Social Entrepreneurship : The Art of Mission-Based Venture Development
Until very recently, popular belief held that business skills were not needed at charitable organizations. No longer. Far from interfering with an organization’s ability to provide needed services, techniques such as marketing, cash flow analysis, property management, and good use of technology all contribute to a charitable organization’s mission capability. Unlike a not-for-profit that thinks of itself as a charity, the successful not-for-profit is really a mission-based business. In an era of rapid change, increasing competition, and the need for more accountability to governments, foundations, insurers, and donors, knowing how to innovate, compete, and take reasonable risks on behalf of the mission is critical. It is, in short, the era of the social entrepreneur. Skilled social entrepreneurs have the ability to get the most mission out of the resources at hand—including traditional business techniques. Finally, here is a book that will help you learn their techniques. In Social Entrepreneurship, you will learn how successful social entrepreneurs:Focus on community wants and needsMatch those with core competencies to provide the highest quality servicesAssess risk and gauge opportunityDevelop new project ideas and test their feasibilityWrite a business planProject finances in the planTap into new sources of fundingDevelop the idea of social entrepreneurship throughout the organizationMake sure that mission, not money, is the bottom lineAlso included are the seven essential steps of the not-for-profit business development process, real-world case studies, sample business plans, and a self-assessment process to determine if your organization is ready for social entrepreneurism. In addition to entrepreneurs, middle managers, policy setters, volunteers, and a host of other important staff members will get value from the mission-beneficial information in this book. Most important, Social Entrepreneurship will help you to help your organization succeed and thrive—and make your job more interesting and productive.