This site originally emerged as an idea to serve as a funding mechanism – a match.com, if you will – between venture funders and social entrepreneurs.  I had thought long and hard about the need for a simple platform connecting social entrepreneurs with funders.  One might consider it a Kiva.org for social entrepreneurs, with entrepreneurs putting small projects for which they require investment, and individuals (with pocketbooks large and small) donating or “lending” to these social entrepreneurs, with understanding that they would not be receiving a for-profit return on their investment.  In all honesty, I still believe that the concept can work.  That being said, there are multiple factors to remain in consideration, and my current passions do not revolve around that specific program.

Nevertheless, I remain intensely interested in engaging with the social entrepreneurship space – in terms of dialogue, in terms of offering my own ideas, and additionally in action.  As I write this, a recently-assembled team and I are in the process of incorporating a non-profit that will help connect charities with cause-oriented individuals interested in donating either time, money, or materials.  In our pitch, we called it a Match.com for charities and volunteers.  I will write about it in greater detail in forthcoming posts, but suffice to say we are very excited about moving forward with YouImpact.Us.

So!  Follow me on Twitter @socentex, and Friend me on Facebook (Auren Kaplan).  And find me on LinkedIn!  And I look forward to engaging you in discussion to move this movement forward.