Action is delightful

For those of us closely watching this dynamic space we call social entrepreneurship, it’s always exciting to see movement. Chatter is easy, after all, but action, get-your-hands-and-feet-dirty-type-of-action.....well now, that’s simply delightful.

Those thoughts swirled in my head during a recent SiG@MaRS information event. Designed to provide an overview of the goings-on in the area of social entrepreneurship and social innovation at MaRS, the four-hour session was chock-full of insight and inspiration.

Take the Social Venture Registry, for example. An online database of Ontario social ventures, it has three main goals: the first is to allow the self-identification of social entrepreneurs and the ability to meet others; the second is to connect ventures to potential customers; and the third is to connect to potential investors. Still in its infancy, the registry’s potential is self-evident and we’ll be watching it closely.

There’s also another exciting initiative, in partnership with the Ontario Association of Food Banks, the TSX, and SiG at MaRS called Social Venture Exchange. The pilot is only expected to roll out in the fall so it is still outside our realm of scrutiny, but the mission is impressive - at least in writing. The hope is to provide a platform to assess and attract sustainable financing, connecting investors and ventures for social impact. It’s a mouthful but we’re strong believers in reaching high, so kudos to those making the effort.

Which brings me to another prospective project that got my heart beating a bit quicker - a school for social entrepreneurs in Ontario. Nothing is happening just yet, but what’s exciting is the action-oriented discourse the idea fueled in the form of a feasibility study conducted by MASS LBP, commissioned by SiG@MaRS, and funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The story in a nutshell: ten years ago a visionary named Michael Young founded the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) in the UK. Today there are ten locations, including one in Australia and one in Ireland. Each location has eight to twenty students and roughly 600 graduates now make up a strong alumni network. The school runs for 35 weeks and costs approximately $20,000 CDN. Um...no, really. Students come from diverse backgrounds and age groups - some as young as 19, others as “less young” as 75. But what they have in common is a passion for social entrepreneurship, a viable idea, and readiness to undertake the program and pursue their business.

The school is hailed as a true success story - 85% of all social enterprises established while at SSE are still in existence (how many would be around without the school, no one knows), however the question is would a franchise in Ontario be equally successful. The answer? Maybe. Bottom line, it seems the general support and desire is there but some obstacles still need to be addressed. For one thing, the project wouldn’t be sustainable without the support of government. For another, $20,000 a head may be a bit steep; in the UK, private donors cover the cost but it's doubtful that model would work here. And just because something works in the UK doesn't compel its viability somewhere else.

Granted, there is still much to ponder, but the general appetite is there for a school in Ontario focused on preparing emerging social entrepreneurs. What's more, the desire is fueling action. And action is delightful.

By Elisa Birnbaum

What is social enterprise? Take 2

A few months ago, I wrote a piece about the definition of social enterprise. Basically, I was concerned that people were getting too wrapped up in defining the term, and forgetting that they were all in it for the same reason - to achieve a social mission through their respective businesses. Whether that business was for-profit or nonprofit, had a double or triple bottom line, didn't seem as important as the fact that they were doing some good in the world. Perhaps I was just a bit too optimistic.

Since writing that piece, I have seen the situation deteriorate from quibbling over semantics to all-out misrepresentation. In case anyone is wondering, social enterprise is not "a term describing for-profit companies that pair with charities to create innovative ways of changing the world," as the Globe and Mail recently stated. That's corporate social responsibility (CSR), and yes, there is a difference. For-profit companies who partner with or support charitable initiatives are to be commended, but it's misleading and even irresponsible to describe them as social enterprises. If someone doesn't stand up and make the distinction, soon any company that gives money to charity is going to be calling itself a social enterprise. Oh wait, that's already happening...

At a recent conference, a colleague was lamenting the fact that some companies who donate as little as 1% of their profits to good causes are now calling themselves social enterprises. So where does that leave all those other organizations, the "real" social enterprises that are working day in and day out to advance their social mission? Will they simply become really social enterprises compared to their profit-donating counterparts? Or will they have to adopt a completely new term to differentiate themselves from companies who call their CSR or corporate philanthropy practices social enterprise?

