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- CityKid Java - April 25, 2013
- Meeting your Social Enterprise Needs through Educational Partnership - March 14, 2013
- 10,000 Villages - February 14, 2013
- Branding on a Budget - March 8, 2012
- Buying Power for Good - November 8, 2012
- Holiday Tour of Midtown Global Market - December 13, 2012
- Innovative Packaging Solutions - December 8, 2011
- Putting the Sales into Social Enterprise - January 10, 2013
- Summer Social Event - July 12, 2012
- Technology Innovation for Social Enterprises - May 10, 2012
- Youth Farm and Market Project - August 9, 2012
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About
The Social Enterprise Alliance – Twin Cities is made possible by generous support of the Greater Twin Cities United Way.
What is the Social Enterprise Alliance?
The Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA) is the leading membership organization in North America for social enterprises, service providers, nonprofit organizations, corporations, and venture capitalists that is actively building the field of social enterprise through networking opportunities, educational forums, strategic partnerships, and impact legislation. Our members are passionate about changing their communities, and we are passionate about providing them with the tools they need to continue their good work.
How are social enterprises different from other types of businesses?
A social enterprise is an organization or venture that achieves its primary social or environmental mission using business methods. The social needs addressed by social enterprises and the business models they use are as diverse as human ingenuity. Social enterprises build a more just, sustainable world by applying market-based strategies to today’s social problems.
Two distinct characteristics differentiate social enterprises from other types of businesses, nonprofits and government agencies:
- Social enterprises directly address social needs through their products and services or through the numbers of disadvantaged people they employ. This distinguishes them from “socially responsible businesses,” which create positive social change indirectly through the practice of corporate social responsibility (e.g., creating and implementing a philanthropic foundation; paying equitable wages to their employees; using environmentally friendly raw materials; providing volunteers to help with community projects).
- Social enterprises use earned revenue strategies to pursue a double or triple bottom line, either alone (as a social sector business, in either the private or the nonprofit sector) or as a significant part of a nonprofit’s mixed revenue stream that also includes charitable contributions and public sector subsidies. This distinguishes them from traditional nonprofits, which rely primarily on philanthropic and government support.
Download the SEA-TC Membership Benefits Brochure!
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