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Social Entrepreneurship Survey 2010

The field of social entrepreneurship has been evolving at warp speed. Because of Echoing Green’s open application process, we have the unique opportunity to examine trends and changes within the field globally. Each year, we collect data from our semifinalists as a proxy for trends occurring within the field at large.   

This year, we surveyed over 300 semi-finalists and received an 88 percent response rate. Their responses were compared with similar surveys conducted in 2007 and 2008 as well as with semifinalist data from 2009.

The data pointed to three emerging trends,

  • Social entrepreneurs are attracted to solving the world’s most difficult problems early in their career.  Over 55 percent of our semifinalists have identified themselves as younger than 35 for the past four years.
  • Social entrepreneurs are blurring the lines between nonprofit and for profit experience and are often serial entrepreneurs.  In 2010, there was a 15 percent decrease in semifinalists that have worked in the nonprofit and government sectors as compared to 2008.
  • Social entrepreneurs are on the forefront of innovative organizational structures.  In 2010, over 37 percent of semifinalists structured their new venture as hybrid organizations, simultaneously fulfilling public duties and developing commercial market activities.  This is nearly a 20 percent increase from 2007.

We also found that personal formative experiences often compel social entrepreneurs to work for change. Many semi-finalists point to a personal connection between themselves and their work.  In fact, almost 40 percent of semifinalists identified themselves as members of the community they plan to serve.

To read more detailed highlights of our finding, click here.

lara's picture
Posted by: lara
July 21, 2010 - 9:17am

Comments

Social Entrepreneurship Survey

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 21, 2010 - 2:28pm.

This is important information! Young people who have not worked in the social sector are trying to solve social ills. They're approaching the problem differently or they wouldn't be an Echoing Green semi finalist. Interestingly, they're not just starting nonprofits, but starting for-profits and hybrid organizations. This has ramifications for investors who will now have ways to invest in social impact.

I think your findings portend big changes. http://www.ventureneer.com/vblog/millennials-will-force-businesses-nonprofits-change-culture%E2%80%A6-good" Millennials, shaped by collaborative technology, will change the way the world works.

Mentoring and social enterprise

Submitted by Linda Parkinson-Hardman (not verified) on July 21, 2010 - 11:02am.

It was interesting to read your post Lara because your findings seem to concur with the same results we find at The Mowgli Foundation and that is the reason our mentors join us is because they are working for change too, albeit with a entrepreneur in the Middle East. I think they find it an easier way to 'give back' than to set up a social enterprise themselves and this way they can see a very personal result to the effort they put in. Linda

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