The Dancing Deer Baking Company, a natural foods company that funnels 35 percent of the retail price of a line of cakes and cookies to fund programs to move families out of homelessness and into stable lives, was awarded the Innovator Award in corporate philanthropy by the Boston Business Journal.  Beyond cash donations, the woman-owned business also donates thousands of cookies to nonprofits throughout New England.

In an article titled "9/11's Grim Toll on Health Continues," Forbes reports that many New Yorkers "carry grim reminders of that day in their minds, hearts, and even their lungs" -- and that health problems related to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are expected to grow.  Many workers on the Ground Zero site still suffer from a respiratory condition that's being called "World Trade Center Cough."  And many children in Lower Manhattan have been born early and underweight.  Experts are continuing to study both the physical and emotional impact of Sept. 11.

The Washington Post reports that the five-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, has given Americans "a rare slice of common ground," as evidenced by numerous events that took place over the weekend in the nation's capital.  The activities included a "Gandhi-style Unity Walk," in which several hundred people of different faiths walked from a Northwest Washington synagogue to downtown, stopping at an Islamic Center of Washington along the way.  One participant was quoted as saying, "There's too much conflict between Christians and Jews, Christians and Muslims, Muslims and Jews. It's time for all religious groups to put aside the petty differences and unite for peace."  Read more.

California high school student Arthur Gallanter is a typical 17-year-old in many ways, except for the organization he started to donate and deliver his classmates' old computers to an international school in Nigeria.  The San Francisco Chronicle profiles this young philanthropist and the Global Technology Exchange Foundation project he founded, which has brought more than 20 laptops to a school 11,000 miles away from his home.  

An article from the Guardian examines the growth of social enterprise in the UK and its support by political parties.  In a country where all social services - including health care - are provided by the government, the culture of social entrepreneurship is very different.  Can businesses replace to government to provide critical public services? Should they?

Net Impact has released a guide for people considering applying to a graduate business school who want to learn what current students have to say about how their programs address social and environmental issues.  Called "Business as UNusual," the guide helps potential applicants decide if an MBA is right for them, and also profiles schools to provide an overview of each school's curriculum, student activities, career services, and reasons to attend.

A post by Robert Katz on worldchanging.com explores "minipreneurs," touted by Trendwatchers as an emerging consumer trend.  Katz argues that in fact, minipreneurs, or entrepreneurs starting small-scale business operations, have been taking out loans from microfinance institutions in the developing world for decades.  These minpreneurs help increase the prosperity of their economies, as well as improve needed social services in the process.

For the second year in a row, The Washington Monthly has ranked the nation's colleges and universities in a way that the usual "elite" schools aren't necessarily on top.  Instead of basing the ranking on academic strength and alumni donation rates, the magazine looks at the schools' emphasis of "social giving" factors -- volunteer service, social mobility, and spending on scientific research.  To compile its figures, the magazine looked at the percentage of students who enlisted in the Army and Navy Reserves and the Peace Corps; the percentage of spending on research, especially in science and technology; and the awarding of Pell Grants compared with graduation rates.  See who made the list.

Concerns about the increasing cost of health care are ever-present.  As this New York Times article explains, the growing percentage of GDP that the United States spends on health care (currently 16 percent, expected to rise with the aging population) is significant.  The concern is not so much the total cost of health care, but where the money is being spent, and whether the return is worth the cost.

Irish businessman John O'Shea won an award for his entrepreneurship in the private sector, but his work now touches the lives of thousands of individuals struggling in poverty in Malawi. Inspired by visits to East Africa, O'Shea enlisted fellow winners of the 2005 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Awards to challenge themselves by getting involved in a social enterprise.  A year later, he has created the Heart of Africa brand, which allows African suppliers a route to the Irish market.  Read the article from The Times in the UK.

The Starbucks Foundation is offering grants for programs that mobilize 6- to 18-year-olds, and integrate literacy with personal and civic action.  The foundation is especially interested in nonprofits in the U.S. and Canada that work across disciplines; reflect partnerships between formal and informal education systems; bring the voices of youth into communities; and provide opportunities for Starbucks employees to get engaged in the mission of the applying organization.  Grant awards will range from $5,000 to $20,000, depending on the program and its impact on the lives of young people. The deadline to apply is Sept. 1, 2006.  For more information, visit http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/grantinfo.asp.

