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Every day we engage with the some of the worlds leading social entrepreneurs and innovators through the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship community.

The community includes approximately 400 social entrepreneurs and innovators, operating in 190 countries, who have impacted the lives of 622 million people and counting by distributing loans and services, mitigating CO2, improving access to education and energy and driving social inclusion for people with disabilities, the homeless and refugees.

And now, in the COVID-19 pandemic, this community is responding in incredible ways, specifically to the needs of those who governments or the market are unable to account for: the excluded, marginalised and vulnerable populations.

However, the work has been seriously hindered due to the lack of adequate technical support, financial resources and access to partnerships during the crisis.

When we share the unique challenges these social innovators face, the most common question in response is, How can I help them?

Here are five ways to help the World Economic Forum social innovator community, right now and in turn, help the worlds most vulnerable get through the pandemic.

Human Nature is a for-profit business with three social goals: strengthening the Filipino economy, creating a new middle class from the poor and caring for the environment.

Human Nature has produced a truly Filipino brand by formulating and marketing personal and homecare products made with local and natural raw materials and free from harmful chemicals. To support farmers, the company works with community cooperatives and provides training, equipment and a market for high-value crops such as citronella, lemongrass, virgin coconut oil and coco nectar.

2. Improve access to water.

Water For People is a global non-profit working in nine countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia to develop sustainable water and sanitation services. COVID-19 has highlighted the need for easy access to water and sanitation services more than ever before, and yet more than half of the world does not have access to safe sanitation services.

Access to soap and water for handwashing is even more important in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image: WHO

3. Keep children reading and learning.

COVID-19 has created a global education crisis. More than 1.3 billion children and youth have been impacted by school closures. Distance learning is the best chance children and youth have to mitigate learning losses during this pandemic.

Worldreader uses low-cost technology, such as e-readers and mobile phones, to offer more than 42,000 digital books from over 400 publishers in 43 languages including Kiswahili, Hausa, Afrikaans and English contributing to local heritage and identity. Donate here.

Worldreader uses low-cost technology to provide books to children who need them.

Image: Worldreader

However, millions of children in low-income communities may not have the technological resources to access e-books. This where First Book can play a key role. A non-profit social enterprise, First Book uses market forces to address the systemic barriers to quality education for children in need. First Book provides access to new books and resources for kids who need them most, helping fuel a love of reading and learning. Every $3 donated = one new book (including the cost of shipping) to a child in need. Support them here.

4. Watch football to help the homeless.

Homeless World Cup, a social sports organization established specifically to tackle homelessness and poverty through football and street soccer worldwide, has lifted 1.2 million people out of homelessness and established 74 partner organizations around the globe.

During the pandemic, their work has become even more instrumental as homeless people are one of the groups at greatest risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19. Help Homeless World Cup by donating, fundraising and shopping, and tune in to the virtual Homeless World Cup on 5 July.

5. Text people to ensure their mental health and wellbeing.

Among many global health, economic and societal disruptions, the coronavirus has forced millions to physically isolate. Combine that with extensive news coverage on the pandemic and the unknown future, and it's no surprise anxiety is on the rise.

Crisis Text Line is a free 24/7 text hotline for people in crisis. The service is powered by volunteer crisis counsellors who work remotely, anywhere with a computer and secure internet connection. Crisis counsellors answer texts from people in crisis, calming them with active listening, collaborative problem solving and safety planning. Learn more about how to volunteer as a crisis counsellor, and read this expert guide on how to manage mental health and wellbeing.

Innovative social entrepreneurs are addressing the worlds most serious challenges ranging from illiteracy to girls education and disaster relief. To achieve maximum impact and start to address root causes, they need greater visibility, credibility, access to finance, favourable policy decisions, and in some cases a better understanding of global affairs.

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is supporting more than 350 late-stage social entrepreneurs. By providing an unparalleled global platform, the Foundations goal is to highlight and expand innovative models of social innovation. It helps strengthen and grow the field of social enterprise by showcasing best-in-class examples, models for replication and cutting-edge research on social innovation.

Our global network of experts, partner institutions, and World Economic Forum constituents and business members are invited to nominate outstanding social entrepreneurs. Get in touch to become a member or partner of the World Economic Forum.

