sea change initiative
Description
The Social Enterprise Accelerator (SEA) focuses on community-based organizations interested in learning about social enterprises as a means of generating self-sustainability as well as providing employment opportunities for community members.
SEA Change also seeks to scale commercial businesses that are already up and running through its accelerator modality and to get business ideas off the ground through its incubator modality.
Project Objectives
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Explore the opportunities that social enterprises provide for CBOs (Community Based Organizations).
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Encourage CBOs to explore the many opportunities that social enterprises have to offer to ensure greater sustainability and autonomy.
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Identify, evaluate and strengthen social business ideas from community organizations.
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Empower CBOs by providing online educational modules, mentoring, learning tools and case studies through the "CVC ACADEMY" online learning platform and in-person workshops.
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Provide guidance through all stages of developing, launching and growing a social business initiative to turn it into a sustainable source of income capable of helping cover the core costs of CBOs.
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Provide seed funding to undertake social entrepreneurship initiatives while assisting in the identification of other sources of financing and investment.
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Show how CBOs monitor and measure social impact.
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Provide a bank of pro-bono expert consultants, to help in the development of business plans, take an initiative to scale and sustain social enterprises over time.
Requirements to apply
1
Have at least 2 members of the community based organization complete the online course and earn a passing grade.
2
Be a registered local NGO/CBO operating outside of the country where it is registered.
3
Focus on delivering services to key populations
4
Have two people from your institution who are willing to serve as focal points and can complete the mentoring provided by SEA CHANGE.
5
Have the desire and the necessary commitment to generate income from a social entrepreneurship initiative that can provide a degree of sustainability and greater financial autonomy.
About the online course
This course is intended for community-based organizations (CBOs) interested in learning more about social enterprises as a means of achieving a degree of self-sustainability, as well as providing employment opportunities.
Whether you have an ongoing project (accelerator) or just a business idea (incubator), we'll help you learn how to manage it, scale it, and turn it into a profitable and viable endeavor in your environment.
As part of the SEA Change Initiative program, all participants in the first cohort will be considered for a series of seed funds that will be awarded to selected CBOs through due process.
