Wilco says: Musicians can be social entrepreneurs too

As is somewhat typical on the music scene, Wilco could have thrown a fit when they learned their latest album was leaked online prior to its release state, but instead, they responded with social entrepreneur savvy. They put a link to their 2009 album, called Wilco, and wrote: “We suggest you make a donation to one of the band’s favorite charities – Inspiration Corporation – an organization we’ve supported in the past and who are doing great work in the city of Chicago.”

Now, I’m no particular lover of Wilco, but after reading about their act of philanthropy in response to their album pre-release and looking into Inspiration Corporation, I’m definitely more open to saving them a spot on my iPod. Inspiration Corporation is an organization that was founded in 1989 with the mission to serve the poor and homeless population of Chicago. In its meager beginnings, Lisa Nigro paraded the streets with a little red wagon filled with coffee and bagels, but Inspiration Corporation quickly grew into an expansive operation that has now helped over 2,500 individuals and families over the years. A wagon became a traveling van cafe and with the help a little media attention, Lisa and her co-workers soon found themselves with their own building, which they dubbed the Inspiration Cafe.

Today, Inspiration Corporation boasts two cafes, open case management, a culinary job-training program, outside employment assistance, community voicemail services, housing provisions, and an engagement center that supplies social services, laundry, showers, bag lunches, and a warm and safe place to be. They remain committed to helping the homeless on their journey to self-sufficiency. With all the good work going on in the Windy City to be inspired by, it’s no wonder that Wilco music and lyrics are visibly influenced. Take a look at “Spiders: Kidsmoke” and “Via Chicago” for talk of their favorite city, but really, you should listen to them all. Social entrepreneurship is all about doing away with business as the bottom line and Wilco is the perfect parallel in that’s it’s not just about the music with them, it’s about the people too.

Inspiration Corporation offers a range of programs to assist the poor and homeless in achieving self-sufficiency.

• Organization Type: Non-Profit
• Website: http://inspirationcorp.org/index.html
• Founder(s): Lisa Nigro
• Founded: 1989
• Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
• See complete company list here