Do you know of a resource that could benefit the social enterprise sector?
Submit resource
Reach out to one of our team members, and share input and ideas about how we can evolve Understorey.
Get in touch
This library holds a chosen collection of useful tools, guides, and resources in the social enterprise sector. You can explore guides, articles, and more to support your journey. If you're starting a social enterprise, facing sector challenges, or looking into the impact economy, you’ll find something useful here.
Suggest a new educational resource or update here to help keep this library useful.
.png?w=192)
This beginner-friendly guide explains how to conduct market research in a clear and practical way. It covers why market research matters, different types and methods you can use, and a simple step-by-step process to help you gather useful information before launching or improving a product or service.
A Beginner’s Friendly Guide On How To Conduct Market Research
This page from Reconciliation Australia explains the history, meaning, and proper use of the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag, two of Australia's three official national flags. It covers the symbolism of each flag, how to display them correctly, and the copyright rules that apply. It is useful for any organisation or individual working with First Nations communities.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
This web resource from the Australian Human Rights Commission explains the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples under Australian and international law. It covers key protections, practical guides, and support services. It is useful for anyone working with or alongside First Nations communities in Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People's rights.png?w=192)
This article examines Indigenous perspectives on economics and self-determination in Australia, highlighting historical dispossession, economic exclusion, and alternative frameworks for wealth. It explores Indigenous values of communal wealth, economic sovereignty tied to land and spirit, and sustainable solutions.
Aboriginal Economics
This guide from Reconciliation Australia explains the difference between Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country, and how to do both respectfully. It covers the cultural protocols behind each practice and offers practical wording and examples. It is useful for anyone organising events, meetings or communications in Australia.
Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country.png?w=192)
This guide introduces adaptive leadership, empowering individuals to lead without formal authority. It explores core principles, distinguishing adaptive challenges from technical problems, and practical steps like shifting perspectives, framing challenges, and fostering collaboration. Additional resources and free courses are included.
Adaptive leadership: Your tool to lead from any seat
The Land Back Foundation held an interactive session exploring how social enterprises can practice long-term allyship, accountability, and activism. The discussion shared lived experiences and practical actions for embedding equity and justice in everyday business.
Agents of Change: Insights from First Nations Social Enterprise Leaders-1.png?w=192)
This guide by Social Ventures Australia (SVA) shares insights from over a decade of outcomes-based contracting and social impact bonds (SIBs) in Australia. It offers practical advice, key lessons, and policy implications for organisations exploring these funding models.
'A Guide to Outcomes Contracting and Social Impact Bonds', SVA
This guide explores participatory research methods designed to align with collaborative project and partnership goals. By involving communities throughout the research process, it promotes equity, trust, and relevance. With actionable frameworks for co-production, it supports researchers and organisations in integrating community knowledge, enhancing outcomes, and fostering long-term collaboration. The guide categorises methods into five domains—engagement, exploration, visual and narrative, mobilisation, and evaluation—while addressing both the strengths and challenges of participatory approaches.
A Guide to Selecting Participatory Research Methods Based on Project and Partnership Goals-5.png?w=192)
This report introduces the ‘PRISM Framework,’ a guide for responsibly integrating AI into social innovation. Developed with EY and Microsoft, it offers pathways for organisations at various AI adoption stages. The framework aligns AI with impact goals, highlights scalable approaches, and addresses key considerations like ethics, data security, and transparency.
AI for Impact: The PRISM Framework for Responsible AI in Social Innovation
This report by the Schwab Foundation, EY, and Microsoft explores AI’s transformative role in global social innovation. Drawing on insights from 300 social innovators across 50 countries, it highlights AI’s impact on healthcare, environmental sustainability, and economic empowerment. The report examines barriers to adoption, opportunities for scalable solutions, and ethical considerations, offering case studies and practical guidance for leveraging AI responsibly to address societal challenges.
AI for Impact: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Social Innovation
This report shares results from a 2026 pulse survey by Social Impax and SIMNA on AI use in social impact measurement. It finds AI use is now widespread, mainly saving time, though confidence and responsible use practices still lag behind adoption. It explores what practitioners need next.
AI Use in Social Impact Measurement & Practice: 2026 Pulse Survey Results
This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.
A Learning Resource for Mob Engaging with the Social Enterprise Sector
The Reconciliation Toolkit is a practical guide from Amnesty International Australia. It helps workplaces and community groups take meaningful steps toward reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The resource explains Australia’s history and the purpose of National Reconciliation Week. It supports users to reflect, learn and act. The Toolkit encourages respectful relationships, cultural understanding and everyday actions that promote fairness and inclusion.
Amnesty Australia Reconciliation Toolkit
Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle ("Little Children are Sacred") is the 2007 report of the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse.
Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle ("Little Children are Sacred")-1.png?w=192)
The Amplify Alliance supports not-for-profit organisations delivering employment and community services across Australia. It advocates for fair labour policies, offers training resources, and fosters collaboration to enhance workforce development.
