Laurel Centre conference featured Marc Kielburger keynote

By Suzanne Gardner

The Laurel Centre for Social Entrepreneurship hosted their second Annual Conference on Social Entrepreneurship from November 14-16, 2008. Over the span of three days, roughly 200 people came together in Waterloo, Ontario to talk, learn, and live social entrepreneurship.

The weekend kicked off on Friday night with a lecture from Free the Children’s chief executive director Marc Kielburger. After an engaging and impassioned speech about his own experiences living and working in developing countries, Kielburger stayed for over an hour longer to chat with each and every attendee waiting in the massive line up to meet him!

Photo by Michelle Attard

Throughout the rest of the weekend there were talks about keys to success, attracting and retaining talent, decreasing high school drop-out rates, (the ever important) revenue generation, and much more. Key leaders in the areas of health, education, and international development came together to talk about their efforts, successes and challenges. With non-stop keynotes, workshops, and panel discussions, it was no wonder everyone was tired out by the end. Tired, but inspired.

“We are pleased to see such an overwhelming interest in social entrepreneurship, and we embrace the opportunity to inform, engage and connect our delegates in such an inspiring field,” says Andrew Dilts, Chair of the Laurel Centre.

“We find that knowledge of social entrepreneurship techniques is in great demand in today’s economic climate, and take pride in helping our delegates work towards positive change in the world.”

The Laurel Centre’s leadership team would like to thank all the delegates, speakers, and volunteers for joining us for the weekend, bringing along their energy, enthusiasm, and passion for changing the world. We’d also like to thank our sponsors for their generous support without which this event would not have been possible.

Photo by Michelle Attard

For more information on the Laurel Centre, please visit www.laurelcentre.ca. For more event photos, click here.

Suzanne Gardner is the Director of Communications at the Laurel Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in Waterloo, Ontario. The Laurel Centre features business-minded discipline with passion for social change.

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I also had the pleasure of meeting Karim and Michael, the guys behind SocialFinance.ca, at the Social Finance Forum in Toronto last week and they are working hard to build SocialFinance.ca as the place to discuss the advancement of social finance in Canada.

Karim also does an excellent job of providing a recap of the Social Enterprise Summit as well.

Their website is certainly a great resource, and if you have not already checked it out, I would encourage you to do so.

That being said, with social finance and sustainable revenue generating models being such hot topics in Canada and around the world right now, the themes for next year’s 3rd Annual Conference on Social Entrepreneurship hosted by the Laurel Centre may focus on these two topics.

Watch this space for more details.

***

Photos and online media coverage

(With Marc Kielburger at the 2nd Annual Conference on Social Entrepreneurship)

Photos taken at the 2nd Annual Conference on Social Entrepreneurship

November 23, 2008: SocialFinance.ca: Laurel Centre’s Annual Conference Recap

November 19, 2008: The Cord Weekly: Marc Kielburger encourages social change

November 6, 2008: Skoll Foundation: Marc Kielburger to kick off Social Entrepreneurship Conference

November 5, 2008: The Record: It’s about more than money

October 10, 2008: Imprint: Social Change

October 2, 2008: @UW: Laurel Centre hosts Marc Kielburger

September 30, 2008: Exchange Morning Post: A step forward in changing the world

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Jessica Flannery

Jessica started talking about her background story, her first exposure to poverty on a trip to Haiti (please correct me if I am wrong)

Took philosophy and political science in college in order to a) think strategically and b) understand who was making the rules in order to change the rules.

After a few years out of college, trying to figure out what to do (as I am sure with every other twenty-something college grad)…

Heard Muhammad Yunus speak and the rest, as they say, is history.

Kiva sometimes thinks like a tech company (being located in San Francisco), and sometimes like a development company

Stressed that Kiva is about people, sharing their stories – each story is significant and meaningful – expanding shared possibilities

Loans do a lot to alleviate poverty – Kiva’s hope is to changes the way we think about and see what is possible in our lives.

