
Resource library
This library offers a curated collection of valuable tools, guides, and resources that exist in the social enterprise sector. Explore guides, articles and many more to support your journey, whether you’re starting a social enterprise, tackling sector challenges, or navigating the impact economy.
17 results found
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.
This report by Social Enterprise Australia reveals that 12,033 social enterprises contribute $21.3 billion to Australia’s economy, employing over 206,000 people.
This report by CSI Swinburne introduces the WISE-Ability model, a framework for transforming Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) into more inclusive organisations. It supports employment pathways for people with disabilities, aligning with NDIS funding and fostering open employment opportunities.
Earth4All’s two-year research investigates pathways to achieve global wellbeing within planetary boundaries by 2100. It examines two scenarios: ‘Too Little Too Late,’ continuing current economic policies, and ‘Giant Leap,’ requiring bold decisions and investments. The report identifies five critical turnarounds—poverty, inequality, women’s empowerment, food systems, and energy transformation—and calls for active governments, wellbeing economies, and urgent action this decade. Using system dynamics models, it highlights affordable economic shifts and proposes citizens’ assemblies to overcome political barriers.
This report by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship supports social enterprise leaders in tackling unique challenges like balancing social impact with commercial goals, managing diverse teams, and meeting stakeholder expectations. Grounded in global insights from interviews, case studies, and surveys, and developed with input from experienced social entrepreneurs, it offers practical, stage-specific guidance. Designed as a collaborative tool, it fosters knowledge sharing and equips leaders with strategies to drive mission-driven organisations effectively.
This research paper by the Centre for Social Impact Flinders explores social supermarkets as an innovative model for addressing food insecurity. Combining affordable food access with social support, these supermarkets move beyond traditional food relief by integrating dignity, choice, and community connection. The paper highlights how social supermarkets offer a comprehensive approach, including financial, emotional, and skill-building services, fostering long-term independence and resilience for clients.
This report by CSI Swinburne evaluates the Australian Government’s Payment by Outcomes (PBO) trial, which funds jobs-focused social enterprises based on employment outcomes. It assesses the impact on individuals facing work barriers, including those with disabilities, and explores the trial’s systemic and policy implications for employment services.
Prepare for funding, SEFA
ReportsCreated by SEFA, this guide outlines four key areas—Purpose, Plan, Profit, and Prudence—for social enterprises to focus on when preparing for funding.
Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to identifying and scaling science-based solutions to combat climate change. Focused on equitable, safe, and effective approaches, the organisation conducts research, engages stakeholders, and promotes solutions to drive meaningful action. Through storytelling and collaboration, Project Drawdown shifts the narrative on climate change from despair to possibility, offering practical pathways for individuals and organisations to contribute to impactful climate action.
This web portal provides access to a library of documents related to Victoria's Social Procurement Framework, which governs how the Victorian Government undertakes social procurement when procuring goods, services and construction. It includes the framework itself, case studies, buyer guidance documents, and other resources. This information provides insight into how a government entity approaches social procurement. For social enterprises, it offers guidance on how to engage with government buyers, and demonstrates the types of social and sustainable outcomes a government is likely to be seeking to achieve through its procurement activities.
This report by the British Academy and Power to Change examines how social infrastructure strengthens community resilience. It highlights key spaces, their role in fostering inclusivity, and policy recommendations for maintaining and enhancing social infrastructure.
This resource explores the importance of systems thinking in social enterprise, advocating for interconnected approaches to tackle complex challenges. It introduces key practices, including adopting pluralistic perspectives, fostering collaborative networks, and addressing systemic issues through targeted interventions. By focusing on relationships, complexity, and leverage points, social enterprises can drive meaningful change while balancing specific actions with broader systemic goals.
This report shows social enterprises, led 50% by women, make up 3% of global businesses, generating $2 trillion revenue and 200 million jobs across 80+ countries.
This framework highlights how to create sustainable social impact by addressing systemic factors that maintain social and environmental challenges. It introduces three levels of systems change—structural, relational, and transformative—emphasising the importance of shifting policies, power dynamics, and deep-seated beliefs. By engaging at all levels, organisations can drive meaningful, lasting change that is resilient, inclusive, and adaptable.
This report by SVA and CYDA explores the employment experiences of young people with disability in Greater Melbourne. It highlights barriers, workplace challenges, and opportunities for creating inclusive and meaningful employment pathways.
This UNDP report examines how Web3 technologies like blockchain and decentralised finance can drive social innovation and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides an accessible overview of Web3, highlights its potential for systemic change in areas like finance and governance, and addresses key adoption challenges, including digital exclusion and environmental concerns.
This report by Social Ventures Australia (SVA) and AEN, with analysis by PwC Consulting, examines barriers to youth employment in Australia. It explores employer challenges, systemic issues, and solutions to improve career pathways for young people, particularly those outside university pathways.