What is the Enterprising Non-Profits Program?
The Enterprising Non-Profits Program provides matching grants of up to $10,000 to nonprofit organizations that are exploring the development of business activities for the dual purpose of generating revenue and furthering their mission. This funding allows nonprofits to hire the expertise they need to test the viability of their ideas; to conduct the market research, organizational readiness and business planning activities needed to help ensure success.
The Program has been actively operating in British Columbia for over five years and has helped to launch over 65 social enterprises. The Centre for Social Innovation is working with its program partners to deliver the ENP Program in Toronto in 2009.
Who are the Funders behind ENP-Toronto?
The Centre for Social Innovation is proud to recognize the ENP-Toronto funder's collaborative:
- Catherine Donnelly Foundation
- Citizens Bank
- City of Toronto
- The Co-operators
- Social Capital Partners
- Social Entrepreneurship @ MaRS
- Toronto Community Foundation
- Toronto Community Housing
- Toronto Training Board
What is a social enterprise?
A social enterprise is a business run by a nonprofit organization for the dual purposes of generating income and serving their social mission. Nonprofits generally operate a social enterprise for one of three reasons: 1) to diversify their revenue, especially in response to funding cutbacks and a lack of support for core operations; 2) to meet needs that a profit-oriented marketplace will never fill; 3) to advance a mission by serving the needs of clients and community.
Social enterprise is a relatively new phenomenon in Canada and there has been little institutional and regulatory support of this emerging sector.
Examples of Toronto-based social enterprises include:
- Eva's Phoenix Print Shop (run by Eva's Initiatives) is a commercial print shop that provides training and transitional employment to youth who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
- Artscape fosters culture-led regeneration by providing affordable live/work spaces to individuals working in the creative sector.
- Pegasus Community project runs a thrift store that employs adults with developmental disabilities
- RiverSides sells rainbarrels as a strategy to protect rivers from run-off pollution
What do you mean by a "matching grant"?
Grant recipients are required to match ENP Toronto grants dollar-for-dollar with other grant funds, operating dollars, or demonstrated in-kind contributions that directly contribute to the grant purpose. Social enterprises require a significant investment and we need to know that the organization is prepared to commit resources to the social enterprise.
Who is eligible for Funding?
Any incorporated nonprofit organization or registerd charity based and operating in the Greater Toronto Area is eligible for funding. Nonprofit organizations may be required to work with a charitable trustee.
What are the boundaries of the Greater Toronto Area for the purposes of this program?
For ENP-TO, the Greater Toronto Area includes the City of Toronto and the regions of Halton, Peel, York and Durham. Click here for a map of the eligible area.
What types of activities are funded through ENP-TO?
ENP-Toronto provides funding for technical assistance so that non-profits can access the expertise they need. The funding can be used to access support at any stage along the social enterprise development path, including opportunity identification, feasibility research, business planning, launch preparation, scaling, and evaluation. ENP-TO DOES NOT FUND operations or capital purchases; the funding is for social enterprise planning - the 'people time' required (either staff or third party) to prepare for social enterprise development or growth.
How do I apply?
In order to submit a proposal you must attend an ENP-Toronto Orientation Session. We will hold three Orientation Sessions in fall 2009. To make sure you know about the dates and have the opportunity to register for an Orientation Session, join the ENP-TO mailing list at www.socialinnovation.ca/enp.
What is an Orientation Session?
The Orientation Session is a day-long social enterprise skills training workshop for prospective ENP-TO applicants. The Orientation Session includes a comprehensive overview of the nature and types of social enterprises, potential legal and structural implications, key success factors and much more, including all the necessary details for applying for funding. The goal of the Orientation Session is to ensure that staff and board members have a thorough understanding of the issues involved in enterprise development. The workshop is a mix of presentation and exercises.
The final part of the day is spent discussing the Enterprising Non-Profits program and the process of applying for funding. The cost of the Orientation Session is $100 for one person, or $150 for two people from the same organization.
I attended an Orientation Session last year. Do I have to attend again?
If you already attended an ENP-TO Orientation Session in 2008, you can apply to the 2009 program without attending another Orientation Session
I applied for an ENP-TO grant last year. Can I apply again?
2008 Applicants who did not receive a grant - and even those who did - can apply again for ENP-TO Funding.
How much funding is available? And who makes decisions?
The program partners will work together to review the proposals and to award up to $100,000 in grants to succesful applicants.
When is the Proposal Deadline?
The proposal deadline is November 19, 2009. At the ENP-Toronto Orientation Session you will learn all the necessary details to apply.
What are the results of the 2008 ENP Toronto Program
As part of the 2008 Pilot Program, Enterprising Non-Profits Toronto
delivered social enterprise workshops to over 120 nonprofit organizations, received over $400,000 in grant requests, and awarded $100,000 in grants to sixteen incredible social enterprises. Click here for a list of Toronto's first ever enp grant recipients (pdf)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ENP PLEASE VISIT THE ENTERPRISING NON-PROFITS WEBSITE: WWW.ENTERPRISINGNONPROFITS.CA