Example:

Lender comes across the story of a woman in sub-Saharan Africa. They would not see this woman as needing ‘help’ in the traditional sense, but as an equal, as a business partner. The woman receives funding, not just money but money with heart – that allows her to grow her small micro-enterprise. In turn, this woman starts to think about herself and how the global community sees her in a much different way.

Kiva has managed to raise $50 million in micro-credit loans in the past three years, transforming hundreds of thousands of lives all over the world.

—

Charity Banking Initiative

Through a bold and innovative Charity Banking Initiative (CBI), Citizens Bank of Canada and Vartana will offer a full suite of financial products and services and provide education and outreach that supports organizational capacity-building for the not-for-profit sector (NFP) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ontario. With retail banking services delivered through our Front Street branch location and National Contact Centre, the successes and opportunities learned through this pilot program will support the development of other Charity Banking Initiatives across Canada.

The official launch of CBI is scheduled for early 2009 And although I have linked the CBI to a job posting on the Citizen’s Bank website, I am told that they have already filled the position of Community Business Manager. Notes on the CBI presentation:

Vartana

Was started by an Ashoka Fellow and social entrepreneur, Aaron Pereira, who is now currently a Skoll Fellow at Oxford University

Interesting tidbit of information…. Aaron was one of our keynote speakers at our inaugural conference on social entrepreneurship held in Waterloo last year

Vancity / Citizens Bank

Vancity Savings Credit Union

- Founded in 1946 – Working with people and communities to help them thrive and prosper – Largest credit union in English-speaking Canada – $14 billion in assets – 400,000 members – 60 branches

Citizens Bank of Canada was formed to take Vancity beyond the borders of BC

- Retail banking transactions via the internet, national contact centre, and selected boutique branches – Citizens Bank of Canada remains the first and still, the only bank with an ethical policy that states position on key social and environmental issues

—

UPDATES on all of the other sessions at the Social Finance Forum will be coming soon…

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What the Social Finance Forum currently looks like…. The Social Enterprise Summit took place here yesterday as well, at the MaRS building in downtown Toronto. On a side note, Im currently sitting in a panel discussion called “Creating Canada’s Social Finance Marketplace” and one of the topics of discussion revolved around the Canadian Revenue Agency and how they are ‘cracking’ down on charitable organizations making a ‘profit’ because of the success of their social enterprise, since they are no longer operating like a ‘charity’ within the framework defined by the CRA. This is unfortunate and it will be interesting to see how this plays out in Canadian society, and whether there will be pressure on the CRA to update the tax code as it relates to social enterprise. A rep from MBAs Without Borders stood up and mentioned that his organization was facing a similar challenge as well… On another note, its great to see direct audience participation at this forum.

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SFF2008 – Welcome to Social Finance: A Primer and State of the Nation from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

8:30am-9:00am: Opening Session – Welcome to Social Finance: a primer and state of the nation This session will provide an overview of Social Finance in general and the growing momentum in Canada.  You will also hear highlights on provincial initiatives, national projects, and how the social finance ecosystem is taking shape. Ilse Treurnicht, (introduction), CEO, MaRS Discovery District Tim Brodhead, President and CEO, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation Tim Draimin, Executive Director, SiG National; Chair, Causeway Social Finance; Senior Fellow, Tides Canada Foundation

—

Opening remarks are being made right now  by Ilse, talking about MaRS as well as introducing the two Tim’s, Tim Brodhead and Tim Draimin. Notes on discussion: Tim B – Visionary, one of those Canadians who can see the future clearly and then acts on it

Joke – He can see the future more clearly sitting down

Challenge: How do we mobilize new sources of financial support for organization, namely non-profit organizations?

