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Social Enterprises in Action

Posted on October 26, 2016July 26, 2019 by reezcommunity

We are familiar with member-owner business models such as Servus Credit Union, how familiar are we of worker-owner business model?  They are certainly a social enterprise, developed with a combined primary objective of making

profit and benefiting the community is some way. Social enterprise business model is a growth niche, although our particular interests are those whose benefit extends to the workers: worker-owned cooperatives. Our intention is to provide and update a list of these organizations. So, here is a list of businesses who address social justice issues of under-employment or unemployment and other community issues in their quest of making money:

Worker-Owned Cooperatives:

  1. Alif Partners, a management consultancy based in Edmonton, considers itself “the first of its kind worker cooperative in Alberta” (www.alifpartners.com)
  2. The Grain Exchange Bakery and Pizzeria (http://thegrainexchange.coop/)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs1GclsZKSA

General Social Enterprises:

  1. The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse is the headquarters of Arts on the Ave, an organization started in 2005 that is committed to offering the arts pulse of Alberta Avenue through their many unique community programs.  For more details: http://www.thecarrot.ca/
  2. Common Ground was born a volunteer-powered community coffee house where people can connect and share what is important to them.  For more details: http://www.commongroundcommunitycafe.org/
  3. Lo-Se-Ca Foundation provides residential and day supports to adults with developmental disabilities. Their thrift store is a substantial source of their fundraising dollars. For more details: http://www.loseca.ca/
  4. The Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada collaborate to undertake cooperative development in Canada and abroad (http://www.cdfcanada.coop)

Institutions

  1. Alberta Community & Cooperative Association works for the development and promotion of co-operatives across Alberta – http://acca.coop/
  2. Opportunity Development Cooperatives – For profit cooperatives engaged in debt financing or equity financing of entrepreneurs.  Two in Alberta: Sangudo Opportunity Development Cooperative (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgZzi80Jwns) and The Crowsnest Opportunity Development Cooperative (http://www.codcoop.org/).
  3. The Centre for the Study of Cooperatives is an interdisciplinary teaching and research institute located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon (http://usaskstudies.coop/about-us/index.php). Research themes are currently concentrated in cooperative governance; cooperative development; rural and agricultural communities and indigenous cooperation.
  4. For gateway to cooperatives research in Canada, visit http://ccrn.coop/ and http://www.coopresearch.coop/

We welcomes additional suggestion of promising examples of social enterprises addressing social justice issues while making money.  We particularly welcome examples of worker cooperatives or business.

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