Directory of Social Enterprise Directories

By Rolfe Larson on November 10, 2011

One sign that the social enterprise field is maturing is the emergence of guides and directories.  And one sign that the field has a ways to go is a lack of consistency in how to define social enterprise (if they define it at all) or what information they present about each listing.  But now there are enough directories in circulation to create a, well, directory of directories, all in one place. This is that place:

Social Enterprise Shopping Guide* was created this fall by the npEnterprise Forum for those who would prefer to make online purchases that create positive change in the world.  Approximately 40 ventures are profiled where purchases provide training and employment for disadvantaged individuals, deliver needed supplies to underserved communities, or address critical environmental issues.

Social Enterprise Dining Map* was created this summer by the npEnterprise Forum listing 108 social enterprise cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream stores, bakeries, and catering services in the US and Canada.

Social Enterprise Directory, from Community Wealth Ventures (in partnership with Social Enterprise Alliance), is a “directory of nonprofits with business ventures and strategic alliances.” It was created almost ten years ago and thus is fairly dated, but still sometimes useful.  It covers the US.

Social Enterprise Database from Give To Get Jobs (a new organization) aspires to include “everything from sustainable non-profits and L3Cs to B Corporations and soon FPCs and everything in between.”  Currently list 1200 organizations in the US, with plans to expand to other countries.

Canadian Social Enterprise Marketplace, from the Social Enterprise Council of Canada, is more recent and provides a useful tool for researching SEs in Canada.

Buy With Heart, from Social Venture Partners/Rhode Island, presents more than 100 social enterprises in Rhode Island.  Their definition: “Social Enterprises provide high-quality, locally produced products and services while addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges.”

Colorado Social Enterprise Map*, created by SEA Colorado (Social Enterprise Alliance chapter) presents more than 100 SEs in that state.

Latest L3C Tally from interSector Partners L3C lists 500+ firms that have achieved L3C status.

B Corp Directory from B Lab lists almost 500 certified B Corps.

iuMap, described as the “world’s largest social enterprise map,” from Next Billion, lists 450 enterprises employing market based solutions to poverty in 65+ developing countries.

* Disclosure: I created the three directories marked with *’s.  For each of those, the SEA definition was used.