Social Enterprise

For 5 years beginning in 2001, we facilitated access to financing and provided advisory services to build and scale social enterprises, which are businesses that integrate a social mission directly into their operations. In this phase, we helped establish and scale a portfolio of profitable social enterprises across Canada.

How it worked

We would identify early stage companies with great business ideas and good management teams. We then provided them with patient risk capital, offered management support to help them grow, and we measured their performance looking for above average returns. Different from the mainstream investors at the time, we were primarily looking for social returns. The financial results were still important but we balanced them with our social bottom line.

Example Investments

“Wearing my business hat, I really don’t want them to leave, because it makes my life simple and they’re good at their jobs. Wearing my philanthropic hat, I’m conscious they’re ready for bigger and better things, and really, the position that they are filling here could or should be done by someone who is less skilled, or needs an opportunity to get those skills.”

— Richard Derham, Founder and Former President, TurnAround Couriers

Reports

The Five Critical Factors of Social Enterprise Profitability: SCP’s learnings from investing in Social Enterprises (August 8, 2009)
A Fine Balance: What Inner City Renovations taught us about managing social and economic objectives inside business models (May 8, 2008)
Social Return on Investment Report: TurnAround Couriers (January 8, 2007)