
Reflections on the Social Enterprise World Forum 2013, by Danielle Carruthers
As with every coin in your pocket, there are always two sides to every story. This could be the very reason life never disappoints in

As with every coin in your pocket, there are always two sides to every story. This could be the very reason life never disappoints in

Two weeks ago nearly 1,000 people from 25 countries attended the Social Enterprise World Forum in Calgary. Representatives from all levels of government spoke on

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2013 was an inspiring three-day conference held in Calgary that gathered the best and brightest in this space from
“Hosting SEWF 2013 has never been about making money for the Trico Foundation,” said Wayne Chiu, Chairman of the Trico Charitable Foundation. “This agreement embodies everything we wanted SEWF 2013 to be about: serving the social enterprise movement, at the event and beyond; fostering collaboration; and trying new ideas.”
In a historic collaboration, seven regional non-profit organizations have come together to launch Enterprising Non-Profits Canada / enp-Canada. In the past, local enp sites have offered business planning and technical assistance to non-profit organizations wishing to develop, launch and grow social enterprises. enp-Canada will now provide a platform for synthesizing those efforts, collecting insights and promoting further partnerships in the advancement of social enterprise in Canada. Social enterprises are businesses operated by non-profit organizations for the blended purpose of creating social value and generating income from sales.
Trico Charitable Foundation is receiving over $1.5 million in federal government funding for its Enterprising Non-Profits Canada project. This project will test the ability of not-for-profit organizations to leverage non-federal government funding to address social challenges. Trico Charitable Foundation will support the development of the social enterprise sector by coordinating and pooling ideas and resources across the country.
Ninety per cent of the profits from the coffee sales go to a Dominican Republic Scholarship Fund. This unique fund encourages children to remain in school and supports technical farmer training to enhance both coffee quality and farm revenue.
The Social Enterprise World Forum 2012 (SEWF) hosted by NESsT Inc. in October was upbeat and filled with optimism about the growth of the social enterprise sector. Nearly 700 delegates from around the world attended the three-day event held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to explore instruments and strategies for attracting new investment capital for social enterprise.