Perhaps the answer lies in legislation and regulation. Governments around the world are taking notice of the social enterprise business model, which, from a purely fiscal perspective, lies somewhere between a charity and a for-profit business. If they decide to recognize it as a separate type of organization and regulate accordingly, then this whole business of what constitutes a social enterprise will be cleared up through paperwork and procedure.

Whether this would be a good thing for social enterprise is still up for debate, but one thing is certain: if there is no general consensus on what a social enterprise is (and is not) we run the risk of the term being diluted, or worse, misappropriated completely. The scariest example I've seen so far was in a recent blog post by the CEO of salesforce.com. Titled "The Facebook Imperative Cannot Be Stopped," the piece argued that the use of social networking tools "will be the catalyst of this new productivity revolution - delivered through these new social enterprise platforms." The very next day, I came across a different blog post on another site. This one entitled, "How Twitter makes us more productive - The Social Enterprise."

Seems we have our work cut out for us.

By Nicole Zummach

SEE Change Magazine Launches!

It’s true what they say; new projects are daunting, anxiety-provoking and pull-your-hair-out-exhausting. But here’s another truism: they’re as thrilling as it comes. Each new initiative involves the setting of fresh expectations, self-prescribed milestones and goals. And let’s not forget those dreams. Launching an enterprise is any dreamcatcher’s inspirational fodder.

As founders of Canada’s first publication for and about social enterprise and entrepreneurship, we’re not unlike any other social entrepreneur in that we’re dreaming big. And we hope you are too. Our goal with SEE Change is to inform, educate and inspire. We hope it provides you with a much-needed forum for discourse and a platform from which this emergent movement can soar, achieving the potential we all know it holds. Social entrepreneurship, after all, can effect change in ways we’re only beginning to understand. It can help solve society’s inimitable challenges, while providing alternative ways of conducting business and living our lives.

Please help us ensure this publication meets your goals as well as our own. Write to us with your comments, lend your support, and join us in the pursuit of a dream, one, we believe, is well worth the effort.

Thank you,

Elisa Birnbaum and Nicole Zummach

Co-founders
http://seechangemagazine.ca
info@seechangemagazine.ca

Aboriginal Social Enterprise: Hopeful Alternatives

Reprinted from CharityVillage.com
www.charityvillage.com/cv/archive/acov/acov10/acov1001.asp

January 11, 2010

Manon Barbeau has a simple dream: giving young people from First Nations communities an opportunity to express themselves using video and music, promoting a sense of healing, empowerment, and community engagement. A filmmaker, Barbeau has always been passionate about creating movies that give voice to those who need it most. A powerful means of communication, films are an outlet like no other. And, so, since 2004, thanks to Barbeau's social enterprise, Wapikoni Mobile, small teams of impassioned cohorts - made up of filmmakers and community organizers - have been traveling to remote indigenous communities pursuing that one goal.

Each crew, with a mobile film studio and sense of purpose in tow, spend a month teaching young people aged 15 to 30 skills in audiovisual technology and music production. At the end of the four weeks, the young participants create their own film or musical compilation, on topics of concern to them, and showcase it to their community. But that's not all. Barbeau also helps distribute the finished products to festivals and conferences worldwide. In fact, since the initiative began, an impressive 29 of the films have won prizes.

Establishing a rapport

Of course, in order to make the most of their month-long trip, the crew needs to approach each First Nations community effectively. "Sometimes things happened in a community that we're not aware of," explains field coordinator, Sandrine Berger. "So you have to know who to speak with." That requires contacting elders and the band council as well as people in the field to ensure the time is ripe for their arrival.

Though primarily focused in Quebec, Wapikoni Mobile has already expanded to Alberta and Manitoba as well as to indigenous groups in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and French Polynesia. Barbeau's reach is impressive and growing. Since its inception, 1,200 youth have taken part and, in this year alone, they've produced 64 films and 94 songs.

Time for change

As Barbeau's story attests, when it comes to Canada's Aboriginal people, social enterprises can be a strong force of change. And for many, it's a long time coming. Just ask former Prime Minister, the Rt. Honourable Paul Martin, who recently announced the launch of a $50 million fund to promote Aboriginal business and entrepreneurship. At a number of recent events, including one hosted by SVP Toronto and another co-sponsored by SiG and MaRS, Martin reminisced about his commitment to right the wrongs of the Aboriginal people - a passion that began at 18 and has grown stronger over the years.

