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The School for Social Entrepreneurs in Ontario:Opportunities and alternatives
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
By MASS LBP, commissioned by SiG@MaRS and funded by The Ontario Trillium Foundation
Founded ten years ago by Michael Young, by far Britain
’
s foremost social entrepreneur, the School for SocialEntrepreneurs (SSE) has become one of the most successful and frequently cited examples of an alternativeapproach to preparing emerging entrepreneurs to work in the social sector.Commissioned by SIG@MaRS, with funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, MASS LBP was tasked withlooking back to better understand the SSE — its genesis and the model of education that it offers — andrecommend whether a franchise of the school could succeed in Ontario. Ultimately, s
hould Ontario learn fromthe School for Social Entrepreneurs and develop an independent program or should it join the SSE network?
About the study
The report combines insights from recent news articles, academic papers, online resources, as well as anextensive series of interviews held with 35 practitioners and opinion leaders from the US, UK, France, Australia and Canada. We also conducted 5 community consultations with more than 40 socialentrepreneurs, educators and potential students in Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Waterloo and Toronto. Finally, weapproached program directors of the existing SSE locations in the UK and in Australia to learn more abouttheir experience establishing a franchise. An Advisory Group, selected by SiG@MaRS, also providedrecommendations and guidance on the report.
About the SSE
•
The SSE was founded in 1997. There are now 10 locations, including a growing network in Australia.
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Each location has 8-20 students and a paid staff of administrators and personal tutors.
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There are roughly 600 graduates, many of which maintain strong ties to the SSE network.
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For every 10 graduates, 30 jobs and 69 volunteering positions are created.
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85% of all organizations established whilst at the SSE are still in existence.
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The SSE must fundraise roughly £200,000 each year in order to be sustainable and accessible.
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The SSE also operates as a ‘social franchise’ with an annual licensing fee of £10,000.
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The SSE works with like-minded, independent community partners who can attract seed funding.
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SSE franchise partners describe a high degree of satisfaction with the program, administrative supportand quality control.
“
This is a more accessible alternative to mainstream education.”
What we asked...
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Is it good value for money?
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Is it as innovative now as it was 10 years ago?
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Is there a strong demand?
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Can we do it for less?
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Are there merits in creating a made-in-Ontario model?
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Should there be a greater focus on social impact?
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How significant is the SSE UK’s reputation in Canada?
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What would your ideal model of a school for social entrepreneurs look like?
What we learned…
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There is a growing need and demand for social entrepreneurship education.
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An increasing number of organizations and business schools across Ontario are providing selectresources to social entrepreneurs.
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Successful social entrepreneurs would like more access to mentors, resources and networkingopportunities.
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Minority populations are entrepreneurial out of necessity, have greater social need and less access toresources.
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The demand, needs and awareness of social entrepreneurship are not uniform across Ontario.
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Enthusiasm and need for social entrepreneurship education was highest in Toronto and in Thunder Bay.
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MBAs and business development courses do not suit the unique needs of social entrepreneurs.
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There is a need for more information sharing, cross-sector networking and advocacy for socialentrepreneurship.
What we heard…
We asked participants to describe what they wanted most from a program dedicated to developing theprofessional capacity of social entrepreneurs.
Participants said that an SSE based in Ontario should…
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Be accessible, flexible and diverse.
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Adapt to local needs and opportunities.
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Incorporate / leverage existing resources, organizations and partners.
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Generate lasting relationships and networks.
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Provide a diverse repository of ‘open source’ resources such as videos, documents, reading lists, articles,and contacts.
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Follow a sustainable and financially sound model.
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Produce a new generation of successful sustainable social entrepreneurs.
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Generate market awareness.
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Connect the dots between social entrepreneurs, organizations, foundations, business leaders, andincubators.
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Make it easy for social entrepreneurs to find and access resources and build networks.
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Build social cohesion.
“It should bring together a mix of people – diversity is important.”
CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Although the support for the creation of an SSE franchise in Ontario was not unanimous, it wasstrong. The majority of participants:
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Agreed that Ontario would benefit from a program focused on social impact and providing an alternativepathway to the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills.
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Agreed that the street-smart, hands-on, practical education the SSE offers fills an important niche — one thatcan
’
t easily be filled by either a college or university program.
•
Wanted to know more about the social impact and focus of the SSE, and many wondered if its public missioncouldn
’
t be amplified or focused on a major public issue like sustainable development or social cohesion.
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Agreed that an SSE based in Ontario should provide compelling evidence to generate awareness and futureenrolment. Tracking the social return on investment would support the business case for potential fundersand partners, as well as attracting potential students.
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Voiced heavy concern regarding the program
’
s cost and the long-term sustainability of affiliate schools.
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Were wary of the franchise model. The advantages of participating in a network of related schools did notnecessarily impress or outweigh what many participants felt were the risks of joining an institution that wasstill in the early stages of its own internationalization.
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Were encouraged to hear that the model had succeeded in Australia and that the SSE UK had beeninvaluable in establishing the school.
•
Were pleased to hear that the SSE UK was open to finding ways to adapt the core program to differentcontexts and cultures.
Britain
’
s School for Social Entrepreneurs is an impressive model that clearly serves a distinct marketand deserves to be replicated, both here in Ontario and in many other jurisdictions.
Since the founding of the SSE a decade ago, social entrepreneurship and social innovation has matured andgained momentum and in this way, the novelty of the School
’
s central proposition has diminished. It
’
s likely asign of health and civic confidence that the first reaction of many participants was to say “We can do that —and maybe do it even better.”
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