Why do so many social enterprises and charities, seeking to improve lives, fall short – and even end up harming those they try to help? This is the central question tackled in The Business of Doing Good, which outlines six practical steps for a new approach for social purpose organisations.
The costs of getting it wrong have never been higher and the book details examples of unintended harm where microfinance clients have reportedly committed suicide as the result of over-indebtedness, the poorest ‘untouchables’ have inadvertently been overlooked by development projects in India, and poor families used their insecticide-treated bed nets to dry fish in the sun.

With public concern about poverty and inequality combining with increasing distrust of charity or government to make a difference, The Business of Doing Good reveals six insights for charities and social enterprises to improve and not just prove their impact. Just a few small changes to the way that organisations engage with their clients, manage their staff, and structure their business model can make a dramatic difference to their impact on the lives of the people they serve. This book is essential reading for anyone who has ever given to charity, or believes that business can do good in the world.

“Charities, social enterprises and businesses of every shape, size and orientation are in the business of going good – working with poor and vulnerable communities around the world, to try and deliver potentially life-changing services to address a range of pressing social needs. Many fail to perform and deliver to their potential. This book offers insights into what it is that successful organisations do to make a difference.” says Anton Simanowitz, co-author of the book.

The Business of Doing Good charts the course of the remarkable and profitable Cambodian social enterprise, AMK (see notes for company detail) that has, with single-minded purpose, made radical choices and reached deep into rural villages, touching the lives of almost two million people living in poverty. The book also draws the authors’ 20 years of experience working to build successful organisations around the world.

Having worked in international development internationally, Simanowitz and his co-author, Katherine Knotts, had become increasingly frustrated at the way in which so many organisations were failing, and wanted to pull together their experiences of which organisations worked – and why. What they discovered were simple solutions that can applied to all businesses, captured in six simple steps.
The six steps outlined in the book cover:

• How to get to grips with the realities of clients’ lives, and deliver products that address their real needs.
• How to stop good products getting ‘lost in translation’ through the people that deliver them, so that the reality on the ground matches aspirations.
• Building a business that works, being clear about what needs to be achieved, and innovating to build the business model to make things happen rather than accepting conventional wisdom that it can’t be done.
• How all organisations can deliver social as well as economic value, and how local organisations can become self-sustaining, dynamic contributors to overcoming poverty.
“When organisations enter into the lives of poor and vulnerable people, there is a moral and ethical imperative to make good on good intentions, and not to make people’s lives worse as a result. This book shows how it is possible,” said Katherine Knotts.

BOOK LAUNCH EVENT: 6.30 - 8.30pm, Tuesday January 20th

BNP Paribas,10 Harewood Avenue, London NW1 6AA

For more an invitation, more information or a preview copy contact Anton Simanowitz on  antons@pkrc.co.uk

Learn more about the book:
Website: www.thebusinessofdoinggood.co.uk
Read the Prologue  http://www.pioneerspost.com/news-views/20141103/seilas-story-the-unintended-consequences-of-doing-good
Follow us on Twitter: @TBODGood

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Anton Simanowitz (@antowitz) has worked for the past 20 years to support social enterprises to be more effective in delivering impact, and for those who support and invest in them to make better investment, capacity building and policy decisions. He brings a depth of experience from his work in development evaluation and microfinance, initially focusing on impact measurement, but then moving onto the processes by which impact is created, as one of the architects of the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management - now an industry standard in microfinance.

Katherine Knotts (@katherineknotts) works with microfinance and other social purpose organizations to help them be better learners and communicators. As a writer, she focuses on helping organizations to analyse what’s working (and what’s not), distil lessons learned, and package those lessons for other practitioners through written and film media. She has published a range of thematic case studies for the Microfinance Centre for Europe, Oikocredit, Habitat for Humanity and others, focusing on social performance management, financial education, client protection and housing microfinance.
NOTES:
Angkor Mikroheranhvatho Kampuchea Co. Ltd (AMK) is one of Cambodia's leading Microfinance Institutions (MFI). AMK’s goal is to provide poor people with a range of tailored microfinance services.

