EMC-SEI Social Enterprise Forum at SDSU
The Entrepreneurial Management Center is proud to announce a new partnership with the Social Enterprise Institute (www.se-institute.org), a leadership development and professional networking organization dedicated to advancing the non-profit sector through peer to peer interaction. Beginning in spring 2008, the EMC and SEI are launching the EMC-SEI Social Enterprise Forum at SDSU, targeting non-profit organizations with demonstrated expertise in the operation of revenue generating activities. This advanced practitioner forum will enable those committed to social entrepreneurship an opportunity to share lessons learned, identify common best practices, and achieve their social enterprise objectives.
In SEI's first cohort of sixteen member agencies, earned income from social enterprises increased by a combined total of nearly $1.5 million annually, which averaged over $89,00 per agency, a nearly 11% increase on average per organization. These organizations total revenue -- donated and earned income -- increased by over $3.9 million dollars, an increase of 15% year over year.
Forum Design
The EMC-SEI Social Enterprise Forum at SDSU offers leaders of philanthropic organizations a unique opportunity to explore issues and learn in a non-competitive environment with a group of fellow social entrepreneurs who support each other in creating financial sustainability in their respective organizations. The leaders meet monthly for a candid exchange of ideas and direct, honest feedback. Forums also feature expert speakers and experienced entrepreneurs, investors and practitioners, who share the latest social enterprise strategies and perspectives.
The EMC-SEI Forum will be comprised of 10-12 social sector executives and 2-5 entrepreneurs from the private sector. They will meet the first Wednesday of each month from 8am until noon, initially at the EMC and then at member locations, hosted on a rotating basis. The host member provides a tour of their facility and a presentation on their organization. As of January 2008, the membership fee for one year is $1500 per organization.
Schedule of Forum Events
(Partner Event) Social Business and Microeconomic Opportunities for Youth Conference March 12 - 14, 2008
EMC-SEI Social Enterprise Forum Orientation / Intro Session March 18, 2008 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
(Partner Event) The 10th Annual AMA Cause Conference March 19, 2008 (7:30 AM - 4:30 PM)
Membership
Click here for membership form
Program Background
Regional non-profits that have participated in the QUALCOMM EMC Social Entrepreneur Internship Program have increasingly engaged students to evaluate social venture opportunities. Pursuing strategies that earn revenue to supplement operational budgets is a national trend for non-profits, one that has grown in popularity in recent years. According to the Social Enterprise Alliance, research has shown that earned income efforts lead toward greater efficiencies and effectiveness in non-profit organizations, and there has been a 600% increase in fee-generated income in the social service sector over the past 20 years.
Leveraging its expertise in entrepreneurial education and experience with placing MBA interns in non-profit organizations, the EMC expanded a partner relationship with San Diego Social Venture Partners (SDSVP) to include a program in social venturing. The EMC and SDSVP kicked off this initiative on April 29, 2005, with a "Social Venturing in San Diego" event featuring keynote speaker Rafael Alvarez, president of Genesys ITS. Nearly 100 people representing a range of non-profit organizations including healthcare, education, the arts, and social services attended the event. They participated in track sessions based on their organization's stage of readiness for developing a social enterprise. These sessions addressed organizational readiness, enterprise readiness, and critical issues faced by organizations.
Building on enthusiastic feedback from the April 29th event, the EMC and SDSVP invited visionary non-profit leaders to participate in a focus group on October 14, 2005. Insight from the focus group aided development of a seminar series designed to support non-profits pursuing sustainability through social enterprise.
Partnering with Social Enterprise Institute will enable the EMC to bring the program developed in conjunction with SDSVP to fruition, and continue to serve the regional non-profit community with the best possible resources and tools for exploring and pursuing social enterprise.
To learn more about the program and to join, please download the membership form. or contact Bernhard Schroeder at 619.594.0560. We welcome your participation and involvement with this exciting new EMC program.
Links for Social Enterprise