Social innovators, disruptors in the service of others, are in need of your support more than ever before. For more information or to help our social innovator community, get in touch with the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

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Written by

Pavitra Raja, Community Specialist, Social Entrepreneurs - Europe and the Americas, World Economic Forum

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Read more:
5 ways to help during the coronavirus pandemic - World Economic Forum

MANILA, Philippines Only 104 of 1,632 local government units (LGUs) met the April 30 deadline for full payout of the P5,000 to P8,000 emergency cash subsidy for low-income families under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), meant to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

This was according to Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, citing a tally made on Wednesday.

Irene Dumlao, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) social marketing service officer-in-charge, said that of the 104 LGUs that completed the payout, only 10 were able to do a 100 percent liquidation of the SAP funds they had received from the DSWD and distributed to eligible families in their jurisdictions.

The 10 LGUs, Dumlao said, submitted liquidation data which included disbursement report, SAC (Social Amelioration Card) forms encoded in the Excel matrix we provided.

She identified the 10 LGUs as Adams, Ilocos Norte in Region 1; Pandi and San Miguel both in Bulacan in Region 3; Casiguran, Sorsogon; and San Vicente, Camarines Norte in the Bicol Region; Jordan, Guimaras; Buenavista, Guimaras; and EB Magalona, Negros Occidental in Region 6; and Sulop and Taragona both in Davao del Sur in Region 11.

Bautista earlier said he had decided to allow partial liquidation to facilitate the process of validation and prevent undue delays in the release of the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy funds for this month.

He stressed the DSWD is standing pat on its position against releasing funds for the second tranche until liquidation of funds distributed in the first tranche is completed.

He said he had allowed partial liquidation, or the submission of early liquidation reports by LGUs, so that the DSWD can start necessary validation. Validation checks, he pointed out, will take no more than 15 days.

Bautista said that as of April 29, the DSWD has distributed P80.8 billion of the SAP funds to 1,515 LGUs.

Overall, more than P50 billion from DSWD had been distributed among 9.4 million SAP beneficiaries in the first tranche, he said in Filipino.

Senior citizen rights advocate Romulo Macalintal said the government should consider clustering or grouping contiguous barangays in big or heavily populated LGUs to smoothen the distribution of SAP.

Barangays with small number of beneficiaries could be merged or grouped with other barangays which have not yet reached the maximum number of beneficiaries they could serve at a given time. Distribution of funds shall be properly scheduled per clustered barangay and should be with full adherence to health protocols versus COVID-19, Macalintal said.

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima said the Duterte administration should stop blaming pasaways or stubborn people who violate quarantine rules for its decision to extend the lockdown.

Dont use the people as your punching bag for your frustrations because of your blunders. Maybe youve forgotten that were going through this Calvary because of you, De Lima said in a statement written in Filipino.

You were the ones who brought in the Chinese Communist Party virus. You didnt act quickly. You belittled and joked about it. And now were all reeling from the COVID-19 and youre now violating human rights, she said.

You paint an image of unruly, disobedient and lawless citizens to justify your lust for martial law the reason some of our ECQ enforcers get the wrong message and see the situation more as a peace-and-order crisis than as a serious health concern, De Lima said.

A House panel, meanwhile, has proposed a recalibration in the implementation of the governments P200-billion SAP.

The Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC)s social amelioration cluster has sought changes in rules and procedures of SAP to be able to reach more beneficiaries in the implementation of the second phase of the program this month.

Panel chair and Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez presented the proposal to the DCC and DSWDs Bautista at a virtual hearing on the implementation of measures to address the crisis.

Gomez said the DSWD should set a uniform P5,000 cash subsidy for qualified families in the National Capital Region and provinces, as compared with the unequal distribution of P8,000 per family in NCR and P5,000 to P6,500 in provinces depending on minimum wage set per region.

This way, the lawmaker stressed that the second phase of SAP will reach over 20 million families as compared with the 18 million families targeted by the program under Republic Act 11469 (Bayanihan to Heal as One Law).

There is enough money for 20 million families and we can also simplify the process, stressed Gomez, also chair of the House committee on disaster management.

