Social Entrepreneurship

Until very recently, popular belief held that business skills were
not needed at charitable organizations. No longer. Far from
interfering with an organization s ability to provide needed
services, techniques such as marketing, cash flow analysis,
property management, and good use of technology all contribute to a
charitable organization s mission capability. Unlike a
not-for-profit that thinks of itself as a charity, the successful
not-for-profit is really a mission-based business. In an era of
rapid change, increasing competition, and the need for more
accountability to governments, foundations, insurers, and donors,
knowing how to innovate, compete, and take reasonable risks on
behalf of the mission is critical. It is, in short, the era of the
social entrepreneur.

The skilled social entrepreneur has the ability to get the most
mission out of the resources at hand including traditional business
techniques. Finally, here is a book that will help you learn their
techniques. In Social Entrepreneurship, you will learn how
successful social entrepreneurs:

* Focus on community wants and needs

* Match those with core competencies to provide the quality
services

* Assess risk and gauge opportunity

* Develop new project ideas and test their feasibility

* Write a business plan

* Project finances in the plan

* Tap into new sources of funding

* Develop the idea of social entrepreneurship throughout the
organization

* Make sure that mission, not money, is the bottom line

Also included are the seven essential steps of the not-for-profit
business development process, real-world case studies, sample
business plans, and a self-assessment process to determine if your
organization is ready for social entrepreneurism. In addition to
entrepreneurs, middle managers, policy setters, volunteers, and a
host of other important staff members will get value from the
mission-beneficial information in this book. Most important, Social
Entrepreneurship will help you to help your organization succeed
and thrive and make your job more interesting and productive.

Praise for Social Entrepreneurship

The Art of Mission-Based Venture Development

"A great read . . . contains both the theoretical underpinnings and
practical applications that those of us in nonprofit leadership
badly need. I will share it with my management team and board."
Joseph M. Hafey, President and CEO, Public Health Institute

"A sound, practical guide for developing social entrepreneurs.
Brinckerhoff makes taking mission-related business risks on behalf
of the people served less risky with the step-by-step application
of business ideas and techniques. Warnings, real-world examples,
and hands-on advice keep the reader on track to sensible risk
taking." Connie Kirk, President and CEO, Tommy Nobis Center

"Peter C. Brinckerhoff s new and masterfully written book has a lot
of practical information in it for any organization that wants to
learn how to become and stay entrepreneurial. Brinckerhoff provides
the right kind of information to any organization interested in
succeeding in a highly competitive and service-oriented environment
. . . [and] stresses the importance of an organization s
encouraging innovation and risk only if it does not lose sight of
its core values, its strengths, and its mission. That is excellent
advice for any organization and for anyone who ventures into
entrepreneurial waters." Andrew H. Souerwine, PhD, Emeritus
Professor of Management and Organization The School of Business
Administration, University of Connecticut