Social Enterprise Ontario (SEO) is a constellation of ONN and a regional partner of the SECC. Primarily SEO is a mailing list of over 600 practitioners that have an express interest in social enterprise. At the moment, there are no resources allocated to support SEO. It has been initiated by the Centre for Social Innovation with the hopes of providing a vehicle to communicate and connect with social entrepreneurs across the province.
Although not explicitly focused on social enterprise enabling policy, SEO has an interest in arriving at a public policy framework that enables social enterprise. As such, SEO has created a wiki - http://socialenterprise.wik.is that is the culmination of considerable work that has been done in BC at the Social Enterprise Summit and the recommendations that have been made by a range of thought leaders. The wiki is now open for others to contribute to. Log on and make your contributions.
The wiki is NOT a strategic policy document. Rather, it IS a shopping list of ideas and contributions - the source document - that could then be taken by strategists to move forward to government. This is our contribution to the sector work being done to promote an abling environment for social enterprise.
SEO includes:
Tonya Surman - Centre for Social Innovation
Ethel Cote - Economie Solidaire de l'Ontario
Anne Jamieson - Toronto Enterprise Fund - United Way
Michel Labbé- Options for Home
To sign up with SEO, visit their homepage: http://www.socialenterpriseontario.ca/
Social Enterprise Policy Framework Wiki - Your input wanted!
Posted August 31st, 2009 by ConstanceThe Ontario Nonprofit Network hosts a Social Enterprise Constellation/action group (http://ontariononprofitnetwork.ca/initiatives/social-enterprise-ontario).
On behalf of that group, the Centre for Social Innovation has started a social enterprise wiki to gather input from a range of practitioners and stakeholders towards the development of a public policy framework for social enterprise in Canada. http://socialenterprise.wik.is/
From the site: read more »
ENP-Toronto - New Funding Cycle Announced!
Posted August 11th, 2009 by Constance
The Centre for Social Innovation and the Toronto Community Foundation are thrilled to announce the return of Enterprising Non-Profits Toronto. ENP-TO will distribute matching grants of up to $10,000 to help non-profit organizations in the Greater Toronto Area to start and grow social enterprises.
In order to apply for funding you must attend an ENP-TO Orientation Session – a social enterprise skills training workshop. For more information on the program and session dates, visit www.socialinnovation.ca/enp read more »
New Report Comparing Social Enterprises in Ontario and Quebec
Posted July 26th, 2009 by ConstanceThis community-based research report was written by Peter Elson and associates and was developed in collaboration with the Ontario Nonprofit Network. This is the first of five research reports which will compare different policy dimensions related to social enterprises and nonprofits in Ontario and Quebec.
In this report a contextual comparison of Ontario and Quebec is followed by a profile of sources of capital for social enterprises and nonprofits. There are significant historical and socio-political contextual differences between the two provinces which are reflected in the relationship of social enterprises with government and to society-at-large. read more »
What is a social mission and who gets to decide?
Posted May 5th, 2009 by Tonya SurmanThis is a repost from my blog at the Centre for Social Innovation
Today I learned that wikimedia has been denied charitable status in the UK. Andrew Turvey explains here. I have also recently learned that the CRA Charities Dept has anulled the charitable status of Phoenix Community Foundation. They 'anulled' it claiming that the objects granted to Phoenix should never have been granted after being in operation for 30 years. I have also learned that several charities that are undertaking more entrepreneurial ventures have had their charitable status 'under review' here in Canada read more »