The cluster suggested to the DSWD to continue direct distribution of the cash aid among four million beneficiaries of the governments Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), just like in the first phase of SAP.

For the other 16 million poor families not covered by 4Ps, Gomez said the barangays will be required to come up with lists of families living below the 85th income percentile in their respective constituencies to be collated by the local and provincial governments and then submitted to DSWD.

She said their computation showed that around 16 million families are below the threshold.

She said the DSWD may then distribute the cash aid to families in the list, requiring only the ID of the head of the family, signed receipt and photo of recipient.

At the same hearing, Bautista reported to lawmakers that a total of 10,135,634 families have already received cash aid under the SAP.

This represents only about 55 percent of the 18 million target beneficiaries of the program, which was intended to provide financial assistance to poor families while the ECQ is in effect.

The DSWD chief further bared that over P53.8 billion of the P100-billion budget for the first phase of SAP had been distributed to beneficiaries.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases had originally required LGUs to complete the distribution of the first phase of SAP by April 30, but extended the deadline by a week due to challenges in populous localities.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it is nearing completion of its two programs aimed at providing financial aid to affected workers Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and COVID-19 Adjustment Measure Program (CAMP).

DOLE revealed to lawmakers at the same hearing that over P993 million or 87 percent of the P1.146-billion fund for TUPAD had been distributed among 313,700 beneficiaries.

On the other hand, P2.6 billion of the P3.25 billion or 80 percent of CAMP funds had been delivered to 522,855 beneficiaries. - Edu Punay, Paolo Romero

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Only 104 of 1,632 LGUs have completed SAP payout - Philstar.com

With messaging use on the rise during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Facebook now appears to be looking for more ways to prompt direct engagement between users.

Along with a new 'DM Me' sticker for Instagram Stories, which would enable users to message a Story creator with a tap on the sticker, Facebook is also working on a 'Hit Me Up' sticker for Facebook Stories, which would provide the same functionality, just with a different look (and on a different app, of course).

As you can see in this example, shared by reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong, the new 'hit Me Up' sticker would enable Facebook Stories users to prompt a quick DM response via the sticker, which could help to facilitate more intimate engagement, which, as noted, would align with the rising use of Stories and messaging, particularly during the lockdowns.

Indeed, according to Facebook,messaging activity across both WhatsApp and Messenger has increased some 50% on normal levels over the last few months. Without the capacity to connect in real life, people are looking to direct connection options to stay in touch, and a new prompt within Stories to further facilitate such engagement could be a good way to generate increased conversation, and give people more ways to stay connected while apart.

That's likely the main impetus here - seeing the increases in messaging, it may well be that more people are looking to have more message interactions, but they need to know who else might be interested in the same. By adding a simple prompt within your story, highlighting that you're interested in chatting, it could spark new message interactions, and help to relieve some of the loneliness of the social isolation period.

But of course, it could also lead to problems. As we noted on the Instagram 'DM Me' option, while people might want to get more private messages in response to their Stories, it could also open the door to more unsolicited attachments and the like, which has become a problematic element, particularly for younger users. Users would, however, still be able to limit who sees their Stories, and block unwanted responders, but broadening your call for more messages could be problematic in some cases.

Still, it makes sense, and the numbers would suggest it could be a good option.

Given the current focus on direct engagement tools, it seems likely that we'll see these options roll out sooner, rather than later. And from a brand and marketing perspective, that could also mean that you'll soon have another CTA prompt to help advance connection with potential clients.

Follow this link:
Facebook's Testing a 'Hit Me Up' Sticker to Prompt Message Interaction from Stories - Social Media Today

There are as many different ways of seeing data (and visualizing the bigger picture) as there are functions and roles in the modern enterprise.

Data underpins every business function, at every level, from a high-end business strategists statistical analysis tools, down to the telemetry flowing in real-time from an exploratory drilling rig thousands of miles out in the ocean.

Identifying and unifying data is a massive challenge, but it is a specialty area for a new breed of data-first, empowered vendors, who come to the table with highly advanced and focused business tools for all things big data.

For enterprises, the best choice in this field is undoubtedly TIBCO, in the opinion of Tech Wire Asias editors. The companys portfolio of business-centric tools gives immediate access to all data and helps stakeholders develop actionable insights to take appropriate action.