AMK Cambodia was established in 2003 by Concern Worldwide, an international charity. Today, it operates a network of 130 offices and more than 200 agents across all parts of Cambodia, reaches some 80% of villages in the country, serves almost 400,000 loan clients and has a staff of 1,400. In the past few years AMK has progressed towards a wide range of products for clients, including through the acquisition of a deposit license, while continuing to target the lower sections of the market. It currently offers loans, deposits, and money transfer services. By a wide choice of (group and individual) loans, savings, money transfer, insurance and mobile banking services, AMK seeks to improve people's lives by giving them the opportunity to diversify their livelihood options and reduce their vulnerability. AMK’s total outstanding loan portfolio per end of June 2013 stood at USD nearly US$80 million.

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE BOOK
‘This is an uplifting, hugely insightful read with key lessons for all of us. How to deliver societal as well as economic value is a challenge faced by big business, social enterprise and voluntary sector organisations like Concern and Oxfam alike. The blurring of our organisational boundaries has led to exciting innovation in this space that we all need to analyse more… It’s a story of learning, innovation, resilience and the simplicity and importance we often forget of people connecting with people. Organisations like Oxfam support and learn from many local partner organisations like AMK. We all share the ambition that local organisations will become self-sustaining, dynamic contributors to overcoming poverty at national scale in poorer countries, but there are very few success stories of social enterprise at scale. Here is one. Penny Lawrence, Deputy CEO, Oxfam GB

‘For funders, investors and donors, The Business of Doing Good is a must-read. In its granular portrayal of a value-laden, client-focused microfinance institution, the book asks us to re-evaluate and re-dedicate ourselves to designing funding mechanisms that strategically favor and fund the social enterprises which love their clients first and care for their investors second. This book calls us to be the kind of engaged, thoughtful, mission-focused bankers, accountants, investors, lawyers, analysts and auditors the world deserves.’
Jonathan C. Lewis, Founder/Chair, MCE Social Capital

‘A lucid and thought-provoking account of how things actually work in the field, based on the history and experience of AMK in Cambodia. It should become a well-thumbed staple for many of us working in social investment generally and microfinance especially.’
David Woods, Managing Director, Oikocredit International

‘Anyone who thinks too much of the discussion about social impact is theoretical – READ THIS!’
Tris Lumley, Director of Development, New Philanthropy Capital & Co-chair G7 Social Impact Investment Taskforce

‘The story of how something happens is endlessly fascinating to restless change agents. In this important new book, readers have the opportunity to dive deep into a successful social enterprise and distil important lessons for a range of future impact investments.’
Susan Davis, President & CEO, BRAC USA

‘Anton Simanowitz and Katherine Knotts have made an important and practical contribution to the discussion about how social enterprise and inclusive business can be more client-centered and contribute the most to the battle to end global poverty by 2030. By rigorously focusing on the critical issues related to client-centricity in a microfinance institution that has been off the radar of many industry observers, they provide a fresh and practical guide that will shape theory and practice for years to come.’
Alex Counts, President, Grameen Foundation

‘Based on the journey of one remarkable institution, the authors of “The Business of Doing Good” suggest six lessons on how to align an entire organization behind its social value aspirations. These lessons are a worthwhile read for anyone interested in what organizations need to do to sustainably improve the well-being of poor families in the context of market-based development.’
Tilman Ehrbeck, CEO Consultative Group to Assist the Poor

‘Simanowitz and Knotts have produced a comprehensive and highly readable chronicle of AMK’s successful quest for growth combining financial viability with social relevance. It is not only an important document for microfinance sceptics as well as supporters but also for the growing numbers of people with an interest in social business; investments that support the lives of the under-privileged while generating acceptable returns for investors.’

Sanjay Sinha, Managing Director, Microcredit Ratings International (M-Cril)
About the publisher, Practical Action

Practical Action Publishing helps to build the skills and capabilities of researchers and practitioners involved in international development through the dissemination of knowledge in a variety of mediums, including books and peer reviewed journals. Over the past 40 years, as well a pursuing an independent publishing programme, we have collaborated with a number of international development organizations including UNDP, Care International, DFID, IFRC, Save the Children, Oxfam, UNICEF, FAO and many others.