An increasing number of Americans are choosing to support businesses committed to addressing social issues in their community. Finding organizations dedicated to creating positive social change has proven challenging, however – until now. The launch of Weaver’s Social Enterprise Directory on April 26 marks the release of the first publicly available, online directory of over 1,000 social enterprises throughout the United States.
The directory, created by Rasheda L. Weaver, assistant professor of community entrepreneurship at the University of Vermont, meets a growing need in the US, where the number of social enterprises continues to grow and outnumber all other countries. The directory includes contact information, social activities, legal structure, and information about the goods and services of each organization.
“The goal of Weaver’s Social Enterprise Directory is to celebrate, educate, and connect people that are using business as a tool to create positive social changes in their communities,” says Weaver, who conducted the first large-scale study on the social, economic, and legal activities of social enterprises in the U.S. “This goal is of paramount importance in today’s America.”
The directory is geared toward helping consumers make socially responsible purchases; social entrepreneurs wanting to collaborate with other social enterprises; educators seeking student projects and internships; researchers needing social enterprises for studies; socially conscious investors; and for policy makers, accelerators, networking organizations, and legal firms to inform their investments and work.
Weaver says she also created the directory to fill a gap in existing literature focused heavily on trying to define the term social enterprise. One study, for example, identified 35 different definitions for social enterprise and social entrepreneurship. “Without an understanding of what social enterprises do, it is impossible to develop effective strategies to support and evaluate the impact of their work on American society,” she says.
“This directory of social enterprises is important because more and more, people want to support those who are building up our communities, one person at a time,” says Jermale Eddie, founder and CEO of Malamiah Juice Bar in Grand Rapids, Mich. “If supporting a social enterprise is like tossing a rock in the pond, the splash happens when you make the decision to toss your rock or money in. However, its impact creates a ripple effect that can positively impact a family and/or an entire community,”
Kira Nemeth, an undergraduate studying community and international development at the University of Vermont, was able to preview the directory before its launch. “After exploring Dr. Weaver’s directory of social enterprises I found it to be an invaluable resource for any student interested in combining social value with business,” she says. “Especially for students graduating soon like myself, it’s helpful to see where hubs of social enterprises are located across the country.”
The website will be previewed at an event called Social Enterprise Day at the University of Vermont on April 26 and officially launched on Friday May 11, 2018.
Source: UVM News
