Social Enterprise Summit

Social Enteprise Summit

 

Social Venture Partners Rhode Island (SVPRI) will organize a Social Enterprise Summit Social Enterprise: Money and Mission Maximization  on (date and venue tbd).  The event will highlight social enterprise as an inspirational and proven strategy for creating new opportunities, generating new revenue sources and enhancing the overall organizational efficiency and effectiveness of innovative nonprofits.  There is a significant amount of social enterprise activity emerging in Rhode Island and we believe that bringing together stakeholders from the private, nonprofit (including university faculty and students), and government sectors to develop mutually beneficial collaborations, and share models, lessons learned and best practice in this exciting, emerging field can reap real results.  

 

Why Social Enterprise?

SVPRI defines social enterprise as mission related businesses developed and run by nonprofits with the purpose of generating revenue streams and/or creating jobs or training opportunities.  It is a socioeconomic development strategy that is increasingly being adopted by nonprofits spanning all sectors ( public health, education,  social services, democracy building and arts and culture, to name a few).  Although, social enterprise is a relatively new field, it is rapidly gaining momentum and is being implemented at many of the largest and most successful nonprofits.  Social enterprise programs are emerging at nearly all of the leading universities.  Some of the most successful social enterprises involve work force development and job creation.  If done well, social enterprise can allow organizations to serve more and serve better.  As you know, improved social services and the creation of employment opportunities are critical in these times. As evidenced by the recent United Way report on the state of Rhode Island’s nonprofits, new strategies are needed and social enterprise could be a one solution. 

 

 

Developing a Social Enterprise Hub

1. We do not want this event to be a one off,  but rather a kick-off for a series of social enterprise related events we plan to organize over the next several years.

 

Social Enterprise: Theory and Practice

 

Get Involved
We are seeking some of Rhode Island’s key social change leaders to be a part of the event steering committee to help us develop the most relevant and useful agenda that can provide valuable learnings and inspiration for participants.   We plan to have three strategic meetings over the next three months to develop a useful agenda and ensure that we are able to secure the participation of key community leaders.  We invite you to become a member of this steering committee and would truly value your contributions.  Please let Kelly Ramirez, SVP program manager, (Kelly@svpri.org)  know if you are interested in participating in this forward thinking group!