The Trico Charitable Foundation was established in December of 2008 as an evolution of Wayne and Eleanor Chiu’s philanthropic endeavours.  Our focus is promoting the development of effective and successful models, concepts and principles related to the national advancement of social enterprise.

One of the programs within the Foundation is the Social EnterPrize.  This program provides awards funding and education through a national conference and Social “EnterPrize”.  The Social EnterPrize recognizes Canadian leaders and non-profit organizations that are effectively using social enterprise to deepen their community impact. Up to four awards can be granted to organizations and individuals.

Announced recently at our Enterprising Spirit: Creating Value and Social Good Conference, the 2011 winners of the Social EnterPrize are:

Organizational winners:

The mission of Potluck Café & Catering is community employment and community nutrition and a commitment to sustainable environmental practices in its café and catering business.  The social enterprise was founded in 2001 and it is a neighbourhood café and professional catering services to corporate, government and clients in Vancouver.  Their impact includes 30,000 meals prepared and served annually to 100 most vulnerable downtown east side residents (DTES), job training for 10 – 24  DTES community residents, four to six internships – all to people with barriers to employment, and an additional 500 to 1000 DTES free meals for residents of the DTES.  They are a unique model of social enterprise because they generate 85 – 90% revenue from their catering business, they receive no government funding, they have strong grass roots connection to their community and it is a replicable food training model for other non-profit organizations to consider as a revenue generating model.

Mission Possible is a Christian humanitarian agency that transforms lives by helping people experiencing homelessness and poverty achieve a renewed sense of dignity and purpose through meaningful work.  Their social enterprise is MP Maintenance, founded in 2009 and it is a property maintenance business that includes services such as graffiti removal, exterior property cleaning services and site cleanup.  Since their creation of the social enterprise in 2009 they have helped 36 people and employed 23 people, with 8 people currently servicing 60 customers in the Vancouver area.  They are a unique model of social enterprise as they have strong business acumen complemented by charismatic leadership, with a strong group of dedicated volunteers resulting in significant impact in a short time.  They are also poised for substantial growth with a recent contract from BC Hydro to install smart meters.

Individual winner:

Caroline Arcand, Groupe Convex Prescott-Russell

Caroline Arcand is the instigator of 10 social enterprises, a prominent speaker, coach and leader.  Witnessing the increase in self-esteem of disabled people at work inspires her.  The mission of her non-profit, Groupe Convex Prescott-Russell, located in Hawksbury, Ontario, is to generate meaningful jobs through business projects for residents who face employment challenges.  One of their successful social enterprises is Recycle Action, a sorting facility, industry collector, and receiver of recyclable products from BlueBox, commercial and industrial sectors.  The impact in their community is significant with the development of multiple community partnerships, serving over 30,000 households, 41 schools, 159 businesses and 5 municipalities.  They are unique as their work successfully blends social, economic, environmental issues while creating jobs and generating revenue.  They have a proven track record, and address a need in their rural community.  Caroline Arcand is a strong leader and social entrepreneur driving the organization.

Historians believe that humans have been adorning themselves with jewellery for at least the last 75,000 years. I’m willing to bet you are taking part in this long history by wearing at least one piece of jewellery right now. But are you wearing a piece of jewellery that helps prevent homeless youth from becoming homeless adults? If you can’t answer yes to that question, you need to check out the designs produced by Beadworks in Ottawa.

Established in 2008, Beadworks is a social enterprise employment program created by Operation Come Home. Youth (aged 16-30) who are clients of Operation Come Home can participate in the program by crafting beaded and assembled jewellery in the Beadworks Studio. Participants are able to sell their products at a Beadworks event, and the revenue is split evenly between the artist and Beadworks. Learning opportunities in the areas of designing, costing, marketing, crafting, display and sales are also available. Youth who take part in these educational opportunities are able to keep all of the profits gained by selling their products. To date over 100 male and female youth have participated in Beadworks, and all of their work has been photographed so a portfolio can be produced if they wish to continue working in this area.

To find out more about Beadworks, check out their website and follow their parent organization’s updates on Twitter via @ochottawa.

Ps. If you have a favourite Canadian social enterprise to share with us, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section!

While it’s still too early to be thinking about putting up decorations, the holiday season is just around the corner. If you live in Toronto and are in the market for unique gift ideas that benefit members of your community, why not pay a visit to Inspirations Studio? The beautiful handmade art sold by this social enterprise provide economic opportunities for the studio’s members, and also help support the important work done by Sistering.

Inspirations Studio is an art and artisan studio that provides studio space and marketplace opportunities to low-income, marginalized, under-housed and homeless women. Members of Inspirations Studio generate income through sales, exhibitions, and commissions of their art. They also receive business plan training, workshops, promotional and marketing support, and goal-setting interviews to further their professional development. To help support the growth of their micro-businesses, studio members participate in a variety of opportunities including pottery shows, arts and crafts markets, consignment projects, and the fulfilment of custom orders.

To find out more about Inspirations Studio, check out their website and follow their updates on Twitter via @InspiredPottery.

Ps. If you have a favourite Canadian social enterprise to share with us, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section!

Have you ever looked around a crowded city bus and wondered where exactly everyone was going? Well if you’ve done that in Toronto, one of the passengers could have been working for an environmentally-friendly social enterprise that provides them with responsibility, self-direction and life skills. But how can one accomplish all of that just by taking public transit? By working as a courier for Good Foot Delivery, of course!

Operating in downtown Toronto, Good Foot Delivery is a social enterprise that provides environmentally-friendly and socially responsible point-to-point deliveries. Good Foot offers employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities, so every step their couriers take helps members of the community get a foothold on personal and financial independence. They are also a carbon-free urban courier, as all of their deliveries are made on foot or via public transit. In terms of service, Good Foot is dependable, timely, and everything their couriers transport is delivered by hand. So the next time you need to send something from here to there in Toronto, why not support social enterprise by “getting on the Good Foot”?

To find out more about Good Foot Delivery, check out their website and follow their updates on Twitter via @Good_Foot.

Ps. If you have a favourite Canadian social enterprise to share with us, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section!

Did you know that June 5 – 11, 2011 is Environment Week in Canada? No matter where you live, this would be a good week to put away your car keys and use an environmentally-friendly way to get to wherever it is you need to be. If you’re in the Ottawa area, why not make your way down to Cycle Salvation and pick up a new-to-you bike to satisfy all your commuting needs!

Cycle Salvation, the newest social enterprise operated by Causeway Work Centre, aims to achieve a triple bottom line of profit, people, and planet. They offer bicycle mechanic training and employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged individuals, and the donated bikes they refurbish and sell helps reduce the amount of waste unnecessarily sent to scrap yards and landfills. If you’re looking to celebrate Environment Week all year round, Cycle Salvation should be the first place you visit.

To find out more about Cycle Salvation, check out their website at http://www.cyclesalvation.org/ and follow their parent organization’s updates on Twitter via @CausewayWork.

Ps. If you have a favourite Canadian social enterprise that you want to share with us, we would love to hear from you in the comments section!