Attention social entrepreneurs! If you’re ready to fan the flames of change and blaze a trail of positive impact, the AMP Foundation’s Tomorrow Makers IGNITE program is your spark plug. Whether you’re at the starting line of your venture or ready to take it to the next level, discover how IGNITE can fuel your journey and set your ambitions on fire.

Social enterprise has become a powerful force for positive change. Here is the lowdown on the origins of this transformative movement, tracing its roots from historical cooperatives to modern-day social entrepreneurs. Learn how the blurring of lines and the legal structures has fuelled its now global reach and future possibilities.

Learn about the inspiring journey of Loretta Bolotin, founder of Free to Feed, a celebrated social enterprise cooking school that empowers refugees through culinary experiences. Like many founders, Loretta encountered the isolation and loneliness that often accompanies being a leader in social change. Fortunately, a unique opportunity led her to join a group of equally motivated individuals, igniting a transformative journey that reshaped both her personal and professional outlook. Loretta’s journey powerfully demonstrates the potential of social enterprises, emphasise the crucial role of fostering a sense of belonging and highlights the profound impact of food as a unifying force.

Here we explore the advantages of being a social impact organisation, including enhanced brand reputation, increased employee engagement, attraction of top talent, access to new markets, stronger stakeholder relationships, long-term sustainability, personal fulfilment, and customer loyalty. By understanding and embracing these benefits, organisations can maximise their potential for success while making a positive difference in the world.

Before buckling up on the social enterprise rollercoaster, it’s essential to ask yourself some critical questions to you’re starting on solid foundations. To save you a bunch of time and heartbreak, here are five key questions you should consider before diving headfirst into starting a social enterprise.

Social enterprises are businesses that aim to create social and environmental impact in addition to generating profit. Despite their noble goals, these enterprises often face a myriad of challenges that can lead to failure. In this article, we explore the top 5 reasons why social enterprises fail, and what you can do to avoid these pitfalls.

Fast fashion may be affordable, but it certainly comes with costs that aren’t listed on the price tag. Sustainable and ethical fashion means minimal impact on the environment and maximum benefits for society. Here are just some of the exciting Australian social enterprises leading the way.

Using business as a force for good has taken the world by storm, and for good reason. According to the World Economic Forum, in just two decades, social entrepreneurs have improved more than 622 million lives. They argue that social enterprises exert so much positive influence that they have the potential to transform entire industries for the better. Locally, social enterprise is on the rise and not just for the positive impact the sector is having. Here are 8 other reasons social entrepreneurship is becoming more popular in Australia. 

Hoping to make a positive social or environmental impact? Want to make it on a meaningful scale? If you’re a social innovator and you answered ‘yes’ to either of these questions, securing capital should be a top priority. While there’s no single “best” approach to navigating social enterprise funding, it’s helpful to know some of the different types of investors you might end up receiving funding from. 

Whether you are working on poverty reduction, mental health or environmental issues, there are hundreds of organisations and enterprises out there doing similar work and releasing communication materials of their own. It can feel overwhelming to be bombarded with so many numbers, statistics, and reports—especially when many people find it easier to tune out. So, how can we keep our audience’s attention? How can we tell stories that convince them to care?

While every business idea and angel investor vary in different contexts, there are foundational elements that remain the same. At the core, these are what investors are looking for, and they are, therefore, what you should be mastering and incorporating into your social enterprise and pitches to win them over. Here’s some of the most effective ways to persuade an angel investors for buying into your social enterprise.

Although we’re living in unprecedented times and every path is unique, we found that some lessons come in handy over and over again. News and stress about the coronavirus from around the world are creating significant uncertainty among leaders, employees and customers. Beyond common sense measures, we wanted to provide a list of practical tips, tactics and strategies to help you make quick and needed decisions to help you navigate through these stormy times.

Pandemics like the H1N1 influenza of 2009 have not only set the stage for novel approaches to public health concerns, but have joined the global financial crisis in welcoming new entrepreneurial activities that address both economic and societal concerns. The outbreak of COVID-19 is affecting our lives as social enterprise founders, managers, funders, and volunteers—and it will continue to do so in several ways.

Where social entrepreneurs and social impact workers have been aware of systemic inequalities that have existed for decades, the emergence of coronavirus has made these clearer for the rest of the world. COVID-19 has presented the world with a new look at how individuals or certain groups are exposed to health crises, food shortages, job insecurity, and more. It is becoming increasingly clear outside the social enterprise sector that social impact entrepreneurs and companies are needed in this space.