I was recently provided a beta test account for a voicemail service provided by GrandCentral (A startup communications company based in San Francisco that was recently acquired by Google.) I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they offer free accounts to homeless people who desperately need a phone number to arrange doctor appointments and job interviews through their program called Project C.A.R.E.

The irony to this program is that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is considering a $1.00 tax on all phone numbers to subsidize phone service for poor households. GrandCentral’s CEO argues that this tax would make his model “economically impossible”.

I think this is a great example of how for profit organizations can make a positive impact through their own products or services. So, the question I pose to you is, “What is your organization doing to make a similar positive impact?”

You can read more about GrandCentral’s Project C.A.R.E. on Time, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Project C.A.R.E. website.

Disclosure: At the time of the writing of this post, I have no financial relationships with any of the organizations mentioned.

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About the Author

Jonathan Chang received his MBA from Babson College and his BA from Columbia University. Jon is interested in new technologies which help individuals and organizations make a positive impact on society and the environment. He is also a proponent of long term thinking, supports the creation of renewable resources, and is an ardent advocate of social entrepreneurship. He is involved with and a member of Net Impact and the Commonwealth Club. (Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world. The Commonwealth Club is the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum which organizes events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.)