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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SES08 – Social Finance with CAIC from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

12:45    Introduction – Tonya Surman Executive Director, Centre for Social Innovation Social Finance may be a new concept for some but CAIC, the Canadian Alternative Investment Corporation, has been using social finance to support innovative social ventures for 25 years.  Together we’ll celebrate their anniversary.

Canadian Alternative Investment Corporation (CAIC)

Mission Statement (excerpt)

CAIC invests in groups working for positive social change and community economic development in Canada that lack access to traditional financing CAIC is particularly interested in investments that promote alternative economic structures which act as catalysts to structural change

Providing financing to profits, charities, social enterprises and cooperatives in the past 25 years Some highlights:

$15 million – more than 100 borrowers

Enviable track record of repayment (less than 1.5% default rate)

Types of loans provided

1. Mortgages for Community-based projects

CAIC is mandated by its members to make mortgages available to non-profits or charitable organizations working to provide social services in their communities (i.e. youth group homes, non-profit, homeless shelters).

2. Social & Affordable Housing Initiatives

CAIC is mandated by its members to make loans available to groups working to provide social and affordable housing in Canada… We define socially beneficial housing as: any low cost rental housing; housing that remains perpetually affordable; housing that is appropriate to those being housed; and resident & community controlled housing.

3. Social Enterprise Funding

CAIC provides loans & equity investments to groups, organizations & cooperatives assisting the economic development of disadvantaged people or communities.

Centre for Social Innovation

The Centre for Social Innovation is a social enterprise with a mission to catalyze social innovation in its home base of Toronto and around the globe. We believe that society is facing unprecedented economic, environmental, social and cultural challenges. We also believe that new innovations are the key to turning these challenges into opportunities to improve our communities and our planet.

Notes on Tonya’s talk: Basic business model – that of a landlord leasing to tenants, currently at 120 social innovation groups Campaigning for change-agents – providing a place for social innovators in the Toronto area

Theory of Change:

Why creating shared spaces with social innovators creates social innovation…

Need to create the space in order to animate the community, create the conditions for social innovation emergence

Version of Maslow’s pyramid with:

Innovation Community Space

Supported by the values of:

Entrepreneurship Collaboration Systems change

How do we understand the trends? How do we bring more intentionality to the social innovation process?

How does that connective tissue play a role in in creating and facilitating an environment for more creative ideas to happen?

What does social innovation look like? 1. Rise of hybrid organizations

Mix between non-profit and for-profit

2. Shifting corporate demand or market transformation

Markets Initiative – protecting forests with market forces

E.g. JK Rowling – Canadian edition of Harry Potter printed on FSC paper, saved thousands of trees

This is an example of working across different sectors to build market transformation

3. Constellation governance – new ways of organizing

Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health & Environment

Working together to reduce toxic exposures in Canada

Working with industry – companies producing chemicals – as well as government

How do we think like a network, a social movement?

4. Crowd-sourcing – how do you better understand the crowd?

5 Blocks North (I can’t seem to find a website for this organization)

Enable people within the community to connect with their neighbours, create a platform for outreach within the community

Again, using network theory and thinking like a movement to create social change

5. Web-enabled open action

Open source technology has transformed the way we work… seeing how it is going viral through the way we are working together

e.g. Jane’s Walk – hundreds of self-organized neighbourhood tours on single day (Jane Jacobs)

Build a relationship between the community walkers and the community itself

GetInvolved.ca Video Highlight

Elephant Thoughts

Elephant Thoughts Global Development Initiatives is a registered Canadian charity, founded in 2002 by a group of teachers, principals and other professional educators. Our mandate is to help promote high standards of education worldwide despite economic or geographic barriers while supporting initiatives which propagate cultural understanding and sharing among school aged children.

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SES08 – Making a living while making a difference – at any age from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

10:35 Dorothy Engelman, Executive Producer of GetInvolved.ca showcasing a short video documentary.

