A Matter of Hope

Hope is not in short supply; it is everywhere. Venture-philanthropy leader Jim Bildner shows what it takes to move beyond despair and into action.

In a world full of seemingly endless challenges, one human characteristic separates those who only see the world’s flaws from those who see its potential for change—and that characteristic is hope.

Drawing on two decades at Draper Richards Kaplan (DRK), one of the largest global venture-philanthropy foundations, and on the hard-won clarity that comes from profound personal loss, venture-philanthropy leader Jim Bildner provides a playbook on what it takes to turn hope into action, sharing inspiring stories of hope transforming lives and the ripple effect it can have on whole communities.

Grounded in real cases from hundreds of social enterprises reaching millions, Bildner weaves the psychology of optimism with intimate stories of individuals finding strength through vulnerability and lessons from social entrepreneurs changing the world.

A Matter of Hope offers a blueprint for anyone determined to make a dent in our toughest problems—poverty, food insecurity, access to health and mental health care, education, climate adaptation, justice, and more—by:

• Understanding the nature of the problem you are trying to solve.
• Analyzing the ecosystem and existing infrastructure.
• Defining your end game early so you don’t chase distractions.
• Developing your execution strategy: the right people, the right places, the right time.
• Knowing who needs to ultimately adopt your solution to embed or institutionalize it, and have a plan—and partners —to do that.

A Matter of Hope is written for social entrepreneurs, funders, impact investors, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders and their boards, business leaders driving change, incubators and impact accelerators, faculty, and anyone who wants to make a difference in the world, in their community, and in their lives.

Discover how one person’s decision to act can make a difference in another person’s life—and how that, scaled, can move systems.