Resource library

Sustainable Table Regenerative Agriculture Food & Farming Map

Platforms

Sustainable Table focuses on regenerating food and farming in Australia. This site shares a wealth of resources including Australia’s first Regenerative Food and Farming Map and ‘Regen 101’.

SVA's 'Employer Innovation Lab'

Platforms

The Employer Innovation Lab by Social Ventures Australia helps employers improve recruitment and retention by addressing barriers young people face in the workforce. Through a structured, collaborative program, businesses develop and scale inclusive employment strategies to create meaningful career pathways.

Systemic Venture Building - How to create social ventures that can achieve transformative change

Reports

Systemic Venture Building explains how new businesses can be designed to change entire systems, not just solve isolated problems. Developed by Metabolic, this approach focuses on creating multiple, connected ventures that work together to shift industries like energy, food and materials towards long-term social and environmental impact.

Systems Mindsets & Practice for Social Enterprise

Reports

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.

Tanya Egerton Interview – First Nations Enterprises and Cultural Heritage

Podcasts

First Nations

This interview with Tanya Egerton explores how First Nations enterprises preserve heritage and culture for future generations. Tanya discusses the role of Indigenous-led businesses in protecting language, knowledge, art and connection to Country. The article highlights opportunities and challenges for Indigenous entrepreneurs and explains how cultural values guide economic activity. It helps readers understand why strong Indigenous enterprises support long-term community wellbeing.

Tendering and Applying with Confidence: Two-part workshop series | workshop 2

Webinars

QSEC and Gov Ready held an interactive webinar exploring how social enterprises can get procurement ready. They shared practical tools and strategies to help social enterprises prepare compelling applications, demonstrate value, and build long-term readiness for public sector opportunities.

T.E.S.T = Transformational Ethical Story Telling

Guides

Discover T.E.S.T., an anti-oppressive framework for ethical storytelling that prioritises the rights and needs of all individuals. T.E.S.T. empowers Story Holders to control their narratives while providing Story Caretakers with principles to ensure safe, ethical storytelling. Explore related resources, including guides and an ethical storytelling video, to deepen your understanding.

The amazing world of our thriving co-operatives, especially in the regions

Articles

Community-owned cooperatives are growing in regional Australia, particularly in Victoria, as innovative responses to market failures and threats to local businesses. By providing essential services and reinvesting profits locally, examples such as Yackandandah Community Development Company (YCDCo) and renewable energy projects demonstrate their impact. These models prioritise community ownership, resilience, and local economic benefits, yet are underrepresented in mainstream business education. The article examines their increasing adoption and potential to address community needs effectively.

The Announcement

Podcasts

The Announcement is a documentary podcast series hosted by Matt Barr that delves into Patagonia’s radical 2022 decision to make “Earth” its only shareholder, exploring legacy, purpose and capitalism’s evolving role.

The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI)

Platforms

TACSI is a social innovation lab that supports organisations and communities in designing impactful solutions to complex social challenges. Using human-centred design and co-design methods, it provides toolkits, case studies, and frameworks to transform services in areas like ageing, mental health, housing, and disability.

The basics of customer journey mapping

Articles

Discover the basics of customer journey mapping—an end-to-end visualisation of your customers' experience. This article explains how journey mapping helps you understand customer needs, improve design processes, and boost satisfaction and loyalty. Learn its benefits, how to create a map, and use insights for better customer experiences.

The Best Startup Investor Pitch Deck & How to Present to Angels & Venture Capitalist

Guides

This is a useful guide and template for creating effective investor presentations. It combines crowd-sourced input from top industry experts and the author’s personal experience. It also shares examples, practical design tips and strategies for addressing investor concerns.

The Brand Pyramid

Articles

This guide explains the Brand Pyramid, a simple model for building strong brands. It outlines five stages customers move through to develop loyalty: Presence, Relevance, Performance, Advantage, and Bonding. The model highlights the importance of understanding customer perceptions and creating positive brand experiences.

The Circular Capability Toolkit for Social Enterprise

Guides

The Circular Capability Toolkit is a practical guide for social enterprises wanting to adopt more circular economy practices in how they operate and make decisions. Built by practitioners, it offers ready-to-use tools covering procurement, waste, and asset management. It is useful for any social enterprise at any stage of their sustainability journey.

'The Collective Impact Toolkit', Tamarack Institute

E-books

The Collective Impact Toolkit by the Tamarack Institute provides practical resources to help communities and organisations tackle complex social challenges through collaboration. It offers frameworks, tools, and case studies to support systemic change.

'The Community Well', Benefolk Foundation

Platforms

The Community Well, also known as the Social Sector Wellbeing and Resilience Hub, is an online resource designed to support charities, not-for-profits, and social enterprises. Created to address stress and burnout in the social sector, it offers curated tools, practical strategies, and advocacy for systemic change, fostering sustainable mental health and resilience practices.

The Complexity Spectrum

Articles

Systems change offers a way to address complex social issues like poverty and homelessness by moving beyond traditional, linear problem-solving. This blog contrasts ‘clock’ problems, which are solvable with structured solutions, with ‘cloud’ problems, requiring ongoing adaptations. It emphasises the need to shift from quick fixes to fostering resilience, healing relationships, and supporting long-term system health to address deep-rooted challenges effectively.

The Cynefin Framework - A Leader's Framework for Decision Making and Action

Videos

The Cynefin Framework guides leaders in matching actions to context by distinguishing different domains. It enables sense-making, helping leaders identify true complexity and respond effectively to challenges.