Amplify Alliance
This audio conversation from BlackCard features three First Nations leaders exploring social enterprise through lived experience. Mundanara Bayles of BlackCard, Kylie Penehoe, CEO of the National Indigenous Employment and Training Alliance, and Fiona Harrison, founder of Chocolate on Purpose, share candid insights on purpose, impact, cultural IP and navigating the sector.
An Audio Conversation with First Nations Social Enterprise Leaders.png?w=192)
This Ethical Fields guide explores community wealth building as a transformative approach to creating equitable, resilient local economies. It highlights principles like local ownership, democratic participation, and wealth redistribution, alongside practical strategies for stakeholders to implement this model in Australia.
An Introduction to: Community Wealth Building.png?w=192)
This report analyses colonial impacts, truth-telling, and pathways to self-determination, offering insights into decolonisation. While focused on agreement-making between Australian states and First Nations peoples, its strategies for embedding equity and Indigenous sovereignty into governance, policy, and community development have broader relevance.
Are we mates yet? Agreement making between States and First Nations
This article by Terri Janke and Company explores the impact of artificial intelligence on copyright law and Indigenous culture in Australia. It explains how AI technologies raise new risks for protecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property. The resource discusses ownership, consent, and the use of Indigenous art and knowledge in AI systems. It encourages readers to consider ethical and legal safeguards as digital tools expand.
Artificial Intelligence, Copyright and Indigenous Culture – The New Frontier.png?w=192)
Arts Law offers free/low-cost legal advice and resources to Australian artists, with targeted services for Indigenous artists and resources for social enterprises.
Arts Law Info Sheets.png?w=192)
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is a leading environmental organisation dedicated to protecting Australia’s ecosystems, addressing climate change, and promoting sustainable development. Through advocacy, community engagement, and research, ACF empowers individuals and communities to take action on critical environmental issues, from biodiversity and land conservation to climate change. ACF’s work fosters systemic change, driving the transition to a more sustainable future for Australia and the planet.
Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF): Advocating for a Healthy Environment.png?w=192)
The ACC is a non-profit legal service offering resources on copyright law, with guides and fact sheets for creators, including social enterprises.
Australian Copyright Council (ACC)
A growing network of people and businesses is driving regenerative food and farming across Australia—this map brings them into view.
Australian Regenerative Food & Farming Map
Overnight loss of two major clients halved ASA's revenue and exposed structural vulnerabilities built during growth. This work integration social enterprise (WISE) case study examines how employment model design, geographic expansion, and philanthropic incentives shaped, and complicated, the path to recovery.
Australian Spatial Analytics (ASA) case study (page 12).png?w=192)
The ATO offers essential tax and super info for businesses, including social enterprises, covering worker status, payments, and related obligations.
Australian Tax Office (ATO)
This article explains awqaf, a 1,000-year-old Islamic endowment model that has funded hospitals, schools and infrastructure across the Muslim world. It argues awqaf offers a proven blueprint for patient, values-based capital that Australia's impact investing sector has yet to tap.
Awqaf: A 1,000-year-old blueprint for modern impact investing.png?w=192)
Certified B Corporations (B Corps) are redefining business success by proving financial performance and social responsibility can coexist. A recent B Lab white paper highlights how B Corps outperformed traditional businesses during 2019–2021, demonstrating resilience, stronger revenue growth, and higher job retention. Their stakeholder governance model, which balances the interests of employees, communities, the environment, and shareholders, is key to their success. This article explores the impact and growing influence of B Corps in modern business.
B Corps Bring Purpose and Profit for Sustainable Business
This opinion piece argues that Australia's debate over how to define social enterprise is a symptom of a deeper problem: First Nations peoples were excluded from building the frameworks in the first place. It calls for genuine co-design grounded in First Nations sovereignty and terms of reference.
Beyond the Definition Wars: Structural Exclusion, Sovereignty, and the Future of First Nations Social Enterprise in Australia
This article, written by Kevin Robbie of Think Impact, challenges the idea that social enterprises should be fully self-sustaining. Drawing on sector-wide conversations about failure, it argues that many struggles reflect gaps in funding and policy, not poor leadership or weak execution.
Beyond the Myth of Sustainability: Lessons from Failure in Social Enterprise.png?w=192)
This article explores the idea of “balanced governance” and why good behaviour in organisations is about more than just following rules. It encourages leaders to think beyond compliance and focus on values, culture, and everyday actions that shape how organisations behave and make decisions.
#BeyondtheRules - Balanced governance and ‘behaving well’ everywhere, every day-11.png?w=192)
This podcast delves into the evolution of self-care from a radical feminist concept to a commercialised wellness industry, exploring why this shift has failed to curb rising burnout rates. Featuring Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, it challenges superficial wellness trends and offers practical, values-based strategies to redefine self-care for personal and collective empowerment.
