Resource library

Parliamentary Inquiry: Economic Self-Determination for First Nations Australians

Reports

First Nations

This government inquiry explores how to improve economic self-determination and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Led by the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, the inquiry examines barriers and enablers for training, jobs, business growth, access to capital and economic leadership. It gathers evidence from experts, organisations and communities and makes recommendations to strengthen pathways for First Nations economic participation and decision-making.

'Part Discount Grocer, Part Social Connection: Defining Elements of Social Supermarkets', Centre for Social Impact

Reports

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.

Participatory Budgeting: Meaning, Benefits & A Step-by-Step Guide

Articles

This article introduces participatory budgeting, a democratic process empowering citizens to influence public fund allocation. It covers its origins in Porto Alegre, Brazil, outlines key stages, and highlights benefits like transparency, trust, and community empowerment, making it an ideal resource for those exploring the concept.

'Payment by Outcomes: Measuring the Effectiveness of Jobs-Focused Social Enterprises', Centre for Social Impact

Reports

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.

Peer Learning in the Real World: Reflections from a WISE Community of Practice

Webinars

This resource is currently being developed. If you would like to be notified when it is published, please email team@understorey.org.au.

People and Planet First (PPF)

Platforms

People and Planet First is a participatory verification and a global collective that’s helping accelerate the transition to an economy that puts people and the planet first.

Permaculture Australia: Sustainable Living Through Design

Platforms

Permaculture Australia promotes sustainable living and growing practices through the principles of permaculture, tailored to Australia’s unique climate and ecosystems. The organisation provides education, training, and certification in permaculture design, supports local projects focused on food security and regenerative agriculture, and advocates for ecological and social resilience. By fostering self-sufficient, sustainable communities, Permaculture Australia helps communities work in harmony with the environment.

Perth City Farm as a Social Enterprise

Case studies

This case study tells the story of Perth City Farm and its role as a social enterprise. It highlights how the Farm makes money through various activities while supporting the community and sustainability. It also offers lessons for others looking to build strong, local social enterprises.

‘Pitching and fundraising’, Acumen Academy

Articles

The Acumen Academy offers free online courses and resources for social entrepreneurs. Their blog series on fundraising and pitching social enterprises provides valuable insights for changemakers seeking to refine their pitching skills and increase their chances of securing support and funding. 

Platform Cooperatives Toolkit

Platforms

The Platform Cooperatives Toolkit provides practical resources for building fair, worker-owned cooperatives in the digital economy. It includes step-by-step guides, case studies, and tools to promote equitable ownership and sustainable employment.

Power dynamics: A systemic inquiry

Articles

This blog delves into power through a systems change lens, emphasising its importance in tackling sustainability challenges. It redefines power as a relational dynamic rather than a static state, exploring shifts from “power over” to “power with” approaches. Key themes include privilege, systemic challenges like climate change and inequality, and the fractal nature of power across scales. Combining theoretical insights with practical strategies, it provides tools for minimising hierarchical power, fostering collaboration, and building capacity for transformative, inclusive decision-making.

Power Dynamics In Society Explained: Accelerate Your Business And Leadership Skills

Videos

This video examines how societal power dynamics—capitalism, patriarchy, and racism—shape behaviours, leadership, and business outcomes. It explores healing power structure wounds, aligning leadership with values, and empowering individuals through self-awareness and systemic change.

Prepare for Funding: The 4 Ps

Reports

This guide by Sefa (Social Enterprise Finance Australia) helps social enterprises get ready for funding. It explains four key areas to focus on: Purpose, Plan, Profit, and Prudence. It provides practical advice to strengthen strategy, financial planning and governance so organisations can confidently approach funders and investors.

Problem Framing Canvas Workbook

Guides

This handbook helps you clearly understand the problem your social enterprise or project is trying to solve. When you understand the real problem, it is easier to find better solutions. The canvas and guide include simple tools to help you define the problem, see different types of problems, and identify practical actions you can take.

Project Drawdown: The World’s Leading Resource for Climate Solutions

Reports

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.

Radical Collaboration to Transform Social Systems

Articles

This article by Adam Kahane introduces ‘radical collaboration’ as a transformative approach to tackling systemic challenges. By integrating love, power, and justice, it fosters empathy, empowerment, and fairness among diverse stakeholders. This method aims to align differing interests and capacities, enabling inclusive and impactful systems change while navigating inherent tensions in collaboration.

