Devon SSE @ Dartington

Examples of a Social Entrepreneur

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Credit: Pamela Hartigan - Schwab Foundation

So what is a Social Entrepreneur?

• Social entrepreneurs share a great deal with business entrepreneurs – they build something out of nothing – but they are motivated by public good (social value) rather than monetary profit – double bottom line.

• They can be found in community groups, voluntary sector, public sector and social enterprises. (Social enterprise is a business with a social purpose, reinvestment of profit)

Michael Young - Founder

• Open University

• Labour Manifesto 1945

• Consumers’ Association

• Which? Magazine

• Language Line (TIS)

• And 40 others

• School for Social Entrepreneurs 1997

What is the SSE formula?

• Identify, support and encourage people who want to be social entrepreneurs

• Need a different, non theoretical learning style – action learning: emphasis on experience, experimentation, and working in practice

• Promote personal and business development with a ‘slow burn’ approach

An entrepreneurial individual

who is driven, committed, prone to action, persistent, engaged with their community, personally motivated, practical, resourceful, [ and needs no formal qualifications….]

…and wants to make it happen

Has an innovative idea for social change…

Expert Witnesses

Project Visits

Peer learning

So joins the SSE learning programme

…which has an associated impact on the effectiveness of their organisation

MentoringOne to one tutoringand business advice

Tailored support, knowledge, and skills development for the individual…

Peer group

Practitionercontacts/info

Action learning

• Learning programmes running for more than 10 years

• Over 400 SSE Fellows around the UK have completed programmes

• Active schools in 11 locations (incl. London, Belfast, Midlands, Fife, Liverpool, Cornwall)

• Operates as social franchise (best practice + quality system)

• International developments in progress (SSE Australia running / + China, Canada etc)

SSE information

All schools / programmes 1998 - 2009+3

• 85% of organisations established at SSE are still in existence: strong survival rate

• 60% report increased turnover after attending SSE; on average, a five-fold increase

• 88% experience a growth in confidence and skills to lead their organisation

• Over 50% make 10 or more useful contacts that they attribute directly to SSE

• Over half of SSE Fellows’ organisations gain more than 50% income from trading

• For every 10 Fellows, 34 jobs and 70 volunteering positions are created

SSE evaluation

(Why) is it growing?

Politicaldisillusionment

Ethical consumerism

Wellbeing agenda

Mobile, networked society

Structural, finance, support optionsMeaning +

purpose at work

Politicalsupport?Autonomy /

self-employment

What do we look for?

• (personal) Responsibility• Prone to action / not risk-averse• Innovative / creative• Visionary: have clear mission• Pragmatic• Persistent / committed• Resourceful / adaptable / opportunistic+ Engagement with community they are

aiming to serve

What motivates them?

• Personal injustice / experience• Restlessness with status quo• Identified problem / ‘wrong’• Identified opportunity / market niche• Seeking purpose / meaning• Faith• (Inspirational) role model(s)

Private Business

Public Sector

Social Entrepreneurs

Voluntary & Community

Sector

Social Enterprise

Third Sector

Social entrepreneurs’ habitat

What makes an effective social entrepreneur?

Funding: beyond government & philanthropy

• Government: local, regional, national, EU• Lottery: BLF, HLF, Awards for All• Trusts & Foundations: UK + international• Corporate Support: sponsorship, pro bono• Individual Giving: donations, philanthropy• Earning: contracting, procurement• Trading: selling, retail, trading• Social Impact investment: loan, social

venture capital, social impact bonds

Top tips

• Get on with it! • Take some risk• Charm (networks + relationships)• Structure, governance, financing,

activities chosen to achieve mission• Measurement – impact - results• Look after yourself• Come to the Devon SSE

Suggested reading• Everyday Legends: the stories of 20 great UK Social Entrepreneurs by James Baderman and Justine Law (WW Publishing, 2006)• Forces for Good by Leslie Crutchfield & Heather McLeod Grant (2007)•Your Chance to Change the World: the No-Fibbing Guide to Social Entrepreneurship by Craig Dearden-Phillips (DSC, 2008)• The Meaning of Social Entrepreneurship by Greg Dees (Duke Uni, 1998) • The Power of Unreasonable People by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan (HBS, 2008)• The Rise of the Social Entrepreneur by Charles Leadbeater (Demos, 1997) • The Social Entrepreneur by Andrew Mawson (Atlantic Books, 2008) • Social Entrepreneurship: new models of sustainable change by Alex Nicholls et al (OUP, 2008) • Leadership in the Social Economy by Charlotte Young and Fiona Edwards-Stuart (SSE, 2007)• OTS think pieces + Social Enterprise in Public Services (Smith Institute)

www.sse.org.ukwww.dartington.org

christine.allison@dartington.org+44 (0)1803 847059