The Institute for Social Entrepreneurs has a great listing of definitions, 22 in all, of words and phrases that frequently come up when discussing social entrepreneurship. See here for the list.
Social enterprise: Any organization, in any sector, that uses earned income strategies to pursue a double bottom line or a triple bottom line, either alone (as a social sector business) or as part of a mixed revenue stream that includes charitable contributions and public sector subsidies.
Social entrepreneur: Any person, in any sector, who runs a social enterprise.
Social entrepreneurship: The art of simultaneously pursuing both a financial and a social return on investment (the double bottom line).
Social sector business: A business designed to directly address a social need and simultaneously make a profit through earned income alone, regardless of whether it is structured as a for-profit or nonprofit entity.
I see; a social entrepeneur is someone who purues a social end. What about “employing people”. Is that a social end? Does that make MacDonalds and GM social entrepeneurs?
Or ddoes it have to have a political componant? Would the definition of “social entrepeneur” include people like Joseph P. Kennedy III, who makes money off Hugo Chavez’ cheap oil program?
And what about the investors?Are the Venezuelans who pay for this subsidy in the form of higher oil prices at home, then, investors in social entrepeneurship?
Food for thought, eh?