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Beliefs - Where we start/what motivates us
- Social enterprise is a powerful tool for generating and sustaining social value
- Earned income strategies help to make organizations high-performing
- More social benefit can be generated when individual mission-based organizations adopt
appropriate earned income strategies as part of their revenue base
- Social value can be enhanced when mission-based organizations come together to increase
the impact and effectiveness of the field
- It is incumbent upon funders, investors, government and the public to encourage robust
social enterprise through policies and practices that provide a supportive environment
Vision - How we imagine the world to be different because of what we do
Strong, self-sustaining social enterprises lead positive social change
Mission - How we work toward that Vision
To build stronger, more effective social enterprises by mobilizing a community of
practitioners and investors to advance earned income strategies.
Customers – Who we serve and influence
Primarily social mission-based practitioners who are:
- Early stage entrepreneurs seeking the knowledge to incorporate earned income as part
of an overall revenue strategy
- Emerging and mid-stage practitioners seeking tools and information about best
practices
- Advanced practitioners from established enterprises seeking opportunities to network
with their peers and collectively influence public awareness and support for social
enterprise
Secondarily, funders and social capital investors who:
- want knowledge about social enterprise and best practices to inform their
investment/gifting strategies
- seek networking opportunities with other grantmakers who share an interest in social
enterprise.
Additionally, intermediaries, member associations, academics, technical consultants
and traditional for-profit businesses who support the earned income strategies of
mission-based organizations.
Field-building Aims – How we’ll know if we’re successful in the field
- Nonprofits are aware of, learn about and adopt earned income strategies as a means of
becoming strong and self-sustaining.
- For-profit businesses who choose to make a social mission a core part of their organization
find it easier to create, finance and operate such enterprises.
- Social enterprisers have learning opportunities, technical assistance and resources to
advance their earned income efforts.
- There is a supportive community/network of members engaged in advancing earned
income strategies as a means toward achieving financial sustainability.
- There are positive changes in the priorities and procedures of funders and social investors
leading to increased support for social enterprise.
- Public policy supports entrepreneurial approaches and earned income strategies by
nonprofits and socially focused for-profits.
- There is public awareness of earned income as a positive way for nonprofits to attain
sustainability, and a supportive business and political climate for social enterprise.
- The knowledge base of the social enterprise field has grown, enabling educators, trainers
and capacity builders to share information about best practices with the nonprofit sector.
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