Social Enterprise for Inclusive Local Economies
There has been growing interest in social enterprise as a vehicle to create social change while addressing the age-old question of sustainability. Beginning with an assessment of the emergence and history of the social entrepreneurship movement, this course will cover topics such as the for-profit non-for-profit divide, the need for varied capital at different stages, and aspects of institutional and personal leadership. The course will be a combination of theory, introduction to tools and approaches, case studies, first-hand practitioner experience as well as field visits to help participants explore strategies for creating inclusive local economies.
Personal benefits
- Understand the context under which social enterprises are emerging as well as the overall landscape of actors involved.
- Develop an understanding of the different stages of social enterprise evolution and pathways to scaling.
- Become familiar with aspects of social enterprise design, resource mobilisation strategies as well as developing monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems.
- Get connected to and network with like-minded individuals from various organisations around the world who are trying to think outside the box.
Organizational benefits
- Develop a more nuanced understanding of what social enterprises are all about, the benefits as well as the challenges and pitfalls.
- Develop staff capacity to better understand the necessary pre-conditions for social enterprise development as well as possible transition pathways.
- In-depth introduction to successful and emerging social enterprise models in sectors such as health, agriculture, education, housing, water and sanitation etc.
Who should take the program?
This course is ideal for development leaders and change makers who are grappling with questions of how to balance the social mission with the issue of sustainability of their organisations and are seeking creative solutions.