Succeeding at Social Enterprise: Hard-Won Lessons for Nonprofits and Social Entrepreneurs

From the Social Enterprise Alliance, the organization dedicated to building a robust social enterprise field, comes Succeeding at Social Enterprise. This practical guide is filled with the best practices, tools, guidance, models and successful cases for leaders (and future leaders) of social ventures and enterprises. A groundbreaking work, it brings together the knowledge and experience of social enterprise pioneers in the field and some of today's most successful social entrepreneurs to show what it takes to implement and run an effective social venture or organization. Succeeding at Social Enterprise focuses on real life examples, lessons learned and the core competencies that are needed to run a social venture in a nonprofit, highlighting such skills as managing and leading, business planning, marketing and sales, and accounting.

Praise for Succeeding at Social Enterprise

"This is a must read for anyone starting or growing a social enterprise. The lessons learned offer valuable, practical and real insights from pioneers in the field. The frameworks and tools presented can be implemented immediately to help drive success and expand your social impact." —KRISS DEIGLMEIER, executive director, Center for Social Innovation, Stanford Graduate School of Business

"By successfully weaving together the best thinking and advice from a diverse set of our field's leading experts and practitioners, Succeeding at Social Enterprise will be the new 'must have' handbook for Social Enterprise."—JED EMERSON, www.BlendedValue.org

"This is a timely book needed for a movement that's taking off. The leading thinkers and top practitioners in this book make today's pressing issues clear to both the novice and the expe-rienced social entrepreneur."—KEVIN JONES, founding principal, Good Capital

"Written by the nation's leading experts on starting, building and leading a successful social venture, this book is a profoundly important contribution to the growing body of literature on social entrepreneurship. No other book brings to bear this kind of business experience, practi- cal advice and wisdom on the challenges of creating and sustaining a social enterprise." —DAVID ROLL, founder, Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation

The Social Enterprise Alliance is advocate for the field, hub of information and education, and builder of a vibrant and growing community of social enterprises.

Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA) based in Washington DC is the only membership organization devoted exclusively to building  sustainable nonprofits through earned income strategies. They  accomplish this through a network connecting entrepreneurial  nonprofits with learning opportunities, technical assistance and  resources to further their efforts. SEA members are predominantly nonprofit practitioners, grant makers and lenders, but also include technical consultants, for-profit businesses and academics. Our practitioner members range from early stage entrepreneurs seeking the nuts and bolts knowledge to start and run an earned income activity to well-established practitioners seeking an opportunity to exchange ideas with other leaders of the field. Social Enterprise Alliance, as a field building association, brings together nonprofit executives and social entrepreneurs who have operated in isolation, creating a professional community and forum for addressing the needs and concerns of the enterprising nonprofit.