ABSTRACT
In this chapter, you will learn how to do the following: 1 Know key steps for starting a social action initiative: envision, formulate, take action, evaluate, and sustain2 Apply business planning methods to social entrepreneurship3 Find available sources of support4 Recognize the important ethical and fiduciary responsibilities of a board of directors5 Distinguish between cognitive, emotional, and behavioral strategies for social entrepreneurship6 Formulate strategies to conduct basic organizational functions (recruit volunteers, raise funds, build alliances, sell the message, and lobby)7 Understand how social entrepreneurs’ beliefs about people affect the advocacy strategies they adopt8 Know the meaning of social capital and how it works to influence opinions and achieve advocacy goals9 Integrate strategies of leadership, emotional appeal, and learning to effect social change
People who have the spark of an idea and are motivated to take action for a social cause often do not know where to start or how to proceed. Those who are successful have been sufficiently persistent to keep their goals alive despite the frustrations of planning, organizing, and leading. They usually do not have training in social entrepreneurship competencies and methods. Starting any enterprise is a challenge, whether it is a for-profit or not-for-profit. It often requires learning skills and building competencies on the go, which means learning the hard way from mistakes and failures. This chapter outlines steps of starting and maintaining a community-based or corporate social responsibility
(CSR) initiative. We recommend that social entrepreneurs write a “business” plan, and we describe the components of such a plan, recognizing that elements of the plan will change as the effort evolves. We then offer a primer for establishing a nonprofit organization. We cover legal and organizational steps that are necessary to form and sustain a formal enterprise. Our goal is to help you avoid unnecessary errors and mistakes, reduce your frustration, and help make your effort a successful and satisfying experience. Steps for Social Action
Social action follows a cycle of envisioning, formulating, taking action, evaluating, and sustaining. (For similar step models for starting a social entrepreneurial venture, see Avner, 2002; Barringer & Ireland, 2007; Brinckerhoff, 2000; Kaplan & Warren, 2007; Kawasaki, 2004; Leadbeater, 1997.) This is a cycle in that it is ongoing and repeats over time as new ideas emerge, learning takes place, needs are met, and new needs emerge. It applies to efforts with long-term goals that are meant to be sustained over time, such as starting an organization to shelter the homeless. It also applies to short-term or one-time initiatives, such as organizing a fund raising event to help a family with a sick child. Table 4.1 describes behaviors for transformational and transactional leadership in each of these steps (left column). The table considers what employees do in companies to start and lead corporate social responsibility efforts (middle column) and what social entrepreneurs in communities do to start and lead a social action effort (right column). Envisioning entails identifying the problem and recognizing situational conditions that are challenges, pressures, and opportunities to solve the problem or meet a need. Envisioning requires innovative thinkers who are not satisfied or bound by the status quo (Kaplan & Warren, 2007). The visionary may not be the best person to actually execute the vision in later steps. An employee in a company who sees a social problem or need that the company can help meet begins talking about the vision to fellow employees and executives. The employee may have an idea for how the company can address the problem. Or the employee may raise the issue but not have a definite idea about what to do, other than that the company should devote resources and take action to solve the problem. Others in the firm need to share the vision and understand that the organization can and should help. They may view this as a responsibility (e.g., reduce waste) or act as a good citizen of the community (e.g., help the homeless). The community citizen who is trying to bring about change and social good begins expressing a vision to attract others’
attention and commitment. A start would be to hold informal meetings and eventually organize more formal town-hall type gatherings to discuss ways of addressing the issue, solicit resources and support, and form a plan of action. Concurrent actions would be to reach out to stakeholders in different constituencies who care about the issue (e.g., government officials, educators, clergy and lay leaders of religious organizations, directors and boards of existing social service agencies). In the formulation step, the founder and lead activist demonstrates his or her motivation, skills, and competencies to work on the issue. He or she works with initial volunteers to formulate goals. Together, they become the first adopters-the principal emissaries who communicate the mission and are willing to be identified with it. They set initial action strategies to begin accomplishing their goals. Formulating requires a practical mind for such concrete tasks as analyzing need, determining situational conditions, writing a plan, and setting measurable goals. Within a company, the lead activists need to demonstrate to others that the company should get involved to help the cause. Knowing how to convince others and bring about change helps. This means knowing who controls resources, knowing what the executives of the company are interested in, and describing needs in a compelling way that others are willing to support. Within a community, citizen activists find or organize forums to get their ideas across. They may do this in PTA meetings in the schools, town council meetings, religious services, or simply gatherings of friends who have like interests and see the world similarly. They may begin to develop support structures to garner resources, address adversaries (e.g., residents who don’t want a soup kitchen in their neighborhood), and implement solutions.An important part of formulation is developing a mission statement. Innovative ideas need to be expressed concretely. Transformational leaders need to express their vision. They capture their vision in a mission statement for their social entrepreneurship venture. Consider the mission statement of an educational enterprise such as a university. Stony Brook University’s mission statement is presented on its Web site as follows (https://www.sunysb.edu):
• To carry out research and intellectual endeavors of the highest international standards that advance theoretical knowledge and are of immediate and long-range practical significance. • To provide leadership for economic growth, technology, and culture for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region.
