When I started Lean Machine in 2005, it was a bold move. The thought of an independent organization attempting to enter a category dominated by
October 7, 2014
Enterprising Non-Profits Alberta: Intro to Social Enterprise Workshop (Calgary)
This workshop is intended for organizations that are interested in social enterprise, but would like to learn more about how starting a social enterprise will affect their organization.
This session will introduce social enterprise and is designed for organizations considering this path in the future. It will explore what social enterprise is, the many forms it can take, and why an organization would consider social enterprise. We will also discuss some of the potential community impacts and review the development path of social enterprise planning. This session will highlight local social enterprises and explore their journey to provide tangible examples of how social enterprise can help your organization further its mission and increase the chances of sustainability in the future.
Workshop details:
When: Tuesday, October 7th, from 8:30 am – 11:30 am MST
Where: Trico Charitable Foundation, 1003 11 Ave SW, Calgary
Cost: $50 for the first team member and $30 for additional attendees
Why don’t more entrepreneurs and professionals access the support of mentors who want to help? It’s not for a lack of wanting the help. A
As a small and relatively new private foundation, we were intrigued by Kania, Kramer & Russell’s discussion of an emergent philanthropy framework. While our initial debates focused on the ‘newness’ and the key elements highlighted in their article were theoretically interesting, we were more attracted to the ‘how to’ elements outlined in the ‘How to move to an emergent model’ section.
For us, the authors’ move away from their views on strategic philanthropy does not mean that emergent philanthropy loses its own requirement to be strategic. Rather, it honours the notion that the shift from predictive to emergent models requires different processes, communication and cultures to ensure that we can describe the impact of what we are doing.
To this end, the ultimate potential of the article lies in its attempt to explain how emergent philanthropy can be done. Sadly, this does not seem to be the focus of much of the discussion that has occurred. This strikes us as a squandered opportunity. Imagine the incredible value of all the organizations that participated in this debate talking about ‘co-creating strategy’, ‘working the attractors’ and ‘improving system fitness’ – do they embrace these elements, what has worked, what hasn’t, what have they learned? We are sharing our story in the hopes that it inspires more experienced foundations to join a discussion of the ‘how to’ aspects of the article.
Hearing stories from passionate, active social enterprisers can be enriching and informative enough, but imagine a tour to see them in action. That’s the opportunity
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For the six organizations who took part in the Finance Solution Labs, the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) was more than just an exceptional opportunity
A knowledge mobilization hub for organizations in the ‘persons with disabilities’ sector, a social enterprise hub to revitalize an underserved neighborhood in New Brunswick, and
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