Raise finance

Platforms

This guide explains how social enterprises can raise money beyond grants and donations by involving their community and members. It focuses on using a co-operative structure to attract investment, share ownership and build long-term financial support while staying true to social purpose.

Regen 101

Guides

Learn more about what regenerative agriculture is and how we can grow food in a way that gives back to people and the planet.

ReGeneration Rising

Podcasts

The ReGeneration Rising podcast, by RSA Oceania, explores regenerative approaches to redesigning communities, cities, and economies, fostering a thriving planet. Hosted by Dr Daniel Christian Wahl, it features renowned guests across two insightful series.

Relationships

Guides

First Nations

This resource from the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute (AIGI) examines the significance of relationships in First Nations governance. It covers cultural, community, and environmental connections, balancing roles, building trust, and fostering effective partnerships. The guide also explores allyship, network expansion, and practical strategies for creating balanced, respectful collaborations within Indigenous communities and beyond.

Remarkable Insights Podcast

Podcasts

The Remarkable Insights Podcast by Remarkable explores how disability drives innovation, featuring global pioneers in assistive tech and inclusive design. Hosted by Viv Mullan, each episode reveals how lived experience and creativity shape business, technology and social change

Resourcing First Nations Enterprises: Insights from a Social Enterprise Development Learning Community

Reports

First Nations

This report from the First Nations Projects Institute documents what First Nations social enterprise founders and business leaders experience when trying to access funding in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. It finds that the current funding system was not built for First Nations enterprises and needs fundamental change. It is essential reading for funders, policymakers, and anyone supporting Indigenous-led enterprise.

Riding the Tech Wave: How Charities Can Positively Engage with the Innovation Generation

Webinars

This article highlights how charities can connect with a new generation of tech founders who are becoming major donors in Australia. Drawing on the Australian Tech Giving Report, it explains how tech wealth is growing, why tech givers give differently, and how not-for-profits can adapt to engage them.

Roadmap to Social Impact - CSI

Guides

This thorough resource from Centre for Social Impact is a step by step guide to support you and your organisation through the process of outcomes measurement and evaluation.

Rural and Remote Funding to Deliver Social Impact

Webinars

Sefa Partnerships convened a webinar exploring how funding for social impact is designed, delivered and experienced across rural and remote Australia. Drawing on a peer learning community of funders and impact leaders, the session shared insights on obstacles and opportunities to increase the flow of funding across Australia’s diverse geographies.

SafeWork Australia

Other

SafeWork Australia offers resources for workplace health and safety, including psychosocial safety. Black Dog Institute supports mental health with free NSW training. Local SafeWork bodies, like SafeWork NSW, also provide helpful resources.

Seedkit

Platforms

Seedkit is a national project and online platform that helps social enterprises measure and share their impact. It allows organisations to track their work and results using simple dashboards and reports that can be customised to their needs.

Seed to Table

Podcasts

The Seed to Table podcast explores the stories of Australians working to revitalise our food and farming systems.

Self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Guides

First Nations

Self-determination is vital to the governance and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, enabling them to lead decision-making, exercise sovereignty, and build community-driven governance systems. This toolkit section outlines principles, pathways, and practical steps toward self-determination, including nation building, treaty processes, and sustainable development.

Service Design Tools: A Resource for Co-Creation and Innovation

Platforms

Service Design Tools is an open-access platform offering methods and templates for designing user-centered services. With tools spanning research, ideation, and implementation, it supports collaboration and co-creation across diverse contexts like healthcare, education, and social innovation. Suitable for both beginners and experienced designers, the platform provides resources to facilitate inclusive and impactful service development.

Seven Transformations of Leadership

Articles

This framework categorises leadership into seven stages, from Opportunist to Alchemist, reflecting increasing complexity and transformative impact. Each stage highlights unique approaches to challenges, relationships, and organisational goals. Leaders can progress through feedback, self-reflection, and embracing new responsibilities, with growth beyond the Achiever stage requiring deep self-awareness and the ability to challenge assumptions. Teams led by Strategists are most adaptable, benefiting from diverse perspectives and innovation to navigate complex challenges and drive organisational transformation effectively.

Shaping and Fuelling Change

Reports

Shaping and Fuelling Change is a new national report examining the role of philanthropy in social enterprise. It calls for a shift, towards longer-term and more flexible approaches that support systems change.

She Gives: Growing Women's Giving in Australia

Reports

This national research report from She Gives explores how women in Australia engage in giving and philanthropy. It highlights trends, motivations, barriers, and opportunities, offering insights for organisations seeking to better understand and engage women as donors and changemakers within the impact economy.

