Resources
Social enterprises tend to be focused on their local communities. Supporting the establishment of communities of practice will help encourage social enterprises to connect and test their ideas and collaborate to develop innovative solutions to local problems.
Social Enterprises at Work in Saskatchewan
A Saskatchewan directory is being developed. If you feel your organization is a fit, please send us your contact information along with website to seda@seda.ca.
Social Enterprise Certification
- Buy Social Canada provides Social Enterprise Certification for businesses that sell goods and services, and reinvest profits into their social mission.
- Buy and sell with impact and consider certifying today!
Tools
- Saskatchewan Social Enterprise Toolkit: This toolkit is under development.
- Canadian Social Enterprise Guide This comprehensive resource is focused on supporting development of non-profit social enterprises.
- Community Economic Development Toolkit: Social Enterprises Developed by the US-based Community Action Partnership, it provides basic guidance on opportunity assessment and initial planning that is useful. Download it here.
- Social Business Model Canvas
The Business Canvas approach to planning is a succinct and easy method to establish a roadmap for the organization. The Social Enterprise Institute has provided a Business Model Canvas tool that we feel will be valuable to new start-up
Financial Supports
Community Futures Saskatchewan
With 13 offices around the province, Community Futures offers local support, including advice and loans. The provincial site offers links to all the regions, plus general details.
Affinity Credit Union
Among the business tools available through Affinity, you will find micro and community impact loans, funding opportunities and sponsorships.
(Keep an eye on this space as the list of organizations and programs continues to grow.)
Best Practices
Here are a few examples of social enterprises from across the country. They support their core mission by providing products and services in various sectors of the economy.
4VI (Vancouver Island BC)
Tourism
4VI, (formerly Tourism Vancouver Island) is a revenue-generating business that recently made the transition to a social enterprise model in order to ensure the generational well-being and prosperity of businesses, communities and residents of Vancouver Island.
Aangen (Toronto, Ontario)
Cleaning Services
Aangen is a not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to providing sustainable, solution-based responses to social injustices locally and globally. They raise funds for community service programs by selling farm products, and providing catering and cleaning services.
Atira (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Housing, Child Care and Learning
Atira Women’s Resource Society is a not-for-profit organization committed to the work of ending violence against women. They provide non-barrier housing and child care services.
Community Laundry Cooperative (Ottawa, Ontario)
Laundry Service
Founded in 1999, the Community Laundry Co-op (CLC) is a grassroots charitable co-operative that provides accessible and affordable self-service laundry for low-income and isolated families and individuals. The Co-op also provides training and mentoring through its contract laundry service social enterprise which offers laundry and delivery services to local clients at competitive rates, providing further opportunities for members to gain work experience, develop their skills and supplement their income.
Newo (Camrose, Alberta)
Energy
Newo is registered as a non-profit corporation providing consulting in solar-PV and energy-efficiency industries, including energy audits and community education. The organization is designed to be a conduit for the application of the values of “Spirit of the Land” in the real world.
SmartICE (Newfoundland)
Technology
SmartICE is a community-based Work Integrated Social Enterprise (WISE) offering climate change adaptation tools and services that integrate Inuit knowledge of sea ice with monitoring technology. This information contributes to more informed decisions regarding sea ice travel and supports community economic development such as outfitting and fisheries.
The Common Roof (Barrie-Orillia-Collingwood, Ontario)
Co-Working Space
The Common Roof™ is a community-based social enterprise providing sustainable and professional workspace for human-service not-for-profit organizations. It self-generates income via professional cleaning services; social enterprise consulting; and social impact investing.
The Cutting Edge (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Textiles
The Cutting Edge is a social enterprise program of Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute. It provides a platform for newcomer women to launch their careers as sewing machine operators. The social enterprise also employs full-time sewers and reinvests the profits into growing the training program.
The Flower Cart Group (Kings Valley County, Nova Scotia)
Catering
The Flower Cart Group is a conglomeration of social enterprises serving a dual purpose—working to provide employment training opportunities that enrich the lives of participants, and adding value for Kings Valley County businesses