Getinvolved.ca is a companion piece to our TVO television series. On TVO, Get Involved is 25 documentary shorts celebrating people from 7-70 who are making a difference in their schools, in their community and through their work. They are stories of inspiration. GetInvolved.ca was created to transform that inspiration into action. Our mission at Get Involved.ca is to create a lively socially conscious networking community for individuals, not-for-profits, charities and community organizations to connect to one another and make a difference.

10: 50   Introduction – Dr. John Evans, Chair, MaRS/ Lisa Torjman, Associate, SiG@MaRS Social Entrepreneurship can be a life long vocation.  This panel will present on “Making a living while making a difference – at any age!” Speakers:

• David Galenson, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago, author: “Old Masters, Young Geniuses”
• Dev Aujla, Founder, DreamNow, author: “Occupation:  Change the World”
• Julia Moulden, Founder, The Company of New Radicals, author: “The New Radicals”

Dev Aujla – DreamNow

Mission DreamNow is a charitable organization that produces ideas that do good for the world. As a producer, we bring together people, raise money and plan for the growth of ideas that we believe will do good for the world. We are a charity but some of the ideas we help grow are social enterprises while others are more traditional such as research programs.

They are looking into the question of “how do you make money AND change the world?” Findings will be out soon. This is a topic that I have been giving a lot of thought in the past year and a half as well, looking forward to reading their report.

Julia Moulden – The Company of New Radicals

3 different types of “new radicals”

Activists: Left career that you started out on, and went to work for an organization that is doing good. E.g. Rocco Rossi, now CEO of Heart & Stroke Foundation

Entrepreneurs: People who create organizations whose core mission is ‘doing good’. E.g. Geoff Cape, and Wendy Kopp who created Teach for America

Innovators: People who stay inside their field and organization and drive change within. E.g. Chef Jamie Kennedy, advocate for regional and seasonal cuisine

David Galenson – Author, “Old Masters, Young Geniuses”

By examining the careers not only of great painters but also of important sculptors, poets, novelists, and movie directors, Old Masters and Young Geniuses offers a profound new understanding of artistic creativity. Using a wide range of evidence, David Galenson demonstrates that there are two fundamentally different approaches to innovation, and that each is associated with a distinct pattern of discovery over a lifetime.

Experimental innovators work by trial and error, and arrive at their major contributions gradually, late in life. In contrast, conceptual innovators make sudden breakthroughs by formulating new ideas, usually at an early age. Galenson shows why such artists as Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Cézanne, Jackson Pollock, Virginia Woolf, Robert Frost, and Alfred Hitchcock were experimental old masters, and why Vermeer, van Gogh, Picasso, Herman Melville, James Joyce, Sylvia Plath, and Orson Welles were conceptual young geniuses. He also explains how this changes our understanding of art and its past.

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SES08 – What is social innovation? from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

9:25    Introduction – Tim Brodhead, CEO, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation Dr. Frances Westley, J.W. McConnell Chair in Social Innovation at the University of Waterloo, SiG@Waterloo, will present on a framework for understanding social innovation.  Dr. Westley is also the author of the ground breaking book  “Getting to Maybe,” copies of which will be available for purchase at the event.

Tim: Let’s have a ’shout out’ for Frances Westley. Audience: Laughs and applause. Frances Westley, SiG@Waterloo – first keynote presenter of the morning Speaking about a framework for social innovation

Social innovation is an initiative, product or process or program that profoundly changes the basic routines, resource and authority flows or beliefs of any social system. Successful social innovations are therefore disruptive and have durability and broad impact.

Reference Document: The Social Innovation Dynamic Social innovation is complex: understanding the difference between complicated and complex is important in understanding the dynamics of social innovation Market/diffusion models of social innovation should be complemented by complex systems models which see change as discontinuous and focus on cross-scale dynamics Innovations abound…

Santropol Roulant

Eva’s Phoenix

The Working Centre

Simple, Complicated and Complex analogy from Getting to Maybe: How the World is Changed

Simple: Following a Recipe

Complicated: Sending a rocket to the moon

Complex: Raising a child

Problem of hiring consultants: most conulting packages are simple recipes when the organization they are looking that is either complicated or even complex – hence the abysmal failure in Geoff Cape’s example. Dynamics and phases of adaptation, the Adaptive Cycle:

Summary: To understand social innovation demands a complexity perspective Cross-scale dynamics are key and institutional entrepreneurship (intrapreneurs) and actor nets are as important for impact as are social entrepreneurs Institutional entrepreneurs draw on a range of transactional and translational skills and competencies to manage different phases of social innovation for greater impact

“Farmers don’t grow crops. They create the conditions for crops to grow: – Gareth Morgan

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I found it much more of a challenge this past weekend than I originally thought, to blog at the 2nd Annual Conference on Social Entrepreneurship, simply due to the challenge of making sure that things were on track, as well as having to prepare and present a workshop on securing sponsorship. Our conference was a success and many thanks to all who participated! We plan on making all of the materials from the conference (powerpoint slides, photos, videos, podcasts, etc.) online very shortly.

Social Entrepreneurship Summit 2008

SES08 – Geoff Cape on the challenges at Evergreen from SiG @ MaRS on Vimeo.

Andrew Dilts and I are currently at the Social Entrepreneurship Summit 2008 in Toronto and the morning is going well so far. This is my attempt to summarize each of the presentations I attend at the SE Summit.

8:45    Introduction – Ilse Treurnicht, CEO, MaRS Geoff Cape, Executive Director of Evergreen will present on the challenges and opportunities Evergreen is facing as they undertake a major scaling of their operation.  Geoff will also report on his experience at Davos as last year’s Summit recipient of the the Canadian Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Geoff Cape – Executive Director, Evergreen

Evergreen’s Mission

Evergreen is a not-for-profit organization that makes cities more livable. By deepening the connection between people and nature, and empowering Canadians to take a hands-on approach to their urban environments, Evergreen is improving the health of our cities – now and for the future.

Evergreen’s Vision

Evergreen envisions a sustainable society where individuals live in harmony with and contribute meaningfully to their local environment. Evergreen will be at the forefront of the movement to create this society, by empowering communities, by creating innovative resources and by transforming educational values.

Notes on Geoff’s talk: Mentions the World Entrepreneurship Forum in Evian, France. You begin to recognize how small the world is, everyone represents the same fundamental challenges – working yourself through a maze where the walls are always moving.

Working in the social enterprise and innovation field is akin to managing a puzzle where the pieces are constantly changing shape. These pieces are sometimes people or programs, and sometimes it is a 3 dimensional-puzzle about people sitting on top of a puzzle of programs, and the whole thing is moving.

Managing ambiguity, both good and bad, is something that gets him through the day because we’re constantly living it.

Expert consultant to try to figure out fundraising model within the organization – abysmal failure (see Q&A below)

Investing in core staff – single most powerful investment that they have made

Entrepreneurship is nothing more than the advancing of ideas – whether you are business, social, political entrepreneur.

Creativity is at the heart of entrepreneurship, building that culture of creativity around you, risk-orientation is a major quality, action is also key. Leaping in, advancing and evolving the idea in real time.

A certain amount of humility, and a sense that you have not gotten it right is also essential.

You need to a ask a lot of questions – reference to Frances Westley -

Am I the right person for the job? Am I worthy? Who am I to be doing the work I do? Etc… These questions force you to be better, forces you to work hard to be worthy, since the inevitable answer to all of these questions is ‘no’

Q&A:

What kind of support do you need to succeed since collectively, we are invested in each others success?

The idea of mentorship, having a sounding board is key. You need someone to help move your thinking about your anxieties and concerns. Geoff has a dozen people or so people that he engages at various stages. Understands the critical importance of relationships and networks, core competency in entrepreneurship in general is managing relationships and networks to work and build around ideas, when the time is right.

Why do you think consultants failed?

The very culture of an organization is the fabric of the organization. Sometimes bringing in a consultant from the outside to shake things up is a good idea. The problem arises when half-baked recipe solutions are provided rather than engaging in ‘open listening’ (a reference to Adam Kahane – mine). Within a strong oganization that already has a strong culture, you typically have the successes built right in there – what you then need from a consultant is to be show these successes instead of trying to sell you an idea/solution that does not fit.

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