Social Enterprise: Creating Social Value
Teaching Objective: To define Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprise and to
give examples of the leading social enterprises in 2014.
Class Activity: Review with student’s information about social entrepreneur and
enterprises. Review instructions for Presentation 3: Social Enterprise and creating
social value. In groups students begin to research social enterprise they feel are
good examples of creating social value.
Social Entrepreneur Information
Social entrepreneurship has gained interest in a world ever more divided between
haves and the have-nots. They distinguish themselves from other social venture
players by doing, not talking. They are focused on impact.
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS ARE:
Ambitious: Social entrepreneurs tackle major social issues, from increasing the
college enrollment rate of low-income students to fighting poverty. They operate
in all kinds of organizations: innovative nonprofits, social-purpose ventures, and
hybrid organizations that mix elements of nonprofit and for-profit organizations.
Mission driven: Generating social value —not wealth—is the central criterion of
a successful social entrepreneur. While wealth creation may be part of the
process, it is not an end in itself. Promoting systemic social change is the real
objective.
Strategic: Like business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs see and act upon
what others miss: opportunities to improve systems, create solutions, and invent
new approaches that create social value. And like the best business
entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs are intensely focused and hard-driving in
their pursuit of a social vision.
Resourceful: Because social entrepreneurs operate within a social context
rather than the business world, they have limited access to capital and traditional
market support systems. As a result, social entrepreneurs must be skilled at
mobilizing human, financial and political resources.
Results oriented: Social entrepreneurs are driven to produce measurable
returns. These results transform existing realities, open up new pathways for the
marginalized and disadvantaged, and unlock society’s potential to effect social
change.