When people talk about having an impact in the world, they are usually thinking about serving at a food kitchen or administering vaccines in Africa. Usually, these ideas are not associated with business or making money in general, which are often characterized as selfish. This idea likely stems from the history of philanthropy, which was […]
Category: Social Enterprise
As companies experience more success, there is a growing trend towards increased emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). According to a Harvard study, around 90% of companies on the S&P 500 published a CSR report in 2019, compared to just 20% in 2011. Large companies now recognise that the environment and communities in which they […]
In school, students spend most of their time working on homework assignments and projects, which, despite their importance in reinforcing skills learned in class, have no immediate benefit to the world. Similarly, in traditional management consulting roles, employees often utilize the latest tools to solve their clients’ problems, often without considering the impacts beyond the […]
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Social Enterprise
It’s about much more than generating social good. It’s about changing the financial goal posts.
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Giving and Growing
Business can step up by reaching out, but it needs to adopt a new approach THE OLD MODEL of corporate giving involves the CEO championing a particular charity, and then writing a cheque. The old model is broken. Broken because it relies on the whim of the CEO, who could change her priorities at any […]
By addressing social issues with sustainable business models, business leaders have the potential to provide scalable solutions MICHAEL PORTER makes an astute observation – the world is full of social problems. From environmental degradation and disease to unemployment and inequality, solving social problems has traditionally been the domain of NGOs, the government and philanthropists. Meanwhile, […]
“We’ve put charities in a box for far too long, let’s set them free.” ~ Nat Ware, CEO of 180 Degrees Consulting IN an informative and timely TED Talk, Nat Ware explains how society’s traditional notions of ‘charity’ often constrain the ability of charities to have a meaningful social impact. Below we highlight three beliefs about […]
THE YEAR is 2050. Imagine waking up in a world where you feel positive and motivated about going to work, knowing that your work provides value to customers in a way that is sustainable and responsible. Your employer operates with the express aim of benefiting members of the community and reinvests all profits to further its […]
Lack of a sustainable ‘business engine’ is a Social Enterprise’s Kryptonite IT’S a charity … It’s a for-profit … No, it’s a social enterprise! Social enterprise is on the rise (the number of social enterprises in Australia has grown by 37% in the last 5 years). Just like a regular business, but with one key difference; a […]
SOCIAL VENTURES Australia (SVA) is a relatively new non-profit organisation. Founded in 2002, SVA invests in social change projects to help increase the impact and build the sustainability of high potential organisations in the social sector. SVA currently supports a range of promising organisations including AIME, STREAT, and Teach for Australia. The consulting arm of SVA, aptly […]