Social Entrepreneurship: Some Important Distinctions

A paper by Jerr Boschee and Jim McClurg argues that innovation is not the same as entrepreneurship and that unless a non-profit organisation is generating earned revenue, it is not acting in an entrepreneurial manner.

According to the authors of the paper “Toward a Better Understanding of Social Entrepreneurship: Some Important Distinctions”, “Social entrepreneurship” is a frequently used but misunderstood phrase in the non-profit sector today.

Jerr Boschee and Jim McClurg argue that changes in the non-profit sector over the last 20 years have led them into the world of entrepreneurship. But, they say, there is a difference between being innovative and being entrepreneurial.

Innovation is valuable but unless innovations result in self-sufficiency (as opposed to sustainability) it is not entrepreneurship.

In their thought-provoking paper, Boschee and McClurg distinguish between

• Entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship
• Sustainability and self-sufficiency
• Earned income strategies and social purpose business ventures
• Innovators, entrepreneurs and professional managers.

Follow this link to read the paper:
http://www.se-alliance.org/better_understanding.pdf

Follow this link for other resources from the Social Enterprise Alliance:
http://www.se-alliance.org/resources.cfm

For further information

Contact	:	Jim McClurg, Social Investor Relations, Social Enterprise Alliance
Address	:	43 S. Cassady Avenue, Columbus, OH 43209
Phone	:	(206) 441-7983 (USA)
Email	:	mcclurg@se-alliance.org

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http://www.se-alliance.org