Creating a New Equitable Norm

Stories from Social Enterprise Alliance

Founded in 1998, the Social Enterprise Alliance has seen many iterations. It has expanded and contracted, struggled and renewed itself. Yet it remains the only national membership entity for bringing together organizations that use the marketplace for social impact.

Today there are huge ambitions for social enterprise as an ever-growing sector of the economy. With crucial goals like a national certification for social enterprises within our grasp, the need for a national alliance is more pressing than ever. And running small, individual social enterprises is hard and lonely work. These ambitions require collective action. 

SEA national is again calling on new and renewing members who feel that we cannot reach our goals as individual enterprises, nor as distanced regional and state organizations. A collective voice from across the country is the only way. 

And the time is now. 

Welcome! Lauren Dekleva Haynes, Community Manager at the Social Enterprise Alliance here. 

We’re really fortunate to have such an incredibly diverse and inspiring community. I recently tapped into our community asking them to share a story about being a member of SEA and they responded to the call:

Welcome! 

Lauren Dekleva Haynes, Community Manager at the Social Enterprise Alliance here. 

We’re really fortunate to have such an incredibly diverse and inspiring community. I recently tapped into our community asking them to share a story about being a member of SEA and they responded to the call:

"Women’s Bean Project is a social enterprise that supports women striving to create lasting change in their lives by establishing stepping stones to self-sufficiency. We started as a $500 idea in the basement room of a resource center and have since grown into a $3 million dollar company with distribution across the country. This could only come about because of our abundance mentality – we align ourselves with other social enterprises and nonprofits to learn from each other, share resources, and grow together. Social Enterprise Alliance is the right place to be for growth."  

⇎ Tamra Ryan, Women’s Bean Project

SEA Member

I love the story of Women's Bean Project. 

Hi, I’m David Gaines, Board Chair for the Social Enterprise Alliance. 

This last year has been a very busy one. I’ve been meeting and listening to members, past and current, to find out how SEA can best serve our membership community. All of us here at SEA have been working very hard to bring as much value as possible to our community.

I invite you to scroll down and take a look at all the resources we now have available to our members. 

It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. Because all of us here at SEA know how much value social entrepreneurs like you bring to the world.

Here’s How Your SEA Membership 

Pays For Itself Many Times Over

Funding Database.................................................$699

Full membership access to GrantStation, a huge, searchable database of government and private financial support for your social enterprise. 

SEA Membership Directory...................................$600

The SEA Membership Directory is undergoing a complete overhaul! You definitely want to be listed in this great resource. Once you become an SEA Member or renew your Membership, visit your Membership Dashboard to keep your profile up to date. And use the directory to find resources across the country.

Newsletter: Members-Only...................................$120

Once a month information on:

- Funding opportunities, nationwide

- Upcoming webinars and other SEA events

- Member discounts from our partner organizations  

- And the opportunity to list or advertise very inexpensively

Product Listings in Seasonal Gift Guides............$1000

Each year we curate an online catalog of products that are great gifts for the holiday seasons, showcasing products from social enterprises. This benefit is specifically for our Organization members. 

SEA Webinars.......................................................$180

For members, the monthly Coffee Chats, Happy Hours, and (most) Webinars are free. But the connections and relationships you’ll have access to are priceless! Social entrepreneurs work hard, and often alone. Here you’ll find community, expertise, useful connections and resources to help shape and position your social enterprise for success.

Funding Database.................................................$699

SEA Membership Directory...................................$600

Newsletter: Members-Only...................................$120

Product Listings in Seasonal Gift Guides............$1000

SEA Webinars.......................................................$180

Networking and Community Building............Priceless!

Total Membership Value....................................$2,599

Individual Membership Cost.....................$150

Discounted Membership Cost*.................$120

*A discounted Individual Membership is just $120. But join today at any level for 20% off your annual membership with promo code "DISCOVER20"! 

This is a limited time offer that expires on August 4th.

SEA to the Rescue!

When I was starting my investment advisory social enterprise, I only had $5,000 to launch it. I was nervous and on an emotional roller coaster, feeling supreme confidence during the highs and debilitating doubt during the lows. I needed to figure out how to pay all the necessary overhead just to start my business.

I started off with the required state and legal set-up fees.Then there was the business equipment. Finally, there were the recurring expenses like the website, a virtual office and business phone. I compared many options before making my choices. I always paid the year in advance to save in the long run.

But there was one more large, fixed, recurring expense: licensing a money management client portal. That was going to break my budget.

Had I come all this way just to hit a dead end? I felt debilitating doubt again! I had to get this last piece at a discount to be able to move forward. But how?

That’s when I got an email from SEA to attend a Happy Hour event. The email planted a sudden idea in my head ‘What if I could leverage my SEA membership to get the discount I needed?’ 

I went onto the SEA website and updated my profile. 

I then emailed the sales rep the link to my membership profile and asked for 30% off.

The next day I was blown away by the response. Not only did I get the discount, saving me around $800, the sales rep thanked me for making the ask! It turned out this company was looking to grow their social responsibility footprint and saw fulfilling the request from my startup firm as one way to do it.

I pumped my fist in the air, feeling supreme confidence once again.

My next thought was, "How else can I leverage my SEA membership?"

⇎ Paul Lovejoy, 

Stakeholder Enterprises & 

SEA Member

*Join today with promo code "DISCOVER20" for 20% off your annual membership! This code expires on August 4th.

Why I Love SEA

Purpose? “You can’t make money on social good. That’s what non-profits are for.”

People? “Businesses don’t have time to care whether people feel valued at work! That’s what paychecks are for.  People just need jobs, and they will do okay.”

Planet? “People say they want to help, but they aren’t going to pay for it. And corporations won’t reduce profits to become stewards of the planet. The shareholders would go crazy.” 

That’s what I heard from “expert” after expert when I launched my business: Sounds all well and good, but no one is going to pay for it.

And then, I stumbled across the Social Enterprise Alliance.

Wait…WHAT?

There are other companies out there who make purpose part of their business plan???

There are founders who not only believe that focusing on Purpose, People, and the Planet is the right thing to do -- but who are making profits, employing people, producing in-demand goods and services, and creating ripple effects in their communities? OMG!

I had found a home!

I love SEA for the community, support, expert advice, learning, conference events, and more. Mostly I love SEA because it is filled with people like me who have demonstrated that you can be profitable while doing good.

Fast forward five years. We know that businesses who count purpose as one of their value propositions are thriving. SEA has been on the cutting edge of this movement and my membership allows me access to the best purpose people on the planet. I am a proud SEA member. Come join us.

⇎  Maura Clevenger, In Concert With Good & SEA Member

*Join today with promo code "DISCOVER20" for 20% off your annual membership! This code expires on August 4th.