Comments for Social Enterprise

Comment on State of Social Enterprise: 2012 by David Weisberger

David Weisberger — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:06:31 +0000

*Pursuit of Investment*

New legal forms and financial products are being pioneered in order to attract much more capital into the Social Enterprise sector. This is one of the drivers of

*More Measurement*

As in the non-profit sector, increasing attention is being given to tools and practices to measure the social and economic impact of individual social enterprises and the entire social enterprise sector.

Comment on Directory of Social Enterprise Directories by Jonny Kates

Jonny Kates — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:27:06 +0000

Useful list Rolfe. We at ClearlySo have been growing our social business and enterprise directory for a number of years now and (at the time of writing) have 2712 companies listed. It’s free for social entrepreneurs to add their organisation’s information, and users can browse the profiles by industry or by our social/environmental benefits.

http://www.clearlyso.com/directory.html

Comment on Directory of Social Enterprise Directories by kevin jones

kevin jones — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 07:56:18 +0000

We are working on a map, too. starting from social enterprises that have gotten funding.

Comment on Directory of Social Enterprise Directories by Ian Fisk

Ian Fisk — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:12:44 +0000

The William James Foundation keeps two directories on our website
1. A list of conferences about sustainable enterprises : http://www.williamjamesfoundation.org/conferences
2. A list of business plan competitions focused on multiple-bottom-line companies : http://www.williamjamesfoundation.org/competitions

Comment on Directory of Social Enterprise Directories by Rolfe Larson

Rolfe Larson — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 02:30:15 +0000

Thanks Stacy. I added your database to the Directory of Directories blog. Good luck!

Comment on Directory of Social Enterprise Directories by Stacy McCoy

Stacy McCoy — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:53:59 +0000

We also launched a Social Enterprise Database last week. It contains everything from sustainable non-profits and L3Cs to B Corporations and soon FPCs and everything in between. We have about 1200 companies so far and we continue to add to it. The goal is to have the most comprehensive list of social enterprises in the US to start and then expand to other countries. Here is the link:

http://www.givetogetjobs.com/social-enterprise.php

Comment on What Is NOT a Social Enterprise by Chad Beyer

Chad Beyer — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:57:16 +0000

Thank you for your thoughts. I am trying to think more clearly about my work with regard to social enterprise. You said that consultants are SEs only in rare cases. I have two identities–one as a diversity consultant (I help organizations become more diversity-friendly places to work). I am also the (unpaid) Executive Director of a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster inclusion in workplaces and communities. I want to be a full-time, paid Executive Director by combining my consulting work and my non-profit work. Would you consider this a SE? Are there any down-sides to organizing as a non-proft rather than a consultant?
Thank you,
Chad Beyer
Grand Rapids, MI

Comment on What Is NOT a Social Enterprise by Francis Criqui

Francis Criqui — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:50:17 +0000

Interesting article but more confusing than clarifying, perhas even a bit self-serving. Social Enterprises are companies, L3C is a limited profit company, one whose primary goal is to benefit society with profit as a side effect. If SEs are companies, what is the difference between and SE company and an SE Service Provider (as indicaated in the article)?

Comment on ShoreBank Demise Dissected: “Too Good To Fail” by Jerr Boschee

Jerr Boschee — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:09:15 +0000

The most telling paragraph in your blog: “For almost forty years, ShoreBank made more than $4 billion in mission investments and financed more than 59,000 units of affordable housing. It spearheaded the national movement of community development financial institutions, played a significant role in federal policy around community investment, and was the role model for dozens of smaller progressive banks in the US and abroad.”

ShoreBank came and went, for whatever reasons. But so have legions of once-dominant American corporations whose names are receding into history. It’s the nature of capitalism, and it’s important for people in the social enterprise arena to understand that even the most admirable businesses (social and otherwise) have a natural (and sometimes unnatural) life cycle. ShoreBank didn’t fail — it just reached the end of the line.

But, oh what a journey! Having worked with the folks at ShoreBank as long ago as 1978 and admired them ever since, I can only say, “Well done! Your efforts will echo down the years and continue making a difference once we’ve all been forgotten.”

Comment on New! Sales Strategy for Rhode Island Social Enterprises by Dan Bassill

Dan Bassill — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:44:44 +0000

I think this is a great idea. I’ve been trying to do something similar but to drive volunteers and donors to about 150 non school volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago.

I’ve been building a directory of these programs since 1993 and have put it on-line in a map-based searchable directory which you can see at http://www.tutormentorprogramlocator.net. You can refine your search to look for programs offering different types of tutoring/mentoring, serving different age groups, in different times of day, and by zip code.

I’m trying to find investor/partners to add features to this that would work like the corporate advertising department of big companies to create “sales” and “events” that would increase the number of people who browse the map and provide support to different organizations. While it would be great if each of these non profits could produce t-shirts, cards, or other marketable goods and services their primary mission is helping kids. Thus I feel there is an opportunity for an intermediary to create products and services that motivate donors to give, and give often. If some of the local program learn to add products/service features by learning from each other that would only enhance their ability to become more consistently funded and better able to achieve their social mission.

If any of you would like to help develop this and use it in your own communities let me know.