Silver Ball Social Innovations: Warrnambool

Podcasts

Silver Ball Social Innovations: Warrnambool is a new podcast commissioned by the Fletcher Jones Family Foundations. It spotlights six local social enterprises creating lasting community impact. Through uplifting and inspiring stories, the series showcases grassroots innovation, creativity and connection across Warrnambool’s social enterprise ecosystem.

Social enterprise guide

Guides

This guide from Justice Connect helps social enterprises understand their legal responsibilities. It covers choosing a legal structure, setting up governance, meeting compliance requirements, and managing day-to-day operations. The guide supports organisations at different stages of development to make informed legal decisions.

Social Enterprises: Unlocking life changing economic power

Reports

This booklet introduces social enterprise in a simple and practical way. It explains what social enterprises are, how they work, and why they matter. The resource also shares examples and guidance to help people understand how business can be used to create positive social impact.

Social Investment Explained

Guides

Social Investment Explained is a practical guide that helps community groups and social enterprises understand different types of investment. Produced by the Big Lottery Fund, Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) and Social Spider, it explains funding options, investment readiness, and key questions to consider when preparing to seek investment.

Social Investment Manual: An Introduction for Social Entrepreneurs

E-books

This manual provides practical advice for social entrepreneurs on working with social investors. It explains the investment landscape, how to find and approach investors and what to expect during due diligence. The guide also shares tips for building strong, long-term partnerships.

Social media marketing made easy - video lesson and planner

Videos

This 40 minute video uses real life examples to share how to build, launch and optimise a simple social media strategy. It is a pragmatic guide for small organisations with limited resources and time-poor people wearing multiple hats.

Social media templates, Hootsuite

Articles

It’s difficult to keep up with the latest trends in social media. Hootsuite regularly updates its advice and offers many free tools for planning and posting on social media. This page pulls together 35 different templates and while they won’t all be relevant to you there are some useful ones in there.

Social procurement document library

Reports

This portal provides access to documents about Victoria’s Social Procurement Framework. It includes the framework, case studies, and guidance for buyers. The resources explain how the Victorian Government uses procurement to achieve social and sustainable outcomes, and help social enterprises understand how to work with government buyers.

Social Procurement Fundamentals for Social Enterprises

Videos

This video tutorial explains social procurement and why it matters. It outlines the key drivers behind social procurement, how the Social Traders marketplace operates, and what social enterprises need to prepare in order to access contracts and opportunities through this growing market.

Social Shifters Learning

Platforms

Social Shifters is an international charity that supports young people to become leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs. It helps them tackle social and environmental problems in new ways. Their website offers online learning, videos, and downloadable tools to support people starting social enterprises.

Social Startup Studio

Platforms

Social Startup Studio is a program run by Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. It supports people who want to start and grow social enterprises. The website offers a wide range of practical resources to help social enterprise startups get started and develop their ideas.

'Space for Community: Strengthening our Social Infrastructure', Power to Change (2022)

Reports

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.

Startup Secrets: Go to Market Strategies

Videos

This long-form lecture from Harvard Innovation Labs explains how to plan a strong go-to-market strategy. It outlines key steps for launching a product or service, understanding customers, and choosing the right channels. Although designed for start-ups, the framework is useful for any organisation entering a market.

Start Your Social Enterprise

Guides

While not specifically about pitching, this comprehensive guide serves as an excellent resource for preparing a social enterprise pitch. Use it as a valuable checklist and preparation tool, to help organise your thoughts and information in a way that resonates with investors, partners or supporters.

'Stories to save the world', Futerra

Reports

This resource explores the power of storytelling in addressing climate change - its underlying ideas can be applied to other areas of impact. It argues that while the science and technology for combating climate change exist, what's missing is the right story to motivate action.

Support for businesses in Australia

Platforms

Business.gov.au offers a suite of practical guides for anyone thinking about starting a business in Australia. From testing your readiness to writing a business plan and choosing a legal structure, the resources cover the essential groundwork. Useful for first-time founders and social entrepreneurs in the early stages of planning.

Sustainability Training Institute (STI) - Online Sustainability Masterclasses

Online courses

The Sustainability Training Institute (STI), delivered by Strategy&Ops Consultancy, offers a range of practical, self-paced online masterclasses designed to help organisations strengthen their sustainability knowledge, capability and impact.