A new federal law intends to make it easier for people to make charitable contributions, while reducing tax fraud by donors and nonprofits.  As the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports, the law -- which allows individuals age 70 ½ and over to make an annual tax-free withdrawal of up to $100,000 from their retirement account to give to charity -- is good news to many nonprofit officials, who believe it will significantly increase donations. The legislation also includes provisions to ensure that nonprofit organizations are spending and reporting funds appropriately, which may build donor confidence about how their donations are being used.

Follow Alicia Polak's journey from Wall Street to the Khayelitsha Cookie Company in the shantytowns of Capetown, South Africa.  Polak's adventure was less about chocolate chips and more about creating opportunity through a unique social enterprise.  Her personal quest is an example to those seeking to make change beyond providing charity.

Demonstrating the importance and difficulty of building interfaith cooperation, the Canadian Jewish News reports on the most recent Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish Understanding held in Toronto, led by Daniel Pearl and Akbar Ahmed, a Case Foundation senior fellow.  Last year's dialogue created some conflict among both Muslims and Jews, but as one of the organizers said, "In the nature of the dialogue, we were determined to continue because that is what dialogue is all about."  Ahmed, who recently returned from a trip to 10 Muslim countries, said he was struck by the level of anti-Americanism. "How do you deal with this wall of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism?" he asked.  "You cannot pretend it doesn't exist. Dialogue leads to understanding of the nuances in our different faiths, and that, in turn, leads to friendship. When you have friendship, everything changes. We talk about Israel and the Palestinians. The reason it is going nowhere is because these two [sides] are talking to each other not as friends? but as enemies." Ahmed and Pearl are finalists for the Purpose Prize, a new award that recognizes people over the age of 60 who are finding innovative ways to tackle important social issues.

Viewers of the evening news are used to near-daily scare stories warning about the latest health danger that you should worry about.  In an effort to dispel health fears from health facts, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is publishing a free quarterly magazine, MedLine Plus, to help people sift through the "clutter of competing claims."  And you won't have to flip through those ads for pharmaceuticals, either: The publication has no advertisements.

Nearly half the workers in the federal government will be eligible to retire in the next few years, but only 3 percent of the federal workforce is younger than 25.  The Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan nonprofit, is working to encourage more people - both recent college graduates and mid-career professionals - to consider working for Uncle Sam.  As reported in Newsday, the government provides a wide variety of job opportunities that have reasonable hours, early retirement possibilities, a pension, and the chance to make a difference.

The top magazine and website for teens are teaming up to promote volunteering.  Seventeen magazine and MySpace.com have launched 17 Mission, beginning with a contest in which they are asking young people to create and submit 15- to 30-second videos about causes they're passionate about.  The three most creative and inspiring videos will be posted on seventeen.com, where readers will vote for the best PSA.  You can enter at Seventeen's MySpace page.  The deadline for submissions is August 15.  

In an article about the contest in the Washington Post, Michael Wood, vice president of market research firm Teenage Research Unlimited, explains why today's teens are sometimes called "armchair activists."  "They are interested in community service as long as it's served up to them on a silver platter."  In a recent survey, 63 percent of teen said they care about others and want to improve the world, but only 25 percent said they volunteer.  "They're not as passive as that might suggest, but they lack an easy opportunity to get involved," Wood said. "They're still teenagers, and they don't want to work too hard to get involved."

Despite good harvests this year, millions in Africa will not have enough food due in part to the effects of HIV/AIDS, according to the UN's World Food Programme.  "It is great news that the region will have a reprieve from the major food deficits seen over the last few years," said WFP executive director James Morris, who is also the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy. But as long as HIV/AIDS remains at such epic proportions throughout southern Africa, a large number of people will face severe hardship unless international assistance is provided. Good harvests do not necessarily mean people have enough to eat."

"An emerging consensus on solutions, combined with fresh scrutiny and a windfall of new financing, are prompting major donors to revamp years of failed efforts to stem malaria's mortal toll," according to an article in the New York Times.  More than 800,000 African children die every year due to malaria, even though there's are affordable cures, mosquito nets, and insecticides available.  The World Health Organization has a new director of its malaria program, Dr. Arata Kochi, who was recently interviewed by the Global Health Council.