Summer 2013 Courses

All classes require purchase of a standard Hebrew-English dictionary.

Open to students in the Certificate Program in Non-Profit Management only.

Social entrepreneurship describes the effort to look beyond traditional nonprofit and philanthropic approaches in order to create strategies and structures that are more effective, more scalable, and more sustainable. As nonprofits have adopted techniques from business, the boundaries that have traditionally divided the worlds of charity and commerce have blurred. Yet, the social sector is different from the business sector in fundamental ways. When an organization's primary objective is to catalyze social impact rather than to accumulate profits, that objective affects how leaders assess opportunities, mobilize resources, structure the organization, market its products or services, and consider expansion. A simple mapping of business frameworks onto a nonprofit situation is often neither appropriate nor effective. Rather, tools from the business world need to be adapted to a social purpose. 

In our two day intensive workshop on social entrepreneurship, we will explore issues of management and leadership in nonprofits that are striving to innovate, to engage with the market, and to achieve their mission through unconventional means. We will look at the individual and organizational attributes that foster entrepreneurial action. We will use readings, case studies, discussion, hands-on activities, and reflection to stimulate our individual and collective learning. We will strive to develop an understanding of the potential and the pitfalls of social entrepreneurship for the issues and organizations that we care about.