Social Enterprise
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LOOKING FOR A COORDINATOR FOR THIS GROUP. The group has become a place for people starting Social Enterprises and Worker Collectives to collaborate, share resources, hold events to attract partnerships, etc. We need help organizing events, and doing research for those that are starting operations up.
Introduction
Social Enterprises are organizations that are "people before profit". Some may be non-profits. Some may be "for profit", but not entirely for profit, because they are responsible to the community.
Occupy-inspired presentation about the importance of Social Enterprise, and the "Solidarity Economy": http://wiki.occupyboston.org/images/4/4f/SE_101.odp
To find out what a "Social Enterprise" is considered, see this 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. And to coordinate/collaborate with resources, folks that want to start operations, folks that are already operating, and people that want to help.
This will include discussing what we, as a group, think are good "guiding principles" for Social Enterprises and [Worker Collectives/Cooperatives].
There are already Social Enterprises operating all around us. And those that are starting up already because of connections that were made and are being made through Occupy communities. For a list of those we know about that are associated directly or indirectly with Occupy Boston, please go here Social Enterprise List
Types of OB Groups Serving Social Enterprises
So far, there appear to be three groups emerging out of Occupy Boston with slightly different focuses. 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). The Sustainable Economy WG is developing a list.
Contact
Contact: elise.moussa @ gmail.com
[click here to get to the page to join the list]
Meeting Info
MEETINGS: There's the "Social Enterprise WG meeting", which is about all Social Enterprise forms, which meets in Kendall Square. The next meeting isn't scheduled yet. Then there's also the "Co-Op Meeting in Newton, which is focused ONLY on Co-Ops. R. Wayne Clark holds the latter in his house on Thurdsay nights. Contact him at: rwayneclark@igc.org
Old Meeting notes, Wednesday 2/22, Social Enterpirse Meeting Notes 2-22-12
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
Red Sun Press (printing), www.redsunpress.com
- Succesful International Ops
- Associations and Advice
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
[Boston Collective House Assembly] Meetings monthly
[National Co-Op Business Association]
[University of Wisconsin Center for Co-operatives]
http://www.jobaction.org/about
http://www.meetup.com/Social-Entrepreneurs-Group-Boston/
List of Co-Op Development Guides: http://american.coop/node/119
- Business Plan Advice/Templates
http://www.shidler.hawaii.edu/Portals/1/resources/WritingASocialEnterpriseBusinessPlan.ppt (WARNING, LARGE FILE)
http://thesocialbusiness.typepad.com/social_business_plans/2008/06/our-social-busi.html
- Seed Money/Loans/Advice
[Boston Collective House Assembly List of Organizations that Support Co-Ops]
Cooperative Fund of New England (loans) coopfund.coop Micha Josephy micha@coopfund.coop
Equal Exchange, Aaron Dawson
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. http://stakeholderscapital.com/
Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts
- Other Lists of Resources
[Great Resource Wiki focused on Boston Co-Op Resources]
lots of resources in the fotenotes in this doc: http://www.communityeconomies.org/site/assets/media/Occupy-Connect-Create-3.0_large.pdf