Learning from the Non Profit Sector

The npEnterprise Forum is the global,moderated, free listserv of almost 7500 subscribers who discuss practical ways social enterprises (SEs) can advance their social or environmental missions through entrepreneurial strategies. Regardless of your affiliation -- nonprofit, forprofit, hybrid, government, or individual entrepreneur -- if you're interested in social enterprise, you're welcome here. According to the Social Enterprise Alliance, a social enterprise is any organization (or activity within an organization) that "harnesses the power of the marketplace to solve critical social or environmental problems."

The benefits of sharing

An excerpt from research into the benefits of shared spaces by community, arts and others...
TROY, Mich. – When the Michigan Nonprofit Association, Michigan Association of United Ways and the Food Bank Council of Michigan move into new quarters in the state capital this fall (2011), they will be part of a growing trend: nonprofits co-locating under one roof. The nonprofits’ headquarters in Lansing, Mich., will be among more than 250 such centers in the United States and Canada.

Co-location centers come in all shapes and sizes. Some provide support such as bookkeeping, information technology and print and mail services in addition to office space. Brotsky cites a few examples:

• Arts Court in Ontario is a historic landmark building owned by the local municipality. A hub for Ottawa artists and audiences, Arts Court is home to a consortium of 26 arts and cultural organizations that save thousands of dollars a month in rent by sharing office and rehearsal space.
   
• The Alliance Center in Denver is home to 27 nonprofits. Half of those tenants work in the environmental field. The center and its tenants have helped pass more than 100 pieces of sustainability-related state legislation in just two years.
   
• Children & Family Services Center in Charlotte, N.C., is a nonprofit center with 11 organizations co-located to better serve the children and families. In addition to coordinating services, the center has expanded into shared back-office services including information technology, human resources and finance staff.

Social Entrepreneurs

Interesting article in the New York Times about Social Entrepreneurs. People interested in this field now have the opportunity to learn on the job via the School for Social Entrepreneurs in Sydney and now Melbourne. It's a coupe for those of us who have worked across sectors, and hopefully there will be some future options to access these and other courses for those of us living in Tasmania.

SOCIAL TRADERS

Set up around 3 years ago, Social Traders is a non profit organisation whose mission it is to support the emerging and established social enterprise sector. While some of its programs are focused on Victoria, such as The Crunch, many have relevance Nationally. Today I met with its Director, David Brookes to find out more about what they are doing and the potential opportunities in linking to the work in Tasmania.
Funded by the Victoria Government and a private donor, this fantastic team are working hands on with social enterprises, research organisations such as the Queensland University of Technology and others who are working in the field.
The resources they are developing include the Social Enterprise Builder; a step by step tool to developing a social enterpise and the Social Enterprise Finder; a listing of social enterprises across the country.
Leading the way in many respects, Social Traders is a useful and practical resource for those toying with the idea of social enterprise and those who want to build their ventures.

Social Enterprise in Melbourne

I have a couple of days in Melbourne to explore some of what is happening around creative social enterprises. There has been much publicity about Social Studios and Grace McQuilten has a track record for some really exciting social enterprise operations. So I am hoping to catch up with Grace.

Today I caught up with Joe Pascoe, Director of Craft Victoria, a non profit arts member based arts organisation. I had checked out what they were doing through their website, but there is nothing like seeing the real thing. They have a beautiful shop that sells art and craft products produced by members of the organisation. There is an adjoining gallery and behind the secret door, more gems with an extensive library and offices for the staff. The focus of this organisation is on curatorial, community and commerce and between the accessible website and classy shopfront at 31 Flinders Lane, they are combining these beautifully. There is a membership of more than 8000 and a distribution list of more than 7000, which means these guys have fantastic community support for the work they undertake. Really enjoyed catching up with Joe and will certainly be heading back to the shop to do some shopping.