Making a difference is a core value of khosla ventures and we have pledged some of any investment proceeds to achieving this difference. In particular, Vinod will donate 100% of his general partner profit from khosla ventures to these and other similar causes. Some of our "social impact" interests also make for great businesses, such as alternative energy, or can at least be viable businesses ("no loss" self sustaining businesses that don't need continued outside support, they are impact maximizers instead of being profit maximizers) even if profit is not the primary goal, such as microfinance and affordable housing.

Some of the organizations we support are below. Some of these are traditional non-profit efforts. Others are "for profit" organizations. When we "invest" in ventures with these partners, we will put the equity in a non-profit trust to achieve social impact

• Microfinance - SKS, SHARE, ASA, CFTS, Jamii Bora Grameen USA, Unitus - with a goal to provide credit to over 25 million "below poverty line" borrowers. See also An Anti-Poverty Success Story; Video
• Environment - GE Ecomagination Advisory Council, Chairman of India Advisory Board of the Cleantech Network
• Education - Indian School of Business - a world class school of business, DonorsChoose.org - teachers ask for private funding on thousands of projects
• Health - Public Health Institutes of India, UNICEF
• Affordable housing - Global Home - goaled to build a $5000 home!
• ...others including eBay Giving Works - a marketplace for compassionate commerce supporting 9,000 charities

"...he's obsessed by a crusade as grandiose as any he's ever pursued: ending America's dependence on foreign oil. "I think we have a replacement for oil today," he says. "It's cheaper, cleaner, it doesn't require a change of infrastructure, and it appeals to most of the lobbies. What is this platform? It's ethanol."
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