Locating Nonprofits within a Social Economy Framework

1. Locating Nonprofits within a Social Economy Framework Jack Quarter OISE, University of Toronto

2. Definition: Social Economy • Organizations that create economic value and have social objectives central to their mission

3. Public Sector Private Sector Social Economy (A), (B), (C) Public Sector Nonprofits (B) Market-Based Coops and Nonprofits (A) Civil Society Organizations (C) A Schema

4. Characteristics • Social Objectives of Importance • Social Ownership • Volunteer/Social Participation • Civic Engagement

5. Social Objectives • Organizations set up for Social Purposes • Differing Manifestations • Charitable Objectives • Mutual Aid • Not Overwhelmed by Commercial Goals

6. Social Ownership • Two Models: • No shares • Shares Equivalent to Loans • Residual Assets Social

7. Volunteer/Social Participation • Rely on volunteer contributions • 1.1 billion hours in Canada (2000) • Unpaid member contributions • “Social Labour”

8. Civic Engagement • Social Capital Building • Social Engagement, Trust, Reciprocity • Democracy Building • Representative • Collective • Consensual

9. Advantages • Looks at nonprofits in relation to characteristics, not label • Looks at nonprofits in relation to private and public sectors • Recognizes differences among nonprofits

10. References • What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives (Prentice Hall, 2003) • What is the social economy? Research Bulletin 13, Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto (2003). • Canada’s Social Economy: Cooperatives, Nonprofits and Other Community Organizations (James Lorimer & Co, 1992)

11. Finally: • That’s it!!!