To do this, we need to get rid of the notion of non-profit, instead use public benefit or community-benefit organizations

Need to look for new solutions – in Canada, we need to be much more creative in identifying ways in which the work of these groups can be supported financially

Causeway – PLAN, Ashoka, Carleton University, MaRS, McConnell Foundation, Social Capital Partners and a number of other partners, who set themselves the task in doing some research in other areas (US, UK), and created an advocacy plan – government, community-benefit sector, private sector – path that we have been on for the past two years

This past year has been Causeway’s start up year – helped by Michael Lewkowitz and Joanna Reynolds

Last year, held the first Social Finance Forum

“One hand in the soil, the other hand reaching for the stars” – Al Etmanski

Told the story of a Major General looking at the stars and realizing how small humanity is in comparison to the universe. The Major General then turned to his Deputy for his thoughts, and the Deputy exclaimed that their tent was stolen…

I guess the moral of the story is to dream big (reach for the stars, etc…) but to have that dream grounded in reality

We are living in remarkable times: No one could anticipate two years ago the financial crisis in the stock and housing markets today – which is about to make itself in the job market and the real economy. Many references to the 2nd Great Depression today

Reality: An increase in demand for social services, fewer government dollars. Lingering effects of insecurity over the economy (loss of jobs, homes, etc.) will be felt for many years to come

Conclusion: Work started two years ago even more urgent now

What we should remember: Lots of experience out there that we can learn from, instead of yes we can do it….. yes, we ARE doing it….

Tim Draimin – Founder and CEO of Tides Canada Foundation and now Executive Director of SiG

SiG is a collaborative effort on the part of PLAN, UW, MaRS and McConnell to create in Canada a culture which supports and sustains a continual process of social innovation that address intractable social problems

Causeway is time bound, 3 year limit – Within this time period, goal is to support and work with organizations that are working in social finance, help facilitate and support a national movement for change.

1. Engaging mainstream financial institutions

Outreach in terms of discussion with financial institutions

Collaborating with social investment organizations – Social Investment Organization, Canadian Association for Socially Responsible Investment

2. Support mobilization of knowledge

Actively trying to build a network of academic and training institutions interested in social finance

Carleton University – Carleton Centre for Community Innovation

Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia

Margie Mendell – Paper (.pdf) Social Enterprises in OECD Member Countries: What are the financial streams? – Concordia University

3. Catalyze a national movement around social finance

Roundtable on Social Finance created in British Columbia

Community Foundations of Canada – Pilot project called Responsible Investing

Participated at Imagine Canada and Association of Fundraising Professionals – focus on social finance

4. Policy advocacy in social finance

Difficult year to work because of the national election that took place recently

Federal inquiry – find out how much the federal government knows about social finance, recognize the levers within this community to place social finance on the agenda

Social Finance movement in other parts of Canada:

Emergence of new Social Finance fund called the Resilient Fund (can’t seem to find a web link)

Fraser Valley Centre for Social Enterprise – Looking into the best incorporation status for SE entities wanting to engage in social finance

VanCity – New Executive VP for Social Finance

Social Enterprise Fund (.pdf)  – Edmonton, Alberta

Another investment fund in Ontario – Investico

Many clean tech and energy funds starting up as well

New social venture model that MaRS has been working on

Ontario Trillium Foundation is creating a Future Fund

Chantier L’Economie Sociale – whole new policy framework to support the social economy in Quebec

SocialFinance.ca

Online platform for both individuals and organizations to use to discuss emerging thoughts and trends on social finance

Causeway is looking to build their platform through SocialFinance.ca - open to other organizations to link into it – ability to support email, calendars, sharedocs and email

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The Issue

The social sector in Canada needs adequate resources to effectively address entrenched social problems. The two traditional sources of revenue, government grants and private donations, will not by themselves meet the need.

The Solution

New sources of capital, often called “social finance”, are being created by international financial institutions. This emerging field of investment blends economic and social returns and is located on the continuum between high financial and no social return (traditional investment vehicles) and no financial but high social returns (grants or donations). Examples range from affordable housing and microfinance to social enterprises and clean technology.

