Life has changed for many of us over the past several weeks. We’ve had to acclimate to Zoom meetings, spending the day in our pyjamas, and workspaces surrounded by kids, clutter, and distractions. What could this mean for our social impact?
Whether within local communities, nationally or globally, social entrepreneurs are dogged changemakers who put the needs of the ordinary citizens above financial gains but understand the need to be financially sustainable to scale their solution to more people. While a lot is known about what it takes to run a successful for-profit business, little is known about how a social changemaker navigates life as a business person.
Continue reading "4 Phases of the Social Enterprise Lifecycle"
If you’re thinking about impact investment, sit down with your core team and be honest with yourselves. Answers to these questions will help illuminate whether you are ready and, if not, what you need to work on in order to get there.
Continue reading "Questions to Answer Before Seeking Impact Investment"
If crowdfunding is so great, why do the vast majority of crowdfunding campaigns fail? Here’s the top five mistakes and misunderstandings to avoid at all costs.
Continue reading "Crowdfunding for Social Enterprises: 5 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Campaign"
Juanita Pope from Justice Connect has many vivid memories of the Social Enterprise World Forum 2019 in Ethiopia – the people, the dancing, the camaraderie, the incredible stories of entrepreneurs pushing against the odds to create impressive social impact. But the one thing that really struck a chord was the structural and systemic aspirations of many social enterprises speaking at SEWF.
Continue reading "Systems and Structures That Help Social Enterprises Succeed"
Australians are working on innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. Here’s a wrap up of the year’s most worthy headlines.
Continue reading "Top Stories: Australian Social Entrepreneurs of 2019"
As we stepped over the threshold of a new decade, it’s true that what should have been a celebratory greeting of new beginnings was instead a time of collective sadness and loss – a feeling that persists even as we endeavour to anticipate where the destructive bushfires will impact next. But, although this event will […]
Australian social innovators are working on innovative solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Check out Optus’ insights into how corporates can help further develop and scale social enterprises.
Continue reading "What Corporates Look for When Partnering With Social Innovators"
When the traditional lean canvas just won’t cut it.
Impact comes in many different forms, but what’s often overlooked is the positive impact that flows from ensuring your staff are working with purpose.
The Xfactor Collective specialist member Kristi Mansfield shares how a small grassroots organisation is proving you don’t have to be a powerhouse to use data to achieve your goals.
Continue reading "How Small Organisations Can Use Data for Big Impact"
If you’re thinking about impact investment, sit down with your core team and be honest with yourselves. Answers to these questions will help illuminate whether you are ready and, if not, what you need to work on in order to get there.
Continue reading "How to Get Your Social Enterprise Investment Ready"
Right now, in Australia and indeed globally, there’s a big, audacious story that needs to be told because of its potential to transform the world we live in: the story of the Aussie social enterprise movement.
Continue reading "Telling the Story of Australia’s Thriving Social Enterprise Sector"
Any education program that wants to help support and up-skill social innovators, while nurturing the next generation’s social entrepreneurs, needs to hit these marks.
With social enterprise being a largely unregulated term in Australia, organisations in the cause space need to work even harder to be transparent and build loyalty and trust. Luckily, we can draw on the power of social media to find and nurture our tribe of trusting followers. Here are four posts you can schedule in that focus on building trust.
Continue reading "4 Ways Social Enterprises Build Trust Through Social Media"
Today it is no longer just enough for a brand to be “good”; it must also be “cool.” It must have great design and a great story, and it must be an object of desire.
Continue reading "7 Tips to Help to You Build Social Impact into Your Brand"
The percentage of women working in technology in Australia is only 28%! How can we change that? Women in Technology, Western Australia (WITWA) has a few ideas…
Continue reading "Female Changemakers: Creating Social Change with Tech"
The Myer Innovation Fellowships support breakthrough solutions to Australia’s most pressing social and environmental challenges and bring new talent to the social sector. Fellows are offered funding and the unique opportunity to take twelve months away from their current role to pursue a big idea that has the potential to achieve positive social outcomes.
Continue reading "Oh Myer God! $120,000 to Make Your Big Idea for Social Change a Reality"
Mikhara Ramsing is a 2018 Westpac Social Change Fellow, a social entrepreneur and businesswoman, an activist for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) LGBTIQA+ inclusion, a QLD Young Australian of the Year nominee, a mentee and mentor. But just two years ago as she considered applying for the Westpac Social Change Fellowship, she shares how she was struck with feelings of self doubt as she wondered whether this was a program for people far more qualified than her.
Continue reading "Thinking of Applying for a Westpac Social Change Fellowship?"
Imposter system is all too common among social entrepreneurs and changemakers. But what exactly is it, why does it happen and, most importantly, how do you triumph over it?
Continue reading "How to Triumph over Imposter Syndrome When Trying to Create Social Impact"
Attracting impact investment requires not only your evidenced theory of change and impact measurement, but necessitates a robust, sustainable business model. One way to do this is to check your business plan and pitch deck against the 5 classic C’s of lending.
Continue reading "What Every Serious Social Entrepreneur Needs to Know about Impact Investment"
Are you nervous for the interview? Good. That means you’re taking it seriously. However, nerves should never become a barrier to success. Here are three tips that you can apply to any interview situation if you’re looking to get ahead.
Continue reading "Tips To Smash Your Next Grant or Scholarship Interview"
