Time is a Social Innovator’s Most Precious Resource: Why Are So Many Funders Wasting It?

Time is a Social Innovator’s Most Precious Resource

Many funders show a surprising disregard for social innovators' time. This inefficiency drains one of the most valuable resources in the social innovation ecosystem.

Over the past 25 years, I have sought philanthropic and investment capital and, for the last 15 years, provided grants and investments to innovators across Africa. Through this experience, I have observed both exemplary and poor practices in the funding world.

There’s one thing that continues to shock me: how wasteful some of the funding world is with the ecosystem’s time.

For social entrepreneurs and community innovators, time is their scarcest, most precious resource. These visionaries work tirelessly to find better, more accessible ways to meet fundamental needs—housing, education, healthcare, energy, and environmental protection. Yet, mounting global challenges often outpace the available talent and funding.

Driven by urgency and purpose, social innovators dedicate nearly every moment to designing and refining impactful solutions. Still, despite their relentless effort, their list of unfinished goals never truly shrinks. This constant struggle is not just a condition of their work—it defines the entrepreneurial mindset itself.

Author’s Summary

Funders often underestimate the cost of wasted time for social innovators, yet time is their rarest and most vital resource in driving real social change.

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nextbillion.net nextbillion.net — 2025-11-04

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