Tomorrow’s conversation on social finance should prove to be interesting, til then…

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Tamzin Ractliffe, Founder, SASIX – Keynote speaker at SES08 from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

Tamzin Ractliffe, founder of the South Africa Social Investment Exchange, delivered the closing keynote address at the Social Enterprise Summit 2008.

The South African Social Investment Exchange

“To give away money is an easy matter in any man’s power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy matter.” Aristotle

As well as promoting a new approach to public and corporate participation in social development, SASIX aims to build a culture of accountability for social performance amongst beneficiary organisations.

GreaterCapital, as part of the GreaterGood group, created South Africa’s first social investment ’stock exchange’ where carefully selected projects are listed and offered to the public as investment opportunities with a social return.

The South African Social Investment Exchange (SASIX) provides independent research, evaluation and monitoring to ensure that listed projects meet a set of criteria, including the ability to deliver measurable returns. These returns are social rather than financial but they are nonetheless vital for development in South Africa.

A prospectus is printed quarterly and detailed Project Proposal Profile documents are available on this website, outlining each investment opportunity. They include a risk analysis, the minimum investment required and metrics portraying the qualitative and quantitative life change that is expected as a result of the project.

Learn more

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SES08 – Breakthrough Social Entrepreneurs Look to the Future from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

4:10    Introduction – Tim Draimin, Executive Director, Social Innovation Generation, Chair, Causeway Social Finance Breakthrough Social Entrepreneurs Look to the Future Join these Canadian leaders as they explain what contributed to their success and what we can expect on the horizon for social entrepreneurship in Canada. Speakers:

• Mary Gordon , Roots of Empathy
• Peter Nares, SEDI
• Al Etmanski, PLAN

Future of Social Entrepreneurship

Highlighting Ashoka since everyone on this panel are Ashoka Fellows:

Ashoka is the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs—men and women with system changing solutions for the world’s most urgent social problems. Since 1981, we have elected over 2,000 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 60 countries.

With our global community, we develop models for collaboration and design infrastructure needed to advance the field of social entrepreneurship and the citizen sector.

Our Fellows inspire others to adopt and spread their innovations – demonstrating to all citizens that they too have the potential to be powerful changemakers.

Peter Nares, SEDI

Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI)

Social and Enterprise Development Innovations (SEDI) is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping low-income Canadians achieve economic self-sufficiency. Our initiatives focus on three areas: financial literacy, asset-building and entrepreneurship.

For over 20 years, SEDI has worked with more than 800 nonprofit and government agencies across Canada. Through our strong networks, expertise and credibility, we are able to narrow the gap between communities and policy-makers, influencing social policies that affect low-income Canadians.

Notes on Peter’s talk: Real challenge for community organizations to focus on the whole systems approach, especially when they are trying to make ends meet Challenge is in working with government, private and public sector all at the same time, working horizontally instead of vertical (government is structured vertically) Social entrepreneurship is a connecting process and is needed now more than ever – vital to progress – social entrepreneurs are ahead of the curve and are able to identify opportunities amidst chaos – opportunities that are able to produce social change Cultivate social entrepreneurs, just like we do with artists. investments will be required – not just in terms of financial investments, but also building capacity that can yield both social (human capital) and economic results Imagination is needed

“We are told never to cross a bridge till we come to it, but this world is owned by men and women who have crossed bridges in their imagination far ahead of the crowd.” – Library, Speakers

Mary Gordon – Roots of Empathy

Roots of Empathy is an award winning, evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression among schoolchildren by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. The program reaches elementary schoolchildren from Kindergarten to Grade 8. In Canada, the program is delivered in English and French and reaches rural, urban, and remote communities including Aboriginal communities. Roots of Empathy is also delivered in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

Notes on Mary’s talk: Evidence when you do engage families, you do help the children. Roots of Empathy is bringing the community to the school, which is a mandate of education.

