This week’s government take over/bail out/acquisition of Fannie and Freddie Mac has prompted some very interesting conversations on all sides of government, business, and the non-profit sector – including how to balance the drive for profit with the desire to promote the social good. In addition to the questions of how Fannie and Freddie’s charitable giving will be affected by government intervention, others are contemplating on how future organizations (and the future Mac’s) will be able to achieve this balance. Politicians, business leaders, and charities are all speculating on how organizations will be able to meet their social goals and continue to maintain financial stability.
A quick round-up ~ both the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have commented on the effect this intervention will have on Fannie and Freddie’s social mission. Even more interesting are the commentaries by Peter Panepento and Sean Stannard-Stockton on how and whether this intervention changes our views on social enterprise and philanthrocapitalism. Regardless of where you land, the failure of this giant corporate philanthropist is a wake up for all sectors – and the discussions coming forth are necessary as future organizational structures, missions, and goals are concerns.
