For those looking for help in creating a cash flow projection:
Namada is a digital tool created for social purpose businesses to help find the supports and resources they need. A project of Alberta SEED, Namada allows you to select from multiple filtering criteria and the tool provides a detailed list of all the supports and resources available that may meet your needs.
AB Seed (Alberta Social Economy Ecosystem Development) is a collaborative of social enterprise and social finance leaders seeking to develop a strong social economic ecosystem in Alberta.
The Trico Foundation describes its work as “provoking innovation and building capacity in social entrepreneurship.” Trico offers a variety of on-line tools and in person coaching, with a focus on training social entrepreneurs to learn how to solve problems – as opposed to simply offering solutions.
Innoweave.ca is an initiative of the McConnell Family Foundation, offering a range of virtual and in-person supports, including modules on social enterprise and social finance.
The Business Link (a partnership of the governments of Alberta and Canada) provides a wide range of critical information and support to anyone in the earliest stages of starting a business – vital information for success regardless of corporate structure. BDC (the Business Development Bank of Canada, a federal Crown Corporation) also has a wide range of resource materials on its website of value to social entrepreneurs.
The Table of Impact Investment Practitioners, or TIIP is a community of practice for social finance intermediaries. The Table is a pan-Canadian, pan-sector network, including community loan funds, worker coops, social enterprise funds, values-based financial institutions, Indigenous-led investment firms, and microloan funds spearheaded by and serving racialized, underserved and vulnerable communities.
Every day SEF works with entrepreneurs—non-profits, for-profits, cooperatives – determined to find a better way to do things, to create a sustainable economy leading to a more inclusive community that works for everybody.
The second round of the Investment Readiness Program (IRP) opened on September 8th until October 9th, 2020.
There are a number of ideas I find myself returning to over and over again in my work with SEF’s clients – a few simple basics that may help in your thinking about working in the world of social enterprise.