Enterprising Organizations: New Asset-Based and Other Innovative Approaches to Solving Social and Economic Problems

Highlights from a Forum on Social Enterprise

In recent decades, the lines between the nonprofit and for-profit sectors have blurred. Nonprofits are increasingly entrepreneurial while for-profits’ concern with social benefit is on the rise. Yet little has been done to fully explore and understand the potentially powerful economic force of this convergence.

In May 2005, the Aspen Institute hosted a forum, Enterprising Organizations: New Asset-Based and Other Innovative Approaches to Solving Social and Economic Problems, that explored the growing social enterprise sector. Developed by the Aspen Institute’s Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program (NSPP) in collaboration with the Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland, the forum brought together representatives of entrepreneurial nonprofits, investors, foundation donors, elected officials, scholars, reporters, and others who play critical roles in this evolving landscape to:

• explore the current "profit-for-social-benefit" models;
• establish new networks among participants;
• share technical information and experience;
• formulate outreach and public relations strategies; and
• identify ways to develop and advance this emerging sector of hybrid organizations.

The result was a list of ideas for advancing this growing field of hybrid institutions and a first step toward creating an environment of collaboration across traditional sector lines.

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