Social Enterprise Australia

We're excited to share details of our next open learning event: Join The Land Back Foundation in an interactive online webinar on applying First Nations’ worldviews to social enterprise leadership and doing business on Country. Event details: Title: Doing Business on Country Date and time: Wednesday 26 February, 1pm AEDT Duration: 60 minutes Location: Online via Zoom link. In the first of two sessions to be convened by The Land Back Foundation, we invite you to deepen your understanding of First Nations' worldviews, Country, and the need to address 'blind-spots' as part of social enterprise commitments to social, cultural and environmental wellbeing. The Land Back Foundation will explore key questions for social enterprise leaders, including: Do First Nations' worldviews of business differ and why? What does it mean to do business on Country? What is your relationship, and your business's relationship, to Country? How do you engage with your communities with the correct protocols? Speakers include: Madonna Thomson, an Indigenous cultural integrity and governance specialist and member of the Jagera people who has worked for more than 20 years in native title, cultural heritage and natural resource management. Adam Byrne, co-founder and co-owner of Bush to Bowl, a social enterprise that connects First Nations people to Country and traditional foodways. Birdy Bird, co-founder and CEO of The Land Back Foundation, an entrepreneur and architect with a background in community arts, social enterprise and Indigenous community development. This free event is part of a series of open learning events hosted by Social Enterprise Australia and funded under the Australian Government's Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI), to build capability in the sector to grow social impact. We can’t wait to see you there! Book your place now: https://lnkd.in/gu-7tVtg

Pingelly is more than a Wheatbelt town in Western Australia - it’s the inspiration for a Staying in Place model that is connecting and empowering thousands of older people in regional Western Australia. The model evolved from a group of local people getting together to solve the problem of older residents leaving the farming community, and losing their sense of place, because the services and supports they needed were not there. They decided to scale-up Pingelly’s already trusted and well-connected Community Resource Centre to coordinate and deliver a broader range of services, funded by aged care packages, to meet the needs of older residents while providing local jobs. Because it works, the Pingelly model has been copied across other regional communities in Western Australia. An informal community of practice has grown organically, facilitated by Western Australian peak body Linkwest. "Organisations who are leading Staying in Place partner with their community to navigate what is needed, and coordinate support delivery through local providers - including meals from local cafes, medicine from local pharmacies and personal care from independent contractors," says Jane Harwood, Linkwest CEO. "This is underpinned by a strengths-based approach that keeps older residents socially connected and empowered in their regional communities. "Now we are looking at ways we can work with these organisations to evolve their business models from being government-funded service providers, to align with a contemporary, social enterprise approach." To this aim, Linkwest will convene a 'deep experience' learning community, connecting those who are delivering the Staying in Place model with each other and with leaders in the space. Commissioned by Social Enterprise Australia as part of the Australian Government’s Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI), learning communities help build capability in the sector to grow social impact. More on learning communities here: https://lnkd.in/gpRth7ah More on Staying in Place here: https://lnkd.in/g6mJyFjW Images: Glyde-in Community Learning Centre choir Pingelly Community Resource Centre library William Langford Community House choir Woodlupine Family Centre

Australia faces social and environmental challenges that demand new responses. The social enterprise sector can help. Social enterprises use the power of business to test and scale new ways to make the world a better place. This makes them a critical tool for social and environmental innovation. The Federal Government is already investing in parts of what's needed to unlock their impact. To build on this, three things are now needed: 1.    A national strategy, co-designed with the social enterprise sector. 2.    A national impact map and free online tool for social enterprises to measure and track their impact. 3.    Investment in social enterprise including an innovation fund; social enterprise procurement targets and inclusion in procurement platforms; expansion of Economic Pathways to Refugee Integration program and the social enterprise Payment by Outcomes trial; and low-interest, flexible loans. By investing in these three things, the government can help make social enterprise business as usual. Join the campaign and read this year's budget ask by Social Enterprise Australia: https://lnkd.in/gQuVJs8z Together, let’s Make Social Enterprise Business as Usual.

January 26 was declared a national public holiday 31 years ago. The date commemorates the set up of the first British colony in Australia. It often comes with calls for unity. But for many First Nations people January 26 represents the beginning of their dispossession and is a day of mourning. It can also be a day of reflection, an opportunity to learn more about the history of this country and how we can each be part of creating shared healing and a reconciled future. Here are some resources for those who may like to deepen their understanding of January 26 and engage with some stories and perspectives of First Nations people: Aboriginal led and controlled social enterprise Clothing The Gaps: https://lnkd.in/gu6jAxTq National Indigenous Times: https://lnkd.in/g3j9Mt2r Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia: What does Jan 26 mean to Indigenous Australians: https://lnkd.in/gQvEzry2 Reconciliation Australia: https://lnkd.in/g-aAxZmQ Ziggy Ramo: Little Things: https://lnkd.in/gJrtHxE4 Sovereignty in this country has never been ceded.

