Giving Compass' Take:

• Josh Schukman, CEO of Impact Business Base offers insight he received from veteran entrepreneurs regarding how to grow social impact organizations that will make a dollar and a difference.

• How can funders identify and support effective social impact business models for social change? Will nonprofit organizations move toward this infrastructure?

• Learn about how to choose the right type of social impact business model.

I’ve spent the last ten years rubbing elbows with some of the most awesome social entrepreneurs in the world. It all started for me back in 2003 as an AmeriCorps member in Cleveland Ohio, which then blossomed into a life of involvement with places like World Relief, Habitat for Humanity, and the Dave Ramsey Show. I want to unpack for you today the five biggest tips I got from veteran social entrepreneurs.

  1. Make your followers part of something larger than themselves. (Davis Smith, Cotopaxi): People yearn to hear stories.  People want to be part of movements they understand and can communicate with others.  People want YOU to make them part of social change.
  2. Create movements that spark conversations (Vincent Ko, Panda Sunglasses): A critical mission for you as an impact entrepreneur is to get people talking about change.
  3. Make your product or service the star of the show and your cause the supporting actor (Tyler Merrick, Project 7):  Like any entrepreneur, you must still deliver amazing quality that smashes that of your competition – that in combination with a social mission leads to rabidly loyal followers and healthier margins.
  4. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself. Remember, where there’s no MARGIN there can be no MISSION (Zac H, Mission Belt): The best cause based entrepreneurs sell their businesses’ impact.  Now, you must do this from a genuine and authentic heart, but you shouldn’t ever be afraid to market the change you bring to the world.
  5. Make dollar AND difference live together AS ONE. (Kyle P, Indosole): The simple facts are these: where there’s no profit, there’s no purpose. No margin, no mission. No dollar, no difference.

Read the full article about growing your social impact business by Josh Schukman at Causeartist.