Social Enterprise and Non-profit Housing

 

ONPHA members and non-profit housing providers in other jurisdictions are developing an interest in social enterprise as a tool for creating change in their organization and community. Social enterprise is not new to the non-profit sectors: non-profit organizations have, for many years, supplemented their bottom lines and created employment opportunities for marginalized communities by developing and operating social enterprises.  Social enterprises are businesses that are "directly involved in the production and/or selling of goods and services for the dual purposes of generating income and achieving social or environmental aims." ¹

Non-profit housing providers are helping to lead the way by developing social enterprises that further their mission and help to generate revenue and create change in their community. Some examples are:

Stoney Creek Community Services Corporation
Stoney Creek Community Homes (Hamilton, ON)

Silver Brush
Houselink Community Homes (Toronto, ON), Parkdale Activity and Resource Centre (“PARC”) (Toronto, ON)

Good Shepherd Works
Good Shepherd Non-Profit Homes (Hamilton, ON)

These enterprises share a desire to be profitable while, at the same time, meeting or enhancing social or environmental commitments of their parent organization.

Social enterprise is a new concept for many non-profit housing providers, but an important one to be familiar with. Social enterprises have the potential to generate revenue for the non-profit to use to operate and/or develop housing and can also provide tenants with opportunities to develop new skills and to generate income. With the right idea, resources, and support, social enterprise may represent a win-win for both the non-profit and its tenants.

Social enterprise activities are not for every organization. They require a significant organizational commitment of both time and resources to launch and support until they become self-sufficient. However, if you are interested in exploring the possibility of initiating a social enterprise, either on your own or with partners, resources exist that will help you to explore your ideas and the processes that lay ahead.

• What is a social enterprise and what makes it different than other types of business?
• How do social enterprises differ from one another? 
• Why start a social enterprise? 
• What are the planning steps for developing a social enterprise?
• What are the legal considerations of developing a social enterprise?  Coming soon!
• What types of social enterprises are non-profit housing providers developing in Ontario? Elsewhere?
• Resources

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^{1 (Enterprising Non-Profits (October 19, 2009) Handout for 2009 Orientation Session)}