ReBuilding Center en Get Serious About Social Enterprise (Idea #4*) <p><a href=""><img src="" alt="" width="618" height="348" /></a></p> <p><a href="">Social Enterprises</a> have a played a role at the margins of the field of workforce development for decades. Many non-profit organizations supported by public workforce development resources operate social enterprises, even if not directly supported by those government resources. <a href="">St. Patrick's Center</a> (St. Louis, MO) for example, runs a restaurant called <a href="">McMurphy's Grill </a>that trains formerly homeless individuals and others who face employment barriers. The project is supported by a combination of grants loans, donations, and the revenue it generates—government is the source of only a small fraction of these resources.&nbsp; </p> <p>The <a href="">Roberts Enterprise Development Fund</a> (REDF), a San Francisco-based venture philanthropy organization, is unique in its focus on social enterprises as job creation engines. REDF invests in California-based social enterprises—non-profit operated businesses selling goods and services demanded by the marketplace while intentionally creating jobs for young people and adults who would otherwise have difficulty finding them. Importantly, REDF received a <a href="">Social Innovation Fund</a> grant (there is a new <a href="">solicitation out right now</a> for this same program—applications are due March 27) for the expressed purpose of developing a social enterprise model that can be scaled nationally, making the organization one-to-watch for workforce development professionals.</p> <p>There are also for-profit ventures that seek to meet the twin goals of creating employment and delivering products or services valued in the marketplace—like <a href="">Ben &amp; Jerry's</a> Partnershops. Innovative cooperative models—like <a href="">Evergreen Cooperatives</a> in Cleveland, Ohio—also lie at the intersection of mission and market. These employee-owned for-profit ventures seek to achieve triple bottom-line returns (social, economic, environmental).</p> <p>The surge of interest in legal entities that can advance social good and meet market needs is evident in the rise of new kinds of businesses—like Low-profit Limited Liability Companies (<a href="">L3Cs</a>), <a href="">Flexible-purpose and Benefit Corporations</a>, and <a href="">Benefit Corporations</a>. </p> <p>There is even an <a href="">argument</a> that suggests these hybrid entities <em>are the new philanthropy</em>, making it more urgent that workforce professionals engage with social enterprise strategies.</p> <p>During the past decade, social enterprises have moved from fringe efforts to the mainstream as the <a href="">field</a> has expanded and become much more diverse.</p> <p>Here are a few possiblities (especially at a time when the central problem we face in workforce is <a href="">not enough jobs</a>):</p> <ul> <li>Social enterprises (businesses) that generate resources which can be reinvested into current (and under-resourced) workforce programs (any business can do this—<a href="">here</a> are a few examples);</li> <li>Social enterprises that employ people and generate products and services needed in the marketplace (like <a href="">Chicago's Beeline</a> honey-based products); and</li> <li>Social enterprises that employ people and generate products and services needed in the marketplace, which themselves solve social or environmental problems (like the Portland <a href="">ReBuilding Center</a> or <a href="">Goodwill Industries</a>).</li> </ul> <p>Yet, the connections between the fields of social enterprise and workforce development (the incubators, funders, associations, conferences and key thought-leaders) are tenuous.</p> <p>Let's change that (right now).</p> <p>__________________________________________</p> <p>SPR recently developed a <a href=";fcsContent=true&amp;pbMode=normal">webinar</a> and the following resource guide on social enterprises. We are optimistic about the potential of social enterprise strategies for workforce development.</p> <div style="width:477px" id="__ss_11098871"> <strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a href="" title="Social enterprise webinar resource guide final2" target="_blank">Social enterprise webinar resource guide final2</a></strong> <iframe src="" width="477" height="510" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /> <div style="padding:5px 0 12px"> View more documents from <a href="" target="_blank">kristin wolff</a> </div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>* This is part of a series of entirely subjective posts intended to inspire greatness among applicants to the <a href="">Workforce Innovation Fund</a>. The opinions and perspectives expressed here are not those of Social Policy Research, the <a href="">US Department of Labor</a> (USDOL) or anyone other than the author. Please steal the ideas you find most promising.</p> Resources Beeline Ben & Jerry's benefit corporation Evergreen Flexible purpose corporation Goodwill L3C McMurphy's Grill ReBuilding Center REDF social enterprise St.Patrick's Center workforce innovation fund Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:31:44 +0000 Kristin Wolff 850 at