ABSTRACT
This case study looks at the Wirnda Barna Art Centre, a social enterprise promoting community arts with an Aboriginal community in Western Australia. This is an important study as in many countries, as well as Australia, there is little external funding available for community projects. In economically developed countries the continuation of the austerity budget often means reduced funding for community development-related activities. Therefore, the role of social enterprises, non-profit organisations and self-funding initiatives may increase over time.
The main focus of the study explores:
The impact and value of working with a Social Capital model
Issue around developing a financially self-sustaining operation
The importance of having a clear plan linked to a monitoring and evaluation process
Learning from both intended and unintended outcomes and outputs
The stress on staff working in a project where the required financial support is in doubt
