Supporting the Development of Social Enterprise in BC and Beyond

Enterprising Non-Profits (ENP) was a collaborative program housed at Vancity Community Foundation between 1997 and 2015 that promoted and supported social enterprise development and growth as a means to build strong non-profit organizations and healthier communities.

Activities, Resources and Publications

ENP provided training, toolkits and grants to non-profits to help them develop social enterprises. This included providing introductory workshops, conferences, and Social Enterprise Heroes events (modelled on Dragon's Den).   ENP also worked with academic institutions to research issues related to social enterprise development and to survey social enterprises in BC.

Resources and publications related to this program can be viewed and downloaded here: 

• The Canadian Social Enterprise Guide, 2nd Edition
• Success Themes in Supportive Employment
• What Social Enterprise Can Do in Your Community

Research/ Evaluation:

• Changing Conceptions of Social Enterprise Among Non-Profits: 2000-2013
• Exploration of Impact and Outcomes on Past Participants to Inform Value Proposition and Future Opportunities for Enterprising Non-Profits BC

What Partners were involved?

Enterprising Non-Profits (enp) began in 1997 with a pilot project lead by Vancity Community Foundation in collaboration with the Vancouver Foundation and the United Way of the Lower Mainland, with additional funding from the McConnell Foundation.  Other funding partners that became involved include: Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Vancity Credit Union, Bell Canada, Northern Development Initiative Trust, Centre for Community Enterprise, Columbia Basin Trust, Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust and Capital One.  Some funders stayed involved over many years while some provided one-time funding.

.