ABSTRACT
This chapter examines both the advantages and challenges of scaling social ventures and how to leverage the advantages and meet the challenges effectively. It looks at why social entrepreneurs pursue growth, what challenges they face in doing so, and the growth strategy options available to them. Growth is what is expected of social entrepreneurs. Social venture philanthropists, such as Ashoka, Echoing Green, and the Acumen Fund among others, use venture capital models to assist high-impact social ventures. Their strategies demand that the ventures in which they invest maximize their social return on investment. Growth, or scaling, of a social venture involves considerable change. In preparation for growth, a venture should revisit its mission to ensure that it is up to date, clear, and understandable to all stakeholders. Then, the venture should use its mission to guide it in making growth decisions. Growth should support the mission, not detract from it, causing mission drift.
