The Social Enterprise Guide

The Canadian Social Enterprise Guide is the first extensive and comprehensive published resource, tool kit, and collection of social enterprise stories. The guide reflects the learnings and resources of the eight years of development and implementation of the Enterprising Non-Profits program. It includes chapters written by enp staff, social enterprise practitioners, professional trainers, funders and organizational development expertise.

Who this guide is for

The guide is primarily for project managers, executive directors, directors, and staffs of a wide range of organizations that are starting to develop or think about creating a new enterprise or expanding/formalizing their existing revenue-generating programs.

The guide will also be useful for students, corporate social responsibility businesses, government, industry, and funders.

 

Why we wrote this guide

While enterprise development among non-profits has grown exponentially in the past few years, many non-profits still face great challenges in getting their ideas off the ground. If they can readily access the best available information about how to plan their social enterprises, the road towards start-up will be less stressful, and their businesses more likely to succeed.

Specifically, non-profits have indicated a need for information in clear language about the following questions:

  • How can you tell if your group is ready to embark on a social enterprise?
  • What are the steps in a social enterprise planning process?
  • How do you identify and assess enterprise opportunities?
  • How do you plan for a social enterprise?
  • How can you measure social returns in a business setting?
  • What do you need to know about the legal context?

To ground the guide in reality, we talked to leaders of non-profits across Canada that have started and are operating social enterprises. We also based our approach on our experience at the Enterprising Non-Profits Program, which funds non-profits to plan their social enterprises.

 

How to use the guide

You can use the guide as a workbook or a primer. Each section includes templates that you can adapt to your particular situation, and a set of resources that will help you find additional information on every subject related to planning.

 

What people are saying about the guide

  • I have extensively read the Guide Book and I must tell you that it is as good a piece as I have ever read in 30 years of private and public sector experience. The Guide is well written, clear, concise, informative, directional and smart.

Congratulations on a fine piece of work.

-J.Richard Blickstead, C.E.O.- Wellesley Institute

 

More about the guide