Al Etmanski, SiG@PLAN

I have written about Al Etmanski and the PLAN Institute before, click here to read Notes on Al’s talk: Registered Disabilities Savings Plan (RDSP) Vote for the RDSP on Changemakers.net in the Banking for Social Change competition The RDSP will be available on Dec 1, 2009

Impact: 500,000 individuals and families immediately

$200,000 lifetime contribution limit

Matching Disability Savings Grant

Market potential $80 billion

Disability Benefits implications:

- raise asset limit – eliminate claw back – transform welfare system Al’s recommended approach to pursuing a solution to a tough problem:

“Describe your solution in the fullest possible terms, and then double it.”

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SES08 – Social Metrics and Educating Social Entrepreneurs from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

3:30    Introduction – Allyson Hewitt, Director, SiG@MaRS Building the capacity for effectiveness.  Last year we heard the need to build the “technical” skills required for social entrepreneurs and the need for social metrics.  This year, we asked these international leaders to address these challenges. Speakers:

• Nick Temple, Director of Policy and Communications, School for Social Entrepreneurs, UK
• Nigel Biggar, Director, Social Performance Management Center, Grameen Foundation

Nick Temple, Director of Policy and Communications, School for Social Entrepreneurs, UK

Definition of Social Entrepreneurship: when Richard Branson meets Gandhi

Michael Young another great example of a social entrepreneur

Others:

Rose Spearing, Ebony Horse Club

Sheenagh Day, Maison Bengal

Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa, Catch22 Magazine

What does SSE do and how? An entrepreneurial individual joins the program with 15 to 20 other people, for a year long study in social entrepreneurship.

This entrepreneurial individual:

- is driven, committed, prone to action, persitient, engaged with their community, personally motivated, practical, resourceful

- has an idea for social change

- and wants to make it happen

Throughout the year long program, these individuals are exposed to:

- Expert Witnesses – social entrepreneurs who have been there and done that… and got the t-shirt, and in some cases, did not get the t-shirt

- No defined curriculum of content, since each of these people will take away a different lesson from each of the expert witness stories

- Project visits as well as peer to peer learning

- One to one tutoring and business advice, mentoring

… and this all leads up to a powerful experience for all individuals involved with the program.

Social entrepreneurs can work in:

1. Social enterprise
2. Voluntary and community sector
3. Private business
4. Public sector.

Third sector: social enterprise and voluntary & community sector. The UK now has an Office of the Third Sector

Overview of Social Entrepreneurship:

Individuals creating community-engaged, community-shaped organizations

Rooting it in the personal and particular for sustainable, real, radical and long lasting change

Hardwiring diversity in leadership

Combining resourcefulness, opportunity and innovation in practical action

Developing business and life skills through practical learning

Outcomes, not process

Bottom line: People

Revenue generation and sustainability model for SSE: Package the SSE and sell it in different ways to different people by region, by outcomes, etc. Three years ago, revenue from trusted foundations comprised of 85% of their revenue stream… now, it has been reduced to 15% – mixed revenue streams from government, trusted foundations, philanthropy money, corporate money, sell it in different ways to different people by regional, by outcomes. Mixed funding streams has made the SSE more resilient.

Nigel Biggar, Director, Social Performance Management Center, Grameen Foundation

www.progressoutofpoverty.org

What is: Microfinance

Microfinance is a proven poverty-alleviation tool. An MFI (microfinance institution) is an organization that provides low-interest loans to entrepreneurs (mainly in developing countries) that normally would not be able to access loans Grameen Foundation

Based in Washington DC and Seattle, Washington. 56 partners in 25 countries.

Services offered: social performance, tech, finance, human capital

Mission is to enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty. Social Performance Management? We MUST manage our social performance, where social performance management is the effective translation of social goals into practice

Endgame: MFIs more effective at poverty alleviation

Understand poverty levels of MFI clients

Understand poverty changes over time (are people gettig out of poverty?)

Meeting client needs with products and services

The Progress out of Poverty Index^TM?

