Latest thinking

The next American Revolution?

Blog

21 Aug 2014

Jonathan Schifferes

When we look back on the final years of Obama’s 8-year presidency, it will appear obvious that America’s political landscape was in revolution. There is rising anger at injustice and inequality, covering a range of concerns including labour market regulation, policing, housing affordability and social mobility. But the US Federal Government is close to impotent in its ability to deliver the changes citizens are demanding.

How networks help us create

Blog

14 Aug 2014

Jonathan Schifferes

This is a guest blog by Channelling Talent co-author Siobhan McAndrew.

The money to create

Blog

13 Aug 2014

Jonathan Schifferes

We’ve talked a lot this year about the power to create. The RSA is focusing its efforts on unleashing the creative powers of all citizens to shape their own lives and society around them. One of the most obvious creative expressions is art. Artists at their best can show us something of who we are, honing our ability to make critical, aesthetic and moral judgements about the world around us. In our increasingly image-saturated information society these skills are invaluable. But what about the money to live on in order to create? Expressing your creativity is rarely a profitable career path.

How crowdfunding can help launch social ventures - what we've learned so far

Blog

08 Aug 2014

Last autumn the RSA launched new support to help RSA Fellows prepare and publicise crowdfunding campaigns - where people set a funding target and try to raise that money from lots of people. I recently gathered together a large group of people to feedback on our review of the first half a year of this support and see how it is relevant for different organisations.

The Big Idea: Is this the age of no retirement?

Blog

28 Jul 2014

This is a guest blog from Jonathan Collie FRSA who recently set up Trading Times to remodel our opportunities for retirement in the 21st century. Find out about his latest project 'The Age of the No Retirement', which is looking for crowdfunding support to make it a reality.

Developing Socially Productive Places

Blog

22 Jul 2014

Jonathan Schifferes

Today we publish Developing Socially Productive Places, which explores the relationship between the physical and social aspects of community-building and place-making. 

The Big Idea: a youth opera mixing up science and identity

Blog

14 Jul 2014

This is a guest blog from Laura Drane FRSA who is crowdfunding for her idea, Pandora's Locker, which uses opera and art production to educate young people in science, identity and self-expression.  

Social Enterprise: What’s love got to do with it?

Blog

09 Jul 2014

This is a guest blog from Steve Coles FRSA, social enterprise expert and Fellowship Councillor who recently led us on a journey of love at one of our regular Social Entrepreneurs Network breakfast meetings.

Will investment bankers save the world?

Blog

13 May 2014

Rowan Conway

Last night I had dinner with some enlightened bankers. They were once of the traditional city elite – all confidence and billion dollar portfolios – until personal epiphanies (somewhere between the financial crisis and now) led them to turn their talents towards investing for social good.   Armed with the self-belief that is hard wired into the investment banker’s DNA - and the explicit goal of becoming the leading asset management company in the UK social investment market – they launched Social and Sustainable Capital, a bold new social investment fund, and set off in search of the pool of talent that could save the world.