May 16, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
Succeeding at Social Enterprise
edited by Social Enterprise Alliance
Leaders of successful social enterprises contribute chapters to this book designed for people who want to learn how to start their own efforts to create businesses that will produce money to support good causes. Among the topics it explores are business planning, financing, communications, governance, and other areas.
Charles King, founder and president of Housing Works, a charity that operates upscale thrift shops, a used bookstore, and other businesses that help homeless people with HIV/AIDS, says that a social enterprise should be committed to advocacy, not just earning a profit.
His organization’s staff is representative of the people it serves, its clients elect a third of its board, and its retail shops educate customers about its mission. He writes that “engaging in advocacy and activism that involve the whole organization builds ownership and investment from your staff and the people your organization is serving. It creates a culture wherein people feel empowered.”
Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard, Indianapolis, Ind. 46256; (800) 762-2974; http://www.josseybass.com; 260 pages; $40.00; ISBN 978-0-470-40532-1.