TIBCO believes that organizations innovate, collaborate, and grow when they tap the power of their data, which is the transformative energy of the modern enterprise. By unlocking the power of real-time data, TIBCO is able to seamlessly connect any application, device, or data source; intelligently unify data for better access, trust, and control; and confidently predict with real-time data-driven intelligence.

Users can easily search through data available in real-time, including streaming data, and select what is needed from a virtualized directory. From there, it is a simple matter of deploying favored analysis tools to get results.

Simple outcomes are a result of the TIBCO platform removing the tediousness of manual data processing and wrangling.

With big data specialist platforms and distributed computing tech like Apache Hadoop and Spark under the hood, collaboration across the enterprise is possible, without necessarily needing the granular involvement of data science specialists at every stage. That increases efficiency from IT teams, who no longer need to configure clusters of compute and storage lakes, to data analysts who have much of the heavy-lifting done by TIBCO.

By connecting the different and discrete data sources and streams that make up the new resources in the enterprise ecosystem, TIBCO solutions create a closed loop that allows a process of continuous improvement and refinement of analytics and information.

That means decisions are taken more efficiently, with quantifiable information and empirical data available in real-time. The speed of data collation, normalization, and processing mean that no decision need ever be based on historical data that is weeks or months old.

Global carrier expert CargoSmart reported improvements daily, with better outcomes in all business areas:

We are also able to quickly fine-tune our system, making us more responsive to customer needs. Before TIBCO, it took us about two weeks to do a release cycle. Now with the platform enabled, we do daily releases, said Ralph Ho, senior manager in customer integration for CargoSmart.

The high throughput and low cost to scale, as well as the time-to-market, helped us increase the number of vessels we monitor by four times over the past year and a half.

We built an application, and the market has recognized our success. We will continue to leverage big data analytics for decision-making and to create business opportunities, he explained.

Source: Tibco

The capabilities offered by TIBCO Spotfire can, for instance, help push data streams for real-time analysis. Whether those streams emanate from IIoT or IoT devices at different ends of the enterprise (or corners of the globe), or from partner platforms running digital and social marketing campaigns, the TIBCO solution delivers.

With TIBCO, you can reimagine what analysis can do to data that is almost out of date the moment it is captured. With TIBCOs machine learning-based capabilities, trends and insights inherent in data be unearthed and put to practical use in the business.

As an oil and gas exploration and production company, Hunt Oil needed a faster solution for extracting information from vendor-supplied applications to gain applicable insights.

We are combining sets of data in ways we were never able to do in the past, leveraging data from our reporting and engineering databases. With TIBCO, we take data from the server and turn it into an asset that is going to make a difference, said Brian Alleman, a senior drilling engineer.

Using TIBCOs data streams and messaging solutions, Hunt Oil is able to provide a single, real-time view of analyses and enjoy the benefits of time- and cost-saving, query-the-future insights. The sooner the company gets the data it needs, the faster it can react, saving time and money in the process.

Data has transformed the way Hunt Oil does business. The company uses TIBCOs Spotfire Data Streams software to query the future for conditions that could lead to failure, enabling the team to evaluate and act before its too late.

To join Hunt Oil and hundreds of different companies in multiple verticals in your own data-led journey, get in touch with a TIBCO representative near you today.

Read more from the original source:
Unearthing value from the archives, and the data streams, with insight from TIBCO - Tech Wire Asia

The COVID-19 lockdowns around the world are causing major economic impacts, but one key benefit that we have in modern society, that hasn't been available in pandemics of the past, is the internet, and increased connectivity, which has enabled many businesses to continue operation despite not being able to open their physical stores.

And while the human impact of the crisis cannot be overstated, for those that are able, minimizing the economic impact through the available means could be the difference between staying afloat or going under, and suffering massive financial burden as a result.

To help with this, the team from Grazitti Interactive have put together a listing of key digital marketing trends worth focusing on amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, which could help to maximize response, and subsequent sales performance.

You can check out Grazittit's full listing of trend notes and tips in the below infographic.

Originally posted here:
5 Digital Marketing Trends to Focus On During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Infographic] - Social Media Today