The PPI is a simple poverty measurement tool

10 non-financial indicators

Benchmarked to international poverty lines

Estimates the likely poverty levels of households

The PPI is based on an approach developed by Mark Schreiner of Microfinance Risk Management LLC CGAP, Grameen and Ford Foundation support the use of the PPI

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SES08 – Change Makers from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

1:40    Introduction – Stephen Huddart, Vice-President, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation There is no one path to social entrepreneurship; anyone can be a “change maker” no matter his or her vocation.  These speakers have all taken a different route to achieve innovative social purpose work. Speakers:

• Marty Donkervoort, President, Inner-City Renovations
• Barb Steele, CSR advisor, Canadian Business for Social Responsibility
• Jonathan Loudon, Managing Partner, Cooler Solutions Inc.

Marty Donkervoort, President, Inner-City Renovations

Amazing story of a successful social enterprise transforming lives in northern Winnipeg.

Mission To provide quality employment for inner city low income residents and quality services to inner city non-profit community organizations. Inner City Development Inc.’s goal is to be a self-sustaining employee-owned group of companies.   We intend to create steady employment and practical training for inner city residents. Our employees are what make ICD different, and they are committed to making a difference to Winnipeg’s Inner City.

Marty:

“Multiple bottom lines make our business community more stable, especially in these times of economic crises”

Barb Steele, CSR advisor, Canadian Business for Social Responsibility

Business-model: Business with a mission – advance the corporate agenda around social and environmental responsibility in Canada Consumer, investor and employer market trends are shifting -> lots of opportunities for business to step up and embrace these market trends Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) topic overall – fantastic time from an economic and historical perspective, lots of potential for this topic to catapult Canada and all of its organizations to become a world-wide leader in this field.

Jonathan Loudon, Managing Partner, Cooler Solutions Inc.

…. Design innovation (sustainable and healthy thinking) is a great tool for helping meet our own needs in the developed world and that of developing countries

Enhancing Life Through Cooler Innovation Cooler Solutions is an innovation and product design company that works with companies who want to enhance the experience of their product offerings. Driven by design A passion for design and innovation is Cooler’s foundation. We use design thinking – that is creative, right-brain thinking applied to real life practical situations – to open up new market opportunities and to develop innovations that inspire the consumer. Our designs connect with your customer, increase profitability, and build brands

Q&A

(N.B. Question and answers are paraphrased)

Question to Marty: What is the role of government in enabling and supporting the work you do?
A: Government support for education and training, this is available to other similar organizations as well

Barb: CSR budgets first thing to be cut in these economic times?
A: We’re not sure – CBSR is calling for growth for 2009 – market place shift (NOT a trend) is already taking place. The focus should really be around sound business management – firms that are operating in this way are taking a longer term view and a wider view of risk, these are the firms that will do a lot better.

Jonathan: How do you ensure that the design has impact and does not just look good?
A: Try to develop products that are going to connect with end customer, lots of time refining and testing so that they do connect and subsequently have impact. Have to stand up in terms of sustainable approach – find a way to make it economically viable focus. This is a challenge, especially since they are a products manufacturer that focuses on carbon footprint

Marty: Growing number of decaying cities across North America, is there potential for replicating this business model?
A: The model that ICR uses is that of a formed partnership between a social enterprise and non-profit housing organizations – there is a real need for social housing in all inner cities. To that extent, yes, this model can be replicated.

Follow up question: Question regarding the employee-owned business model
A: This stems from Marty’s background in business – employee-owned is better in this case instead of just managers owning the business

Barb: How do you ensure a company’s commitment to environment and social responsibility goals?
A: This is a question of setting metrics. To be a part of CBSR, company has to submit an application to our board – provide a brief description of the work they can do. Within their own business operation – what business are they in? What is their strategy for incorporating CSR? If the application gets approved, they sign a pledge that they are committing to these CSR milestones (however no follow-up is made with the corporate organization to ensure that CSR milestones are met, but there is a reporting structure in place, with over half of the corporate organizations reporting)

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