It's common knowledge today that, due to restrictive laws and questionable government policies, Canada's Aboriginal people have been unequal participants in and benefactors of the economic growth of this country. They also face a slew of social, demographic, and health challenges. Martin's CAPE Fund is meant to help fight that inequality by infusing much-needed equity into Aboriginal enterprises. What's more, Martin hopes it will eventually lead to the creation an Aboriginal middle class, which he considers, "the only way they can rise above."

The unprecedented initiative is receiving a lot of positive response. "I think what Martin is doing is key, it's cutting edge," says Clint Davis of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. While there may some loan and grant programs available to Aboriginal people, access to equity is seldom proposed and CAPE may actually prove beneficial all-around. The financing will help get businesses off and running, generate a return for fund partners and support entrepreneurship in the community. "Frankly I think it's only a matter of time before other equity partners see value and start to participate." Martin would probably agree. "CAPE is needed to break the mold; it has to be broken first and then others will follow," said Martin during the SVP Toronto event.

Strength through education

Social entrepreneurs are also cautiously optimistic about the fund, with many vying for a piece of the CAPE pie. Take Jo-Anne Gross. Her social enterprise, Remediation Plus, trains teachers - from Senior Kindergarten to grade three - to teach children with a language learning disability how to read, spell and write. Thanks to some partnerships, her efforts are heavily focus on First Nations communities. Considering the high dropout rate among young Aboriginal people, the initiative has proven to be life-changing for many, earning top marks from teachers and parents alike. "Kids are not completing high school at a rate comparable to the regular population and that's critical," says Davis. Gross echoes his concern but adds, "If you start early, you can achieve tremendous results."

Among the usual challenges faced by all entrepreneurs ("We are not a country that is very supportive of entrepreneurs," she says), one of the specific difficulties Gross has to contend with is lack of funding. First Nations schools receive approximately half of the funding of a typical school board due to the support they get from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), she explains. It's simply not enough. "We don't have the money to do what needs to be done," says Gross.

Though the CAPE Fund is technically reserved for Aboriginal-run enterprises, in response to a question posed by Gross at the SiG@MaRS event, Martin made it clear that their synergistic missions may call for an exception. "He actually asked me for my business card and I thought, 'how nice is that,' that's a twist," says Gross with a grin. "I'm so grateful I asked a question."

Toward impact

Joseph MacLean may have a few questions of his own. Project leader at Vancouver Aboriginal Social Enterprise (VASE), MacLean is overseeing a growing number of entrepreneurial ventures. VASE began with a capacity-building project, Shine a Light on Literacy. Today, the fundraising tool is used primarily by schools and charities whereby flashlights are sold and funds go toward employment, training opportunities, and aboriginal-specific literary tools. "Only about 20% of Aboriginal kids graduate from high school," says MacLean, underlining the project's importance.

The learning curve has been steep, says MacLean but the project - VASE's mainstay - is still moving along. They also started a digital trade school in partnership with Vancouver Native Health and Vancouver Native Housing. Under the banner of its new home, the Inspiration Café, the Digital Technology & Education Society will teach web-based technologies to people in the downtown eastside. And then there's the Vancouver Healing Lodge, a culturally appropriate healing centre for First Nations people. Expected to open in 2011, the Lodge will cater to those coming from the north and remote regions in need of medical treatment.

On the main floor of the same building there will be an Aboriginal art gallery, an extension of a current project entitled, Looking Forward Looking Back: online videos that look at the downtown eastside through the eyes of Aboriginal artists who live there. "It's a precursor to our online presence for marketing urban Aboriginal artists," he explains. And let's not forget the training school for hospitality services as well as a sales agency for various other products. VASE certainly has their work cut out for them. And, with the right partners, funding and support, they're confident they'll fulfill their primary goal of becoming a publishing force and a partner in technology and content development.

