Global innovation fund launched by international community

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and UK Department for International Development (DFID) are co-hosting "Innovating for Impact: The MDGs and Beyond" in partnership with the Governments of Australia and Sweden and the Omidyar Network. The event will mark the launch of a new Global Innovation Fund to provide grants and risk capital to social ventures.

International homeless charity switches to social enterprise model

Homeless International rebrands itself as a social enterprise, changing its name to Reall (Real equity for all). The organisation provides finance to build homes in Africa and Asia.

Laura Mvula adds star quality to UK arts charity

The National Foundation for Youth Music has announced that singer Laura Mvula has become an Ambassador for the charity. Youth Music supports almost 400 music projects around the UK – providing life-changing music-making opportunities for over 90,000 children and young people every year.

Laura Mvula at Glastonbury 2013. Photo credit: Flickr

Applicants sought for 'nicest job in Britain'

Utility Aid are inviting UK charities to be involved in an initiative that will give one person a year-long paid job to provide free support to 45 selected charities and not-for-profit organisations next year. The 'nicest job in Britain' is a full-time, paid position that has been created to encourage people and businesses to 'do more good'. 

World's population to hit 12 billion by 2100

A new study published in the magazine Science predicts that the world's population could reach 12 billion by 2100. This figure is over a billion higher than recent predictions made by the United Nations recently. The new research has been conducted by statistician and sociologist Adrian Raftery of the University of Washington and 13 other leading scientists.

Social entrepreneurs are a priority in the Philippines 

The Ateneo de Manila University is inviting all social entrepreneurs in the Philippines to join the “Social Entrepreneurship Venture Day Manila 2014” – a social business plan competition that addresses specific social problems and can generate defined social impacts.

Ethical bank loan rehomes UK homeless charity

First Stop Darlington – which was founded in 1998 and which works to end homelessness in the Northeast of England - has used a Charity Bank loan to help to buy a new property to reduce rent and utility costs. The charity funded the £50,000 deposit for its new building from grants from Northern Rock Foundation, Garfield Weston and reserves, and borrowed the remaining £105,000 it needed from the Bank. 

Header photo credit: Unsplash