This week we read “People and Planet First: How Social Enterprises Work”, the new ebook from EHKOS, prepared by María Virginia Romero and Jessica Oyarbide together with global networks in the sector such as Social Enterprise World Forum, People and Planet First and Good Market.
The guide addresses a question that often generates more confusion than it seems: What is—and what is not—a social enterprise?
A model that is born with a purpose
One of the main distinctions of the material is that a social enterprise is not an NGO, a company with social responsibility actions, or a traditional organization that began to incorporate triple impact practices.
The difference lies in the origin and structure of the model: The social or environmental impact is not added at the end, but rather constitutes the central purpose of the organization.
Social enterprises use business tools to solve specific problems. They generate revenue through their products or services, but the profits are primarily reinvested in fulfilling their mission.
From declared impact to proven impact
Having a clear purpose is the starting point. The next challenge is demonstrating that this purpose translates into concrete results.
At DelPlata Green we believe that the difference between declaring that an organization generates impact and demonstrating it through data is what separates an intention from a manageable and verifiable model.
In that sense, social enterprises have much to teach: they integrate purpose into their main activity and force us to think about how to measure the social or environmental changes they seek to produce.
“People and Planet first” It is a short and recommended guide for those who want to understand how businesses can become a force for the common good.
Download the ebook for free:
https://lnkd.in/dkxT8_Ek