By Elaine Gast Fawcett, on behalf of ASF

“The way we imagine the world will determine what we do.” —David Bornstein

What if we are closer to solving problems than we realize?

New York Times columnist and author David Bornstein believes that the solutions for the some of world’s biggest problems already exist. They may not be in your backyard, but they’re out there. It’s just a matter of finding them.

Bornstein addressed a roomful of leaders in philanthropy at Monday’s ASF 2012 National Conference plenary lunch. He spoke about the ways funders can find innovative solutions to major social problems by examining what works—and what doesn’t—around the globe.

“What if we could eradicate homelessness in three or four years? Change the foster care system so that 80, 90, even 100% of those kids came out fully functional? Or change schools so that children were kind instead of bullies?” he said. “We’re doing many of these things today. We have the solutions. It’s a blueprint—not a poem.” Continue reading →