A BETTER PLACE - GERMANY'S LARGEST ON-LINE DONATION PLATFORM
https://www.betterplace.org/c/about-us
This is "a platform which would give people the chance to present their work to a global audience and to find people who wanted to see what concrete difference their support was making.  The betterplace lab emerged alongside the betterplace.org platform. The betterplace lab researches where social and digital innovation meets, analysing trends in how people are changing the world and showcases inspiring examples of the internet and mobile phones improving lives."

ARTICLE: HYBRID MODEL FOR NON PROFITS NOT WORKING - 2010 ARTICLE
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/business/26hybrid.html?pagewanted=1
This New York Times article is worth reading for any on profit that thinks creating a business model is easy, or that it always works.

AURA'S HOUSE - POWER OF ONE PERSON TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
http://aurashouse.com/
From the web site: "Aura’s House is a grassroots online project that raises funds for housing, health, income generation, and education projects for needy children in developing countries.   It was originally created to raise $4500 to build a safe, sturdy brick home for Aura Hernandez and her family in Guatemala. Since our goal was met in November of 2004, we decided to launch other small projects that bring big changes to the lives of families in developing countries. Aura’s House At A Glance."

BENEFIT CHICAGO - LAUNCHED IN 2016 AIMS TO PROVIDE $100M IN SOCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENT IN CHICAGO REGION
https://benefitchicago.org/
From the web site: "Benefit Chicago is a new collaboration (of The Chicago Community Trust, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Calvert Foundation, that aims to mobilize $100 million in impact investments for nonprofits and social enterprises working throughout the Chicago region."  Visit the web site and read more.

BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITIONS - MENTOR CAPITAL NETWORK
https://mentorcapitalnet.org/home/entrepreneurs/
From the web site: "Our Sustainable Business Plan Collaboration supports the entrepreneurs behind mission driven, for-profit social enterprises, no matter where they are in the world. Over the years, we’ve supported over 950 ventures with over $6mm worth of intellectual “mentor” capital, giving entrepreneurial teams customized feedback on their business plans and access to a network of over 1,000 of the world’s best industry and regional experts who have given their time to support these startup teams. We seek to create and accelerate opportunities for these teams to make a serious, innovative, and scalable difference in the world."

CHICAGO BEYOND - AIMS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHICAGO’S YOUNG PEOPLE
https://chicagobeyond.org/whatwedo/
From the web site: "Chicago Beyond works in close partnership with the University of Chicago Urban Labs in its efforts  invests in innovative ideas and scale-able programs to amplify impact while addressing two urgent issues that are flip sides of the same coin –youth safety and educational attainment." 

CROWDFUNDING SITES - FORBES 2014 LIST
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chancebarnett/2014/08/29/crowdfunding-sites-in-2014/?sh=37e4eac31003
This is a 2014 list. There are probably additional crowdfunding platforms available now. If you're interested in crowdfunding this list offers some options. Browse the magazine web site for other stories on this topic.

FIRST ROUND - A KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR START-UPS AND ENTREPRENEURS
https://firstround.com/philosophy/
If you're starting a business, or even a non profit, you should get to know the First Round web site. It has draws upon an extensive web library to answer questions site users might have, and to organize events and services that support entrepreneurs. 

Note:  If the Tutor/Mentor Connection were starting over, and had capital and tech talent, it would look much like this First Round web site.

IMPACT INVESTING - AN NEW FORM OF PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT
https://www.lunarmobiscuit.com/philanthropy-is-another-form-of-investment/
For social entrepreneurs who have been seeking new forms of investment, "impact investments" from traditional foundations offers some hope. This article offers some understanding of this opportunity.

KIVA - LOANS THAT CHANGE LIVES
https://www.kiva.org/about
From the web site: "Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco, with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. We celebrate and support people looking to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities."

LEX MUNDI PRO BONO FOUNDATION - FREE LEGAL SERVICES FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
https://www.lexmundiprobono.org/#our-model
From the web site: "The Foundation’s mission is to engage Lex Mundi’s global network of leading independent law firms to support and empower those working to bring about high impact and sustainable social change that improves communities and lives. The Foundation achieves its mission through working with Lex Mundi lawyers to provide critical pro bono legal services to the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. Visit this link to learn how to apply for pro bono legal support. 

LIST OF CROWDFUNDING SITES - GOOGLE DOC
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1Qv2iT41vphfbd4p4zHj0f5nGzkHxlV-feRcWjKLdH-E/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&output=html
This is an extensive list of web sites that are platforms for raising money for social benefit organizations.  This has been in the Tutor/Mentor library since 2012 so I'm not certain that all the links are current.  

MAKING SENSE OF IMPACT INVESTING - HBR ARTICLE
https://hbr.org/2016/01/making-sense-of-the-many-kinds-of-impact-investing
This Harvard Business Review article addresses the fact that "not everyone agrees on what impact investing is".

SEARCHING FOR BETTER PRACTICES IN SOCIAL INVESTING - 2011 HBR ARTICLE
https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6696.html
From the web site: "Social change requires innovation, not just in organizational practices but in funding practices, as well. This was a key message at "Social Investing: Emerging Trends in a Changing Landscape," a recent panel discussion at Harvard Business School in which several professional philanthropists explored how best to support social change." Read the article. What's changed since this was written?

SHORT GUIDE TO IMPACT INVESTING (2015) - PDF
https://casefoundation.org/resource/short-guide-impact-investing/
This PDF on the CASE Foundation web site intends to provide a short introduction and guide to what impact investing is and how business can apply the strategy to influence social change.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) LEARNING CENTER
https://www.sba.gov/partners/lenders/7a-loan-program
From the web site: "Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American dream. The SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and voice for small businesses."

STEPS FOR FORMING LLC IN ILLINOIS
http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/forming-llc-illinois
Visit this site for steps in forming an Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) in Illinois.

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND
https://www.s3idf.org/
From the web site: "The Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF), Inc. is an international nonprofit organization that builds inclusive market systems to benefit poor and disadvantaged communities.

THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION - IMPACT INVESTING
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/search/?keyword=impact+investing&search=true
Click the link and you'll find a collection of articles on The Rockefeller Foundation website that show their support of Impact Investing.

TRENDS IN CROWDFUNDING-2013
https://venturebeat.com/2013/05/22/5-ways-the-booming-crowdsourcing-ecosystem-is-changing-in-2013/
From this article: "After surveying more than 350 active crowdfunding platforms, including IndieGoGo, CrowdCube, Symbid, and Gambitious (full site directory at crowdsourcing.org), and completing an in-depth analysis of market trends, research firm Massolution has identified five major crowdfunding developments for 2013 and beyond."   Since this is 2013 research, much has changed since then....or has it?

WHAT IS CROWDFUNDING?
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4134-what-is-crowdfunding.html
This is article on the Business News Daily website. It starts with "Crowdfunding is when businesses, organizations or individuals fund a project or venture with small donations from many people. Put simply, a "crowd" funds a project or business, rather than one or two major investors."  Visit the article link to read more.   If you search for "crowdfunding" on the site you'll find many additional articles on this topic.