It’s a classic non-profit problem: organizations find themselves bowing to the needs of their funders rather than their constituents. And of course, there is never enough funding. NESsT is taking an innovative and holistic approach that helps nonprofits increase their long-term viability and independence by generating some of their own resources through social enterprise.

In some ways NESsT is similar to Unitus – another Social Capitalist Awards favorite (NESsT was a finalist in 2006). Using a philanthropic investment fund NESsT provides financial and capacity-building support to a select portfolio of social enterprises owned and operated by civil society organizations in Central Europe and Latin America. NESsT works to develop techniques to generate revenues that diversify the financing base and further the mission of the parent nonprofit organization.

WaterHealth International (WHI) has recently attracted over $11 million in venture capital from investors including Dow Venture Capital, ICICI Bank, Plebys International LLC, and SAIL Venture Partners, L.P.. WHI provides innovative business solutions to one of the world's most desperate health crises, the lack of safe, clean and affordable water for the more than two billion people who have little or no access to it.

WHI has developed a model that incorporates an innovative, cost-effective technology designed for the poor, with a franchise model to streamline marketing and distribution and assure uniform water quality and service. The model can be customized to take into account the needs of rural and urban markets for low-cost safe water. WHI invests in health and hygiene education programs as part of its normal business practices to combat waterborne diseases in the communities it serves.

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