Entrepreneurship for Social Change Essay -- Social Issues, Business, O

Entrepreneurship for brotherly change Is the U.S. doing enough to encourage and support sustainable social innovation?Introduction Throughout U.S. history the nonprofit and giving medication sectors have addressed needs that are not being met by the market place through the provision of a variety of social goods and services ranging from health and human services to environmental conservation. In response to increased demand for these services, the moment of nonprofits has grown by 59% over the past 20 years (Powell and Steinberg, 2006 NCCS, 2010). There are now over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. which news report for 5 percent of GDP, 8.1 percent of the economys wages, and 9.7 percent of jobs (Wing, 2008). Over the same time period, government social programs also rapidly expanded in number and per capita cost (OCED, 2010) .While the social sector contributes significantly to societal well-being, traditional approaches have proven unable to fully address critical social problems or deal effectively with increased need. In the past, good intentions were enough however, the recent push towards increased organizational transparency and accountability left stakeholders politicians, government contract administrators, leaders in the social sector, and service recipients demanding more. This created a paradigm shift, both internal to and external to the sector, in the expectations for social sector providers. Not plainly do organizations need more entrepreneurial approaches to provide innovative and more efficient ways of tackling difficult social problems, but also a inscription to increased outcomes-based program performance assessment. In light of the current fiscal situation, the sector is also experienci... ...nefits that SEs offer because the sector still lacks sufficient government and unrestricted awareness and support. The OSICP and SIF establish a framework for federal involvement in the social innovation process howe ver, they are merely a launching prime for continued discussion. Countries like the UK provide an example of the positive impact that government support for SE can have in building the necessary connect between business, nonprofits, and the government. As the government gains a better understanding of the capabilities and challenges associated with social innovation, it will be better positioned to establish the institutional structures and environmental conditions for SE to flourish. When support appropriately, SEs can provide a self-sustaining, inclusive opportunity to strengthen the national economy while simultaneously serving a social need.