SE Series: A look to the US supportive ecosystem

In the conversation around social enterprise in Canada, we have tended to look at the UK as they seem to be way ahead of us and offer a beacon of hope and inspiration in how the government has enabled with social enterprise. The British government has considered, analyzed and invested in their third sector and in social enterprise. There is a lot to learn. However, one of the challenges with looking this direction is timing. It is highly unlikely, that given the economic climate, that we are likely to see even vaguely similar investments. We also have a much more complicated system of government with decisions affecting social enterprise happening municipally, provincially and nationally. How replicable is the UK model?

The US, on the otherhand, might offer us some insight in to how we might foster social enterprise here in Canada that could be more transferable. The US has not had gobbs of money invested in SE from a government with a plan, instead, its sector is emerging a little more organically but stil vigorously. There has been a decentralized approach to SE, with initiatives moving at a sector level, a state level and with funding from a variety of different sources. Certainly the US has a much more robust philanthropic community than Canada and this tends to send us back to government funding sources, but I would argue that a more diversified strategy is going to be more resilient.

Which is all so say, that I have purused a great report out of the US called The Emergence of the '4th Sector' by Heerad Sebati who is a part of the http://www.fourthsector.net/.

In this report, there is a call for very similar supports as what have been identified in the 6 pillars for Social Enterprise policy work that we are doing... here are some of the highlights drawn from their web site ...

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Financial Markets

Legal Structures and Regulation

Tax Policy

Education and Training

Conflict Management

Marketing and Communications Support

Connection and Representation

Research and Understanding

Assessment and Reporting Standards

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When I dig into these key elements for a supportive ecosystem, I am confident that our 6 pillars work is well on its way. The only element that really stood out for me was "Conflict Management."  I think that this speaks to that challenge of operating entrepreneurial democratic organizations... board management is always a challenge, particularly where the leadership wants to be more entrepreneurial in organizations where boards tend to be risk adverse. I think that this speaks to a need for a more 'collaborative leadership' to navigate these multiple bottom line organizations. Perhaps it also speaks to a need for new governance models to reflect what very well be new legal forms to support the emergence of the 4th sector or social enterprises.

If there was a new governance model to reflect the realities of running a social enterprise, what might it look like? hhmmm...

Tonya