Social Enterprise Australia team members Athanasia Price and Sherryl Reddy spent a great morning in conversation with Amelia Loye at Sydney's Impact Story Lab last week. Set up by Digital Storytellers, the lab is more than an office, it's designed for purpose-led storytellers to connect, dream, collaborate and amplify the impact of their work. There is office space, a meeting room and a beautiful production space, event area and kitchen. They currently have a private office for five people (which can be shared) available at social enterprise rates. Check out what's on offer here: https://lnkd.in/gBwh7cj Or express your interest by email at storylab@digitalstorytellers.com.au

Growing up, Nathaniel Diong 🚀 watched his parents juggle three jobs to make ends meet. He was terrified of the future, because he didn’t know what stable employment looked like. That changed when he was invited to a startup hackathon at 16, and fell in love with the potential of startups and social entrepreneurship as catalysts for good. Nathaniel founded Future Minds Network when he was in high school and it continues today, unlocking the potential of young people to learn future-ready skills, secure jobs and start businesses. While his achievements range from being listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30, to being the youngest person to join the board of SENVIC Social Enterprise Network Victoria, being named a Diana Award Recipient, Commonwealth Young Person of the Year, and a Young Australian of the Year finalist, his pathway was not easy.    “When I first landed in startups at 16, it felt like this bizarre wonderland where everyone believed in you and you could do anything. But to my surprise, I struggled to find community in the social impact sector. It felt like there weren’t many opportunities available, and I didn’t fit in.” While Gen Zs want to do purpose-driven work, they are often viewed as beneficiaries of social impact rather than leaders, innovators and agents of change, despite the energy, fresh perspectives and deep understanding of challenges that they bring, Nathaniel says. “There isn’t a clear pathway for young people in the sector - a lot of support is geared towards more established enterprises. Many young people are struggling to find their way.” To change this, Nathaniel and Future Minds Network are running a ‘deep experience’ learning community, commissioned by Social Enterprise Australia as part of the Australian Government’s Social Enterprise Development Initiative. These communities focus on collective problem-solving with peers connected to a similar challenge, to build capability in the sector to grow social impact.     “Our surveys and consultation show there is a lack of structured platforms where young Australians can influence how they are engaged and how they can thrive in the social enterprise sector. “This learning community will be a central hub where organisations and young social entrepreneurs come together to collaboratively develop effective youth engagement strategies: training, empowerment and leadership, talent attraction, hiring and feedback mechanisms. “The platform will create pathways for young people to excel in social enterprise, and help uncover the root causes of the low number of young social entrepreneurs, despite research that shows four in five young people want to work in social impact careers. “It will allow us to reimagine how to position young people as not just hiring talent, but founders and leaders in the social enterprise sector.” More on SEA learning communities here:  https://lnkd.in/gpRth7ah

We love this innovative partnership between fast-growing social enterprise Australian Spatial Analytics and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - tapping into the geospatial and data analysis skills of young neurodivergent adults to create travel advice maps. 🙌 https://lnkd.in/gpDNch5p

Huge congrats to social enterprise The Bread & Butter Project, profiled on 7NEWS Australia last night. Investing 100% of its profits into training and employment pathways for people seeking refuge in Australia who aspire to become bakers, The Bread & Butter Project has a story to be proud of. The project was inspired by Sydney chef and baker Paul Allam and his wife Jessica Grynberg teaching a group of refugee women at an orphanage on the Thai-Burmese border how to bake bread, and helping them start a business. Back in Sydney, Allam and his business partner, pastry chef and baker David McGuiness, dedicated recipes and thousands of hours of support to create The Bread & Butter Project in 2013. It's become a thriving, independently run social enterprise, working with trainees from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Sierra Leone, Congo, Somalia, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Mongolia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. More than 100 bakers have graduated since launch, and almost all are sustainably employed and have been able to discontinue welfare support. The Bread & Butter Project is also creating lasting intergenerational impact; independent research commissioned in 2018 showed 100% of children of graduates were in school, university or employed. Great to see this impact recognised in mainstream media, to help make social enterprise business as usual. Cindy Carpenter Sally McGeoch https://lnkd.in/gBY2Jt5s

Sefa Partnerships has a strong track record in building capability and unlocking capital for social enterprises across regional Australia. Together with its sister organisation Sefa, it's supported more than 100 social entrepreneurs as both a funder and a connector to funding and grant opportunities. With a focus on “busting out of metro-centric funding models”, Sefa Partnerships acts as a bridge between regional social entrepreneurs and funders. To strengthen that bridge, it will be convening a ‘deep experience’ learning community, commissioned by Social Enterprise Australia as part of the Australian Government’s Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI). These communities focus on collective problem-solving with peers connected to a similar challenge, to develop knowledge resources to share with the social enterprise sector. Sefa Partnerships Program Lead Jennifer Jones will bring together regional social entrepreneurs and funders over nine sessions designed to tackle the key causes of market failures that constrain regional social enterprises in seeking fit-for-purpose finance. Topics will range from how to approach risk appropriately, to measuring and communicating social impact for funding, to building trusted relationships with regional social entrepreneurs and funders, to recognising and incentivising social impact in regional contexts. “There are plenty of resources out there with basic ‘how to’s’ on accessing capital, but what is missing are case studies and lived examples of how funding works in the context for regional or place-based social entrepreneurs,” Jennifer says. “We’re conscious of a power imbalance here, and our focus is not just on what social entrepreneurs can do better, it’s also on how funders can learn from their failures. “Finding and funding regional social entrepreneurs is not easy or simple, and there are instances where deals have fallen through. Philanthropists and funders are usually risk averse and so rarely share the most valuable source of ideas on how to improve - their failures. “If we can call out red flags and pitfalls, we can develop strategies that strengthen connection, enhance the flow of resources to where they do the most good, and create solutions to the funding fails of the future. “We aim to spark some spicy conversations that move the ecosystem from frustration to fruition.” More on SEA learning communities here: https://lnkd.in/gpRth7ah Images: participants of EmpowerHer, a Sefa program supporting NSW social enterprises that deliver impactful outcomes for women facing disadvantage. Leigh Brezler Renee Martin RCC Riverina Community College Embrace Care Solutions

Grants for jobs-focused social enterprises: As we start the new year, an open-competitive grant round for the WorkFoundations program opens today (14 January) with a grant pool of up to $10 million available. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations program will fund social enterprises and other businesses that assist people with complex barriers to work, and pay real wages. The package is a big win for the social enterprise sector, and those most disadvantaged in the labour market. More information on the grants here: https://lnkd.in/gjMBdbsZ