Thoroughly Modern Do-Gooders

Highly regarded New York Times editorial writer, David Brooks, devoted his column today to America Forward and the great work of social entrepreneurs. In praising social entrepreneurs, he says, “Earlier generations of benefactors thought that social service should be like sainthood or socialism. But this one thinks it should be like venture capital. These thoroughly modern do-gooders dress like venture capitalists. They talk like them. They even think like them. That means that aside from the occasional passion for heirloom vegetables, they are not particularly crunchy. They don’t wear ponytails, tattoos or Birkenstocks. They don’t devote any energy to countercultural personal style, unless you consider excessive niceness a subversive fashion statement. Next to them, Barack Obama looks like Abbie Hoffman.” He calls social entrepreneurs “some of the smartest and most creative people in the country” and highlights J.B. Schramm and Gerald Chertavian as examples. He ends his column by saying, “Even if we don’t know how to reduce poverty, it’s probably worth investing in these people and letting them figure it out.” For the full column, click here.