Articles & Reports
Social Entrepreneurship:
Where Business and Social Action Meet
by C.J. Hayden
There's a quiet revolution going on in the world of business. A 2005 survey by the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce reported that 81% of business executives believe that "corporate citizenship" should be a
priority, and 75% report their businesses are actively involved in bettering their communities. In
a 2006 survey of MBA students by Net Impact, 81% thought businesses should work toward the
betterment of society. Read more
If You Can't Make a Living, How Can You Make a Difference?
by C.J. Hayden
...not all of us who set out to help others through our businesses succeed at it. In
fact, many of the best-intentioned professionals fail at building a sustainable business or private
practice. It seems that the skills and mindset of helping others don't always match those needed to
build a profitable business. Read more
Not Exactly Business As Usual
by C.J. Hayden
When a tragedy strikes, I hear people asking many things, of themselves and others. "How can I help?" is one
common question. "What will this economic downturn mean for my business?" is another. I also hear
people asking, "Is what I am doing really meaningful? After all, if I don't know that I'll be alive
tomorrow, is this work where I truly want so many of my waking hours to be spent?" Read more
You Can't Learn to Fish Without Water:
Building a Culture that Supports Women Entrepreneurs
by C.J. Hayden
Supporting entrepreneurship in the developing world has long been considered one of the best
approaches to "teach people to fish" and build sustainable local economies. In recent years,
studies by the United Nations, World Bank, and others have shown that women entrepreneurs are more
likely to contribute to community development than men, and are therefore better candidates for
support programs. Read more
Business Ethics Resource Guide (PDF)
by Shel Horowitz
This 17-page resource guide is excerpted from Shel's book
Principled
Profit: Marketing that Puts People First. It summarizes books, magazines, web sites, and organizations that support business
ethics and ethical marketing. Read more
Books & Multimedia
Enterprising
Nonprofits: A Toolkit for Social Entrepreneurs by J. Gregory Dees, Jed Emerson, and Peter
Economy
A hands-on guide to social enterprise in the nonprofit sector, filled with real life examples and step-by-step
directions.
The
Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through Profits by C.K.
Prahalad
Studies how to profitably serve the world's poorest people and help them escape from poverty.
Includes a video of 12 case studies.
How to
Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein
Profiles nine champions of social change who developed innovative ways to address
needs they saw around them.
Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship by C.J. Hayden
Audio workshop on CD or MP3 that covers the basics of social entrepreneurship ventures: what are
they, who is launching them, what business models do they use, and where do they obtain funding.
The New Heroes hosted by
Robert Redford
PBS miniseries on social entrepreneurship, available on DVD. Visit the site for stories and slide
shows about social entrepreneurs around the world.
The
Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World
by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan
Successful business models for social entrepreneurship, including case studies of for-profit and
nonprofit social ventures.
Social
Entrepreneurship: The Art of Mission-Based Venture Development by Peter C. Brinckerhoff
Essential steps for nonprofit business development, including case studies and sample business plans.
Strategic Tools for Social
Entrepreneurs by J. Gregory Dees, Jed Emerson, and Peter Economy
Provides a complete set of tools for enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit.
Venture
Forth! The Essential Guide to Starting a Moneymaking Business in Your Nonprofit Organization
by Rolfe Larson
How to find, test, and launch a successful nonprofit business venture.
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Social Entrepreneurship Glossary
Right livelihood - Meaningful work, consciously chosen, performed with full
awareness and care, causing harm to no one, and leading to one's enlightenment. The term originates
in Buddhist teachings, where right livelihood is one of the steps of ethical conduct on the Noble
Eightfold Path, leading to the end of suffering for all beings.
Social business - For-profit business established for the primary purpose of
fulfilling a social mission. Also called a not-just-for-profit (NJFP) business or social sector
business, it pursues a double bottom line, seeking both financial and social returns.
Social enterprise - A nonprofit organization that earns a substantial portion of its income
from selling products and services. Either its profits are
used to further a social cause (e.g., a thrift store that finances an animal welfare group),
or the enterprise achieves its social purpose directly through its operations (e.g., a
restaurant that employs at-risk youth to teach them job skills).
Social entrepreneurship - Taking action to address social problems by
using an entrepreneurial approach. Social entrepreneurs build social businesses aimed at
solving societal problems, use their entrepreneurial skills to direct nonprofits that use innovative
business models, employ their professional skills and training to work with people in need, or
serve as full-time advocates for social change.
Resources for Social Entrepreneurs
Acumen Fund - Venture
capital fund that invests in social entrepreneurs, including both nonprofit and for-profit
initiatives. Acumen's focus is on projects that aid the "bottom-of-the-pyramid" poor.
Ashoka - Ashoka
identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs with ideas for change in their communities,
supporting the individual, idea and institution through all phases of their career.
Echoing Green -
Provides seed funding and support to social entrepreneurs with bold ideas for social change. Offers
a two-year fellowship program and provides hands-on support.
Fair Trade Certified - Fair Trade is a
market-based approach to supporting sustainable development. The Fair Trade Certified label guarantees
a fair price for producers, quality products for the consumer, and care for the environment.
FLOW - FLOW's mission is to "liberate
the entrepreneurial spirit for good" by connecting social entrepreneurs with each other, advocating for
new solutions to social issues, and educating the public about possibilities.
Good Capital - Venture capital firm that
provides funding for both nonprofit and for-profit initiatives in the areas of economic opportunity,
fair trade, health care, and education.
International Network of Social
Entrepreneurs - Online social network offering discussions, resources, and networking
opportunities with other social entrepreneurs. Membership is free.
New Profit - Venture capital fund that
invests in social entrepreneurs, typically nonprofits in the areas of education, minority rights,
and global poverty.
Nonprofit Finance Fund - Offers
loans, lines of credit, and financial consulting to nonprofits. Also serves as a broker to help
nonprofits raise large amounts of capital.
RSF Social Finance - Provides
loans of $250,000 to $5 million to both nonprofit and for-profit social ventures. Also awards
grants to nonprofit initiatives.
Schwab Foundation for Social
Entrepreneurship - Hosts the annual Social Entrepreneurs' Summit, co-sponsors the annual
Social Capitalist Awards, and co-sponsors the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
Skoll Foundation - Invests in,
connects, and empowers social entrepreneurs. Skoll Awards provide grant financing to established
projects. Hosts the annual Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship.
Social Edge - Free online discussion
forum, newsletter, and other resources for social entrepreneurs.
Social Enterprise Alliance - Membership
network for social entrepreneurs in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Hosts the annual
Social Enterprise Summit, a lively online forum, and a comprehensive online Knowledge
Center open to non-members.
Social Venture Network - Membership
network for leading social entrepreneurs, primarily for-profit CEO's, nonprofit founders and
executive directors, and social investors. Hosts two annual gatherings and an online Tools &
Best Practices library open to non-members.
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