+ 16.09.2010 + This third book by Professor Yunus, following Banker to the Poor and Creating a World Without Poverty, is dedicated solely towards the concept of social business, its implementation, and its maintenance.

Social business is an innovative business model which promotes the idea of doing business in order to address a social problem, and not to maximize profit. As the title suggests, this complement to traditional capitalism truly can serve humanity’s most pressing needs, especially poverty. Each and every social business creates employment, good working conditions, and of course, addresses a specific social ill such as lack of education, healthcare, and good nutrition.

In simple terms, a social business is a non-loss, non-dividend company dedicated entirely to achieve a social goal.  In social business, the investor gets his investment money back over time, but never receives dividend beyond that amount. The Grameen Bank is a prime example of social business, with the Grameen borrowers themselves being its shareholders!

Building Social Business consists of case studies, anecdotes, and solid advice from Professor Yunus himself. This “Social Business Manual” is a must read for anyone who wants to use his or her creativity to make a positive impact in their neighborhood, town, country, and world.

Table of Contents

Introduction Social Business---From Dream to Reality

1 Why Social Business? 1

2 Growing Pains 33

Lessons in Adaptation and Change from the Story of Grameen Danone

3 Launching a Social Business 57

4 To Cure One Child 95

A Case of Social Business in Healthcare

5 Legal and Financial Frameworks for Social Business 111

6 Grameen Veolia Water 133

A Social R&D Project for Addressing the World Water Crisis

7 Creating a Global Infrastructure for Social Business 153

8 Glimpses of Tomorrow 173

More Social Businesses Are on the Way

9 The End of Poverty 195

The Time is Here 195

Index 207

Grameen Bank 2010