The DIY Toolkit

Guides

Nesta is an independent charity in the United Kingdom that supports new and better ways of solving problems. They created this toolkit to help people develop, adapt, or improve ideas that create positive impact. The toolkit includes 30 simple and practical tools that are easy to use and apply in real situations.

The Field Guide to Human-Centred Design

E-books

IDEO is a global design agency that focuses on designing with people in mind. This Field Guide to Human-Centred Design explains how IDEO approaches design for social impact. It includes 57 easy-to-use design methods for beginners and experienced designers, along with real-world examples.

The Funding Centre

Platforms

The Funding Centre is a portal providing information on grants and fundraising in Australia. It is an initiative of Our Community, a social enterprise that provides advice, tools and training for Australia’s community sector, as well as services for business and government.

The future of management is teal

Articles

Frederic Laloux's article explores Teal organisations, a progressive management model emphasising self-management, wholeness, and purpose. It outlines organisational paradigms, highlights successful examples, and offers insights for social enterprises to balance purpose and effectiveness, even with partial adoption.

The Governance of Social Enterprises: Managing your Organisation for Success

Guides

This guidebook, made by and for social entrepreneurs, covers building effective boards to balance social mission with financial goals. It includes advice on governance structures, board composition, recruitment, roles, and managing conflicts, highlighting how governance needs evolve as social enterprises grow.

The Illustrated Guide to Participatory City

Guides

This guide introduces the Participatory City model, designed to create vibrant, inclusive neighbourhoods through active resident engagement in practical projects. It offers principles, methods, and insights for addressing social challenges and building community resilience, serving as a valuable resource for policymakers, community leaders, and organisations.

The Lean Startup Summary

Videos

In this video, Erik Abrahmsson shares his key takeaways from the Eric Ries book, The Lean Startup. He distils them into five key principles. Erik suggests that by following this "build-measure-learn" cycle, startups can reduce waste, improve efficiency, and increase their chances of creating products that truly meet customer needs.

The Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative (NCEC) Evaluation Report and Research Project

Reports

This report explores the work and impact of Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative. It shows how a community-owned enterprise can create jobs, support inclusion, and build local economic participation. The resource highlights the value of co-operative models for strengthening communities and creating meaningful social impact.

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

E-books

Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas explores ethical dilemmas, moral boundaries, and collective responsibility. This powerful story serves as a lens for leaders facing difficult choices between systemic stability and moral courage, prompting reflection on individual rights, collective good, and principled action.

Theory of Change

Videos

A Theory of Change explains how actions lead to change. It shows the link between goals, activities, and results. This short video uses a simple example to show how the tool can help you set clear goals and map the steps needed to reach them.

Theory of Change Step by Step | Why Nonprofits Need This Framework

Videos

This video explains the Theory of Change, a tool that helps organisations plan and measure their social impact. It breaks down key parts of the model, including inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact. The video also shares practical tips for improving impact measurement and involving stakeholders in the process.

The RegenNarration Podcast: Stories of Ecological Regeneration

Podcasts

The RegenNarration Podcast showcases inspiring stories of ecological regeneration and community resilience, featuring leaders in conservation, sustainable farming, and Indigenous land management. Through interviews with activists, scientists, and community leaders, the podcast explores innovative approaches to sustainability and regenerative practices. It offers practical insights and resources, empowering individuals and communities to contribute to environmental regeneration and build a more resilient future.

The Sleeping Giant Rises

Reports

First Nations

This report from Supply Nation looks at the growth of First Nations businesses in Australia. It shows how these businesses are creating jobs, building strong communities, and contributing to the economy. The report also highlights the opportunities and challenges for future growth.

The Social Entrepreneur's Playbook

Books

This is a paid resource. Written by Ian C. MacMillan and James D. Thompson and published in 2013, the book provides clear, step-by-step guidance on how to start and grow a successful social enterprise, based on the authors’ experience in entrepreneurship and social innovation.

The State of Social Enterprise

Reports

This report from the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship provides an overview of the social enterprise sector worldwide. It highlights key trends, challenges, and opportunities, and calls for stronger ecosystems, supportive policy, and increased investment to help social enterprises grow and scale their impact.

The Story Canvas

Guides

Discover the Story Canvas—a practical tool to craft impactful, strategic stories tailored to your needs. Designed by Digital Storytellers, this downloadable canvas simplifies storytelling for nonprofits, social enterprises, and impact organisations. With step-by-step guidance and resources, it helps you create engaging stories that inspire action and advance your cause effectively.

The Water-of Systems Change

Reports

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.

Think Neurodivergence: Autistic Pride and Entrepreneurship

Webinars

Just Gold held an interactive webinar to share insights and lived experiences from autistic social entrepreneurs and encourage the social enterprise sector to create inclusive, affirming environments for neurodiverse thinking and practice.

Three Horizons Framework - a quick introduction

Videos

The ‘Three Horizons Framework’, developed by Bill Sharpe, is a strategic tool for managing long-term transformation. It maps three phases of change—current systems (Horizon 1), visionary futures (Horizon 3), and the transition zone (Horizon 2)—helping organisations navigate innovation and address emerging challenges. Widely used in future thinking and strategic planning, the framework offers practical steps for bridging the present with transformative visions.

Transforming the Public Plate

Reports

This guide explains how organisations can use their food purchasing to create positive social and environmental impact. It shows how buying decisions can support local producers, fair work, and sustainability, helping organisations use their spending power to drive better outcomes.

Truth-telling in Social Enