Beyond the Myth of Sustainability: Lessons from Failure in Social Enterprise

This article, written by Kevin Robbie of Think Impact, explores why so many social enterprises struggle despite doing valuable work. Drawing on two national webinars with practitioners and funders, held as part of the Social Enterprise Development Initiative, it argues that failure is often structural rather than personal, reflecting gaps in funding, markets and policy rather than poor leadership.

The article challenges some common assumptions: that growth always signals success, and that social enterprises should aim for full financial self-sustainability. It argues that resilience and honest, early conversations between funders and organisations matter more than scale, and that the real measure of a mature sector is whether it learns from failure rather than hides it.

It's a useful read for social enterprise leaders, funders and policymakers wanting a more realistic, systems-level view of what sustainable impact actually requires.