by focusing on reporting on responses to social problems. By highlighting effective solutions, SJN inspires action and provides a framework for replication. They...
Kate Crawford is an Australian-American academic and scholar specializing in the social, political, and environmental implications of artificial intelligence. She is a co-founder of the AI Now Institute at New York University, a leading research center studying the social effects of AI, and the auth...
BIGs approach blends pragmatism with playful design, creating innovative solutions for urban challenges. Their projects prioritize sustainability and community engagement, often incorporating green spaces and flexible layouts to enhance quality of life. From residential towers to cultural centers,...
This guide integrates social and ethical dimensions into circularity. It argues that a truly circular system must also be a circular *social* system. It provides frameworks for tracing materials back to ethical sourcing points and ensuring fair labor practices throughout the entire supply chain, mak...
Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) was a pioneering corporate sustainability initiative, aiming to decouple growth from environmental impact and increase positive social impact. While the plan has evolved, its legacy of ambitious targets and integrated sustainability practices continues to in...
Half the Sky Movement: The Game is a 2013 Facebook adventure by Frima Studio whose quests connected women's rights issues with donations to seven nonprofits.
The Kindness Project is a global initiative encouraging individuals to perform random acts of kindness. Through its website and mobile app, users can log their actions, connect with others, and inspire positive change within their communities. The project fosters a culture of empathy and generosity,...
Adjaye Associates, led by Sir David Adjaye, is renowned for its culturally sensitive and socially impactful designs. Their projects often incorporate local materials and traditions, creating spaces that celebrate identity and community. They prioritize sustainability and accessibility in their desi...
The Hult Prize Foundation is a nonprofit organization fostering global entrepreneurship focused on solving pressing social issues. It provides university students with an annual challenge requiring them to develop and pitch innovative, future-tech solutions as social enterprises. The competition off...
This general track at Smith is designed for leaders who want to maximize their impact within the public sector, NGOs, or government-adjacent roles. It blends business strategy with deep knowledge of policy frameworks, making graduates uniquely qualified to navigate complex regulatory environments an...
This innovative work challenges conventional economic models by demonstrating how religious beliefs and values profoundly shape human behavior and drive social action. It argues that understanding 'sacred economies' systems of exchange and cooperation based on faith-inspired principles is essentia...
Unilever, a global consumer goods giant, has made significant commitments to sustainability, including tackling deforestation, reducing plastic waste, and improving the livelihoods of farmers in its supply chain. While facing scrutiny and challenges in implementation, their scale allows for substant...
A volunteer-driven initiative that partners with local law enforcement to reduce crime through active neighborhood surveillance.
