What is social enterprise?
Social enterprise challenges the predominant understanding of business as pursuing wealth at the expense of people and the planet.
A traditional view of business measures a healthy economy by wealth gained through the trade of goods and services. Social enterprises, however, produce goods and services for trade but direct their surpluses towards social goals. They offer inspired, tangible solutions that elevate vulnerable populations, mitigate environmental impact and connect individuals with communities.
Social enterprises view community prosperity that balances economic and social development as the most important indicator of a society’s success. They understand that communities are strongest when their individual members are too, when social and financial barriers are lifted and opportunities are generated for all. This economy of care values performance indicators like social well-being, environmental health and cultural diversity to measure quality of life.