Recently, membership organizations have formed in the United States around the idea of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship. One of the fastest growing organizations is the Social Enterprise Alliance which defines itself as “the membership organization leading the creation of a social enterprise movement” with a purpose to “mobilize communities of nonprofit organizations and funders to advance earned income strategies” (Social Enterprise Alliance, 2004). It is run by and for social enterprise practitioners. The Alliance is the result of a 2002 merger of two groups: The National Gathering for Social Enterpreneurs (founded in 1998) and SeaChange (founded in 2000). At the root of these groups are initiatives funded by foundations including, among others, the Kellogg, Kauffman, and Echoing Green foundations and the Northland Institute(Ford Foundation)(Social Enterprise Alliance,2004).