What is a social enterprise?
Different communities within Canada use similar, yet distinct definitions of social enterprise – there is no unified definition.
According to the Social Enterprise Council of Canada, a social enterprise is a community-based business that sells goods or services in the marketplace to achieve a social, cultural and/or environmental purpose; it reinvests its profits to maximize its social mission.
A social enterprise does not have a specific corporate form. You can operate a social enterprise in the corporate form that suits you and your objective(s) best. Social enterprises include organizations that operate as “for-profit" businesses, as “non-profit organizations", or as "registered charities" that operate revenue generating related businesses.
Other terminology around the social economy includes social purpose organizations, social innovation, and social finance.
At the links below you can find information from various sources that speak to the nature of the social economy and social enterprises globally and in Canada.