Services

Social enterprise development

With the increased focus on the triple bottom line and corporate social responsibility, private sector companies are looking for new and innovative ways to make a contribution to the communities and countries in which they operate. However, ensuring that resources - people, financial, goods and services - are really contributing to outcomes which are of value to communities is not an easy task. It requires a deep understanding of community development and how to achieve synergies between the community sector and private enterprise.

On the community side, non-profits are increasingly looking for strategies for sustainability which may involve establishing revenue generating activities to fund charitable activities, partnering with private sector companies, or establishing ventures in partnership with communities in need so that they can benefit directly.

This is the space of social enterprise. The partners in DVC are founding members of Partners in Micro-Development, an non government organisation (NGO) working in the ICT for development / e-development sector in developing countries. We have undertaken reviews of multi-national company community programs as well as community based initiatives run by the non-profit sector.

We hold professional and academic qualifications in IT and international development. We are able to draw on this expertise to help companies and non-profits design, start-up, review and evaluate social enterprise initiatives.

"The problem with the cutting edge is that someone has to bleed."

Zalman Stern