Social Enterprise

LOOKING FOR A COORDINATOR FOR THIS GROUP. The group would be a place for people starting Social Enterprises and Worker Collectives to collaborate, share resources, hold events to attract partnerships, etc.

Introduction

Social Enterprises are organizations that are "for profit", but not entirely for profit, because they are responsible to the community, and perhaps even focused on the community. Some believe that the focus on profit and the reward to "owners" should be limited.

Here is information from one group: https://www.se-alliance.org/what-is-social-enterprise

This working group is focused on discussing what we believe is an appropriate Social Enterprise. This will include discussing what we, as a group, think are good "guiding principles" for Social Enterprises and [Worker Collectives/Cooperatives].

There are and will probably be more Social Enterprises that start up operations in and around OB. For a list of these, please go here Social Enterprise List

MEETING: Wednesday 2/22, location/time TBD. Write to Terra @ volunteer@occupyboston.org. Probably at E5, but no confirmation on space availability yet. Scroll down for meeting detail.

Types of OB Groups Serving Social Enterprises

So far, there appear to be three groups emerging with different focuses and working gruops. Here's our best guess at how this is evolving:

1. [Sustainable Economy] Policy Working Group - What the business world should look like and what public and private policies can be implemented to realize that vision.

2. [Social Enterprise Working Group] - What the standards are that make an individual business "sustainable"

3. [Social Enterprises] (S.Ent) - The actual operations of Occupy Boston affiliated Social Enterprises and [Worker Collectives]

4. Consumer Action - How we can coordinate consumer spending to influence individual firms or industries to improve their social and environmental impact. (list of direct action ideas is coming...if you're from Direct Action, tell us where to put these, please)

Contact

Contact: elise.moussa @ gmail.com

Meeting Info

FEB 2/22, meeting one

WHAT: People interested in talking about: - Social Enterprise business development - what it takes to get started - what resources are available.

WHERE: Kendall Square, write for instructions

Resources

==Inspiration==, like why bother:

Presentation about why the Occupy movement can take back the economy: http://www.communityeconomies.org/site/assets/media/Occupy-Connect-Create-3.0_large.pdf , lots of great background/links. There’s a foldable two-sided version. Write to the author.

The presentation given to OWS: http://dawn.coop/content/dawn-gives-presentation-emerging-occupy-wall-street-cooperatives

==Successful Local Ops==, for mentoring/advice

Community Builders Coop (CBC), local the renovation/construction cooperative, a worker-owned coop for over 25 years, 617.623.8340, Paul Breneman and Mark Rudnick

Associations

Worker-Owned and Run Cooperative Network http://worcn.org/ The next WORC'N meeting will be Thursday, March 15th, tentatively at the Community Builders Cooperative, just outside Union Square on the Somerville/Cambridge line- 24 Webster Ave, Suite 2. It’ll be to talk about fundraising and promotion for the conference.

National Worker Co-op Group/Conference (a fee, maybe $20?): http://www.usworker.coop/events/2012-national-worker- cooperative-conference this might be the contact: ejohnson@redsunpress.com

http://netimpact.org/

http://sea-mass.org/

http://www.meetup.com/Social-Entrepreneurs-Group-Boston/

List of Co-Op Development Guides: http://american.coop/node/119

Money: Cooperative Fund of New England (loans) coopfund.coop Micha Josephy micha@coopfund.coop

Other:

Equal Exchange, Aaron Dawson Red Sun Press (printing), www.redsunpress.com

Newell Lessell of the ICA Group Chris Mackin of Ownership Associates

Cooperative Development Institute Noémi Giszpenc, Executive Director P.O. Box 422, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 Ph: 1-877- NE COOPS, 413-665-1271 x2 Fax: 413-541-8300 ngiszpenc@cdi.coop, www.cdi.coop CDI on Facebook / Twitter

The UN declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives (www.2012.coop), cuz co-ops make the world better…

Terry Mollner: Founder of the Calvert Socially Responsible Investment Fund & Foundation Founder & Executive Director of Trusteeship Institute (Promotes Mahatma Gandhi’s Economic Ideas), Member of the Board of Ben & Jerry’s. Chair of StakeHolders Capital, Inc. in Amherst, MA, a socially responsible asset management firm, a founder in 1982 and member of the board of the Calvert Social Investment Funds, Inc. ($6 billion under management), a founder of the Calvert Foundation that raises low interest capital from the public and invests it in low income housing and microloan programs around the world ($550 million under management) and a member of the Board of Directors of Ben & Jerry's. He was part of a team that secured a contract with Unilever when they bought it that allowed the board of directors to maintain ownership of the social mission and brand integrity, the only socially responsible company bought by a multinational to secure such a contract. Since 1973 he has been the Executive Director of Trusteeship Institute, Inc. that promotes Mahatma Gandhi’s economic ideas. He is also one of the founders of two intentional communities of friends. He has just finished a book, The Love Skill: We Are Mastering the 7 Layers of Human Maturity.

http://stakeholderscapital.com/

Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts

http://www.agmconnect.org/

Lists of Resources

lots of resources in the fotenotes in this doc: http://www.communityeconomies.org/site/assets/media/Occupy-Connect-Create-3.0_large.pdf