‘Boundaries, Burnout, and the ‘Goopification’ of Self-Care’, The Ezra Klein Show, featuring Dr. Pooja Lakshmin.png?w=192)
This video features Aaron Dignan, author of Brave New Work, sharing insights on transforming outdated work practices.
Brave New Work
This is a recorded panel discussion from Legrand's International Women's Day broadcast, featuring Success Works, a not-for-profit supporting women with a criminal history into employment. It shares how mentoring, training and employer partnerships help women rebuild their lives. It explores fair-chance employment in practice.
Breaking down employment barriers for women: ellegrand and Success Works IWD broadcast
ACRE held an informative webinar that explored how social enterprises in rural Australia can build and strengthen networks to overcome the challenges of distance, scale, and under-resourcing. Drawing on insights from rural leaders, funders, and network builders, the session highlighted how collaboration, local leadership, and co-design can foster thriving, place-based ecosystems. It also introduced the upcoming co-design process for a Rural Social Enterprise Network for Australia.
Building and Strengthening Rural Social Enterprise Networks
This insights report, developed by University of Melbourne researchers, presents a new taxonomy of Australia's work-integration social enterprises. Drawing on a survey of sector operators, it shows just how varied WISEs are in structure, focus and how they pay the people they support.
Building a Taxonomy of Jobs-Focused Social Enterprise in Australia
This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.
Building Circular Economy Capabilities in Social Enterprise
This report from The University of Queensland provides one of the first comprehensive studies of social enterprise growth in Queensland. It combines interviews and survey data to identify the capabilities that help social enterprises, including regional, start-up, and Indigenous enterprises, grow and succeed.
Building Resilient Social Enterprises in Queensland.png?w=192)
This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.
Building Social Enterprise Literacy to Sustain Place-based Impact.png?w=192)
The ASE Group convened a high-energy webinar exploring how to support and sustain the next generation of social entrepreneurs. Through powerful storytelling, reflection and lived experience, the session unpacked the challenges, motivations and practical tools young founders need to thrive - while centring purpose, resilience, and deep commitment to impact.
Building the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs
This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.
Building Worlds: Strengthening storytelling practices towards more just and liberated futures-23.png?w=192)
Bush Heritage Australia is dedicated to conserving Australia’s unique biodiversity by managing ecologically significant land. Through collaboration with Traditional Owners, the organisation restores ecosystems and protects wildlife habitats, contributing to environmental resilience. Bush Heritage’s work focuses on land conservation, Indigenous knowledge integration, and ecological restoration, ensuring the preservation of Australia’s natural heritage for future generations.
Bush Heritage Australia: Protecting and Restoring Australia’s Ecosystems-1.png?w=192)
The Business for Good report presents national data on Australia’s social enterprise sector. It highlights the sector’s economic contribution, job creation, and community impact, and outlines what social enterprises need to grow. The report calls for stronger policy support and investment to unlock the sector’s full potential.
Business for good: The size and economic contribution of social enterprise in Australia-1.png?w=192)
This short, two-minute video explains the Business Model Canvas. The tool helps people plan and build business ideas for new ventures. It comes from Strategyzer’s book *Business Model Generation* and is used by entrepreneurs and organisations around the world.
Business Model Canvas Explained
This episode of the "Cleaning Up" podcast features Azeem Azhar, founder of Exponential View, discussing the role of exponential technologies like AI, renewable energy, and battery storage in addressing climate challenges. The conversation explores sustainable energy strategies, investments in cleaner energy, and the balance between technological progress and environmental stewardship.
Can Exponential Growth Save a Finite Planet? Ep187: Azeem Azhar
This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.
Centering Our Ways: Speaking back to the social enterprise sector.png?w=192)
The Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT) delivers innovative, community-driven solutions for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. By integrating Indigenous knowledge with modern technology, CfAT develops essential infrastructure, provides training, and supports sustainable development to enhance self-determination.
Centre for Appropriate Technology (CfAT)
This resource introduces Challenge-Led Innovation (CLI) as a framework to address complex, large-scale challenges like climate change and inequality. Based on ‘Mission-oriented’ approaches developed by Mariana Mazzucato at UCL IIPP, CLI moves away from traditional innovation models by focusing on collaborative, mission-driven efforts across sectors and communities.
Challenge-led Innovation Workbook-1.png?w=192)
The Civic Imagination Toolkit, developed by USC, helps communities collaboratively envision equitable futures through storytelling and creative activities. It fosters dialogue, inclusion, and trust while empowering groups to address systemic challenges through imagination and innovation.
'Civic Imagination Toolkit', USC
The Climate Council is an independent organisation offering science-based insights into climate change and solutions. It empowers Australians to take informed action on sustainability through research, public education, and community engagement. The organisation provides accessible reports on renewable energy, climate risks, and adaptation strategies, while also supporting citizens with campaigns and resources for climate advocacy, driving awareness and promoting a sustainable future.
Climate Council: Expert Advice on Climate Solutions