social enterprise

This week, ONN in partnership with the Social Venture Exchange (SVX) has launhced the Social Finance Census - A Survey of Ontario Nonprofits (including Charities) on Social Entperise Financing & Regulation. Read what Adam Spencer, Founder of SVX, has to say about the importance of this project!

It's time for a Social Finance Census

We have decided to ride this wave of popularity to launch the first ever Social Finance Census. At the risk of stoking further controversy, I will say that this Census is not mandatory.

So what exactly is the Social Finance Census?  read more »

Important Sector Notice: Public Hearings in August Bill 65, Ontario’s proposed Not-for-profit Corporations Act, has the potential to be precedent-setting legislation that will serve the sector’s future, but this is a critical point in time as the draft Act moves into Committee for review. We need to advocate for three key changes in the current draft, and ensure two features are supported and remain in the final Act.

We support:

• The new designation “public benefit corporation” (whereas the federal act refers to nonprofits as “soliciting corporations”);

• The ability of nonprofits to engage in commercial activities as long as revenues are used to forward our public benefit objectives.

The changes we want:  read more »

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 »

This 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 »

This 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 »