Working in non-profitable markets: The 50/50 Model

In this post I would like to draw a link to the article: A Social Solution without going non-profit. The article mentions a noteworthy distinction between profitable and non-profitable markets. I embrace the idea that if there is a possibility to transform a social need into a profitable business, without compromising the need, than this should be done. But in this post, I would like to focus on the non-profitable needs, such as humanitarian aid, child education and other services that cannot be paid for by individuals: either because the service is indivisable or because those in need are not the ones that have money for that service.

With that focus in your mind, I would like to introduce a new idea, a new concept for NGOs providing non-profitable needs: the Fifty-Fifty Model.
The idea in brief: Fifty percent of the time is spend in private business market with the main concern of making money. The other fifty percent is spend pro bono for the NGO. This means it extends the 'regular' corporate responsibility.
The advantage: Having the smartest people on the earth working on the biggest problems and paying for the expenses of the entire NGO.
How is this possible? Capability synergies and less luxury.

Some background on the idea:
The last months, I have been talking with a lot of people about their future jobs. What are they going to do? What do they like? Although they all had very different ideas, I noticed two similarities: They want to work hard, in an ambitious, professional environment. But just making money somehow feels.. empty..

Now think about this: suppose we could find a group of one hundred ambitious, smart, idealistic people who share the ideas stated above. If they could work in regular jobs for half of their time, charging $100 per hour, then they would generate around 75000 euros a year (if they also spend half of their time looking for work, which is common in consultancy for example). The other half of their time (how about 5 months a year) they could do the same analytical jobs, but this time for non-profitable problems all across the world. And I don't mean taking 5 months of and start digging wells. I mean doing the same intellectual work, but this time for a different, social cause.

One might ask: and how do they generate the same income as other hardworking people then? Well, they don't. The idea is that happiness does not reside in consumer goods. So these people would get paid less than their counterparts in purely money driven businesses. Maybe a smaller car instead of a new audi. Or a cheaper hotel instead of the Ritz at prime locations. This makes it possible for people to work on problems they really like, in a setting they like, and doing it right away, instead of first making a lot of money and then just giving it back.
The second advantage of this idea is that the largest part of our costs come from a couple of things: salaries, office space and IT equipment. If you have to have that anyway for your private business, that means that it could be basically free for the part of the time you use it for NGO purposes.

Now I hope this was at least a little thought-provoking. So ask yourself:
1. Do you believe that this model could work? What are the Pros and Cons?
2. Is it any different from what there is out there right now?
3. Which private markets could be fit for this model? Which markets would not? Why?
4. Would you be willing to do this? What would be your bottom line of less luxury?

PS: Here is a link to a TED video, which I think is based on a similar idea but then focused on architecture. Do you agree with his line of thought and could be applied to work in the same way?