Where Business Meets Mission– Proven Projects with Sustainable Impact
Social enterprises aren’t just businesses. They are an economic engine for building community capacity. In the UK there are 131,000 social enterprises. They contribute $144B to the economy, representing 3.4% of their GDP.
Successful models:
Skwachàys Lodge & Residence
Canada’s first social enterprise-funded supportive housing hotel, Skwachàys Lodge combined an 18-room boutique Indigenous arts hotel with a street-level Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery in Vancouver. Revenue from these two enterprises subsidized 24 Indigenous artist live/work studios eliminating the need for ongoing taxpayer support.
Give Back Market
Inspired by Paul Newman’s Newman’s Own, Give Back Market tackles food insecurity through fair trade distribution of Kampot Pepper, known as the best pepper in the world. Uniquely, while Newman’s Own gives back 5% of gross revenue, The Give Back Market directs 35% of sales, that’s retail sales not wholesale revenue, effectively increasing the give by an order of magnitude. When consumers and corporate buyers purchase Kampot Pepper, they “Help Farmers & Feed Kids” through direct support to international aid agencies and local food banks. Social purchasing has never been more delicious or more impactful!
Digital Technology & Education Society
“We don’t hire people to build websites. We build websites to hire people.” That’s the motto that drove DTES, a clever play on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, which trained Indigenous and underserved youth in digital technology. Originally funded by Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Strategy in 2009, the model proved so successful it was replicated in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2014 with USAID. By creating workforce pathways through real client work, this social enterprise turned skills training into immediate employment opportunity.
Shine a Light on Literacy
The project sold hand-crank LED flashlights that could charge cell phones. Developed for Vancouver Native Health Society, Shine a Light on Literacy sold these environmentally friendly “cranklights” at events and as fundraisers for schools, libraries, and community organizations, creating summer jobs that brought Indigenous youth and elders together. The project inspired “A is for Aboriginal,” a book that gained international distribution through online and brick and mortar booksellers in Canada, the US, and Southeast Asia. The book was created to share the rich fabric of Indigenous art, history and culture.
Children’s Software
Slammin’ Sammy Presents At Bat – an interactive children’s comicbook won numerous awards and received the highest possible reviews – even beating out Walt Disney’s The Lion King aseditior’s choice for children’s software. The project was Joseph’s first venture into Social Enterprise. He signed the famous Chicago Cubs home run slugger to a four-year, four-title software deal to support the Sammy Sosa Foundation.
Ready to Create Social Enterprise in Your Community?
These projects demonstrate what’s possible when revenue generation meets social mission. Whether you’re a non-profit with underutilized assets, a faith group exploring redevelopment, or an organization looking to create sustainable funding, we can help you design social enterprises that generate revenue while serving your community.