In search of human capital

As for challenges, they come down to finances and human resources. "Many of the Aboriginal people with higher education are snapped up," says MacLean. Yet, despite obstacles, he's determined to carry on, confident that a social enterprise is the only answer. "Government funding in every area is shrinking, the competition for dollars is increasing and the current model - a handout model - doesn't really serve the interests of individual development and community self-reliance," he explains. "So you have to keep going, you can't quit."

by: Elisa Birnbaum

Announcing Canada’s first magazine dedicated to social enterprise

We’re excited to announce the launch of SEE Change Magazine in early 2010. With a mission to inform, inspire and educate, SEE Change will be the first publication in the country devoted to social enterprise and entrepreneurship.

Each issue will contain a mix of important news and information about social enterprise and social innovation in Canada, opinions and commentary, expert advice, and engaging features that will get people thinking, talking, moving…and changing.

The magazine will inform our audience about innovative approaches to improving our communities and new ways of doing business. It will inspire people to make changes in their own organizations – whether big or small – and educate readers about what’s happening in this exciting, emergent field.

SEE Change will put current research and practice models in the hands of organizational leaders, and provide an engaging forum for further education and discussion, becoming “the place” for discourse on social enterprise, social innovation and social entrepreneurship in Canada, and beyond.

Sound exciting? Well YOU can be a part of it. Are you committed to social entrepreneurship and its potential to achieve sustainability and social change? Do you believe in the need to establish a common, collaborative voice in the field of social enterprise? Then join us. We’re searching for partners and forward-thinkers willing to work together to help this exciting magazine reach its fullest potential.

For more information, contact us at: seechangemagazine@gmail.com

And, of course, you can follow all the latest developments at seechangemagazine.blogspot.com.

Social Finance and nonprofits

Check out my latest post for the Causeway/Ashoka Social Finance Blog Series at socialfinance.ca:


By Elisa Birnbaum

What is social enterprise?

If you're reading this, you're probably hoping for a definition of social enterprise. A logical expectation, given the title of this posting. But alas, as I've discovered in the past few months, trying to find an agreed upon description of social enterprise is nearly impossible. And the waters get muddier with each passing Google search.

Apparently, I'm not the only one trying to figure it all out. At a recent forum on social enterprise, a very well-known Canadian was heard saying, "I know little about social enterprise, but I'm very involved in it." Okaaayyy...I'll give him points for enthusiasm, but I have to ask the question: Can you be involved in something you can't define? (I can sense fingers reaching for keyboards, but please, stay with me for a moment.)

As it turns out, when it comes to social enterprise, you most certainly can get involved even if you aren't quite clear on what to call your activities. In fact, the social enterprise movement might progress a lot faster if people weren't so hung up on trying to define it. But try they will:

• Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which apply market-based strategies to achieve a social purpose. The movement includes both nonprofits that use business models to pursue their mission and for-profits whose primary purposes are social. (Wikipedia)
• Social enterprises are businesses driven by a social or environmental purpose. (Social Enterprise Coalition)
• A social enterprise is an organization or venture that achieves its primary social or environmental mission using business methods. (Social Enterprise Alliance)
• Social enterprises are revenue-generating businesses with a twist. Whether operated by a nonprofit organization or by a for-profit company, a social enterprise has two goals: to achieve social, cultural, community economic or environmental outcomes; and, to earn revenue. (BC Centre for Social Enterprise)

After reading this handful of selections from the web, you might start feeling a bit smug ("I don't know why she doesn't get it; it's all perfectly obvious!) But add terms like social entrepreneurship, social investor, and social finance into the mix and prepare to be confused!

While I do consider myself a bit of stickler when it comes to words, there is such a thing as getting lost in the details. With so much potential within the social enterprise movement, I hate to see well-intentioned people quibbling over semantics. In the end, they are all working toward the same basic goal - to make our communities and our society stronger.

Luckily, there are some brave souls willing to wade into the mire even if they don't quite have it all figured out. Examples are popping up all over the place: restaurants, cafes, printing shops, wineries, cleaning services, florists, you name it. People who have, for years, been running their business with a social purpose are now being told they are operating a social enterprise. Nice to know, but the point is that they were accomplishing their goals even when there wasn't an official term for what they were doing.

That's good news for the rest of us, including that well-known individual who recently proclaimed his lack of knowledge but high involvement in social enterprise: former Prime Minister, Paul Martin. (If you're curious about what else he has to say on the subject, read his speech, Unleashing the power of social enterprise.

By Nicole Zummach