There are a growing number of online tools and resources that can help you advance your social enterprise or social purpose real estate initiative. Here's a few to get you started:
Social Purpose Real Estate
Building It Right Toolkit
Vancity Community Foundation developed the Building it Right Toolkit in 2014 to provide guidance to organizations that are in the early stages of contemplating redevelopment.
Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative
Vancity Community Foundation is a member of the Social Purpose Real Estate (SPRE) Collaborative which helps mission-based organizations with their real estate needs. Visit the SPRE Collaborative website for information and research that will help with your work in the area of social purpose real estate.
Tools & Resources
The following tools and resources may be of assistance to you in developing your social purpose real estate project:
- Options for Legal and Tax Structure of Below Market Rental Housing Projects (White Paper)
- Community Bonds, A Non-Profit Financing Tool, Review of Structure, Requirements and Process for Non-Profit Organizations Issuing Community Bonds in British Columbia (White Paper)
Social Enterprise
Other Grants, Investment, and Financing for Social Enterprise
If you fall outside of our funded regions, your local community economic development organization, community foundation, and/or local credit union may be able to support your initiative. Here’s some opportunities to explore:
- Your local Community Futures
- Your local Community Foundation
- Your local Credit Union
- Vancity’s Impact Money Finder (online search tool)
- National Social Enterprize (Trico Foundation)
- Innoweave
Training & Development Opportunities
Vancity partners and/or engages with each of the following organizations that provide a variety of training and development opportunities for business planning, launch, and strengthening:
- Small Business BC
- Spring University
- Radius Ventures
- Groundswell Social Venture Program
- Social Enterprise Institute
- Innoweave
Tools & Resources
The following tools and resources may be of assistance to you in developing your social enterprise project:
- Demonstrating Value
- Social Enterprise Toolbelt
- Success Themes in Supportive Employment
- Canadian Social Enterprise Guide
- What is Social Enterprise? YouTube Video, Common Good Solutions (3 minutes)
- What is Social Enterprise? Recorded Webinar, Innoweave (45 minutes)
- Franchise Opportunities For Social Enterprise
- REDF (USA)
Case Studies & Examples
For more examples of how social enterprise can be impactful, watch one of the following videos:
- Common Thread (2012 YouTube 6.5 Minutes)
- Just Work | (2012 YouTube 4.5 Minutes)
- Sole Foods Farms (You TubeVideo 3.5 Minutes)
Success Themes in Supportive Employment
This report describes the key practices of employment social enterprises (ESEs) that have been successful employing people who face multiple barriers to employment, based on interviews with 50 well-established ESEs.
A number of social enterprises participating in this project have shared their stories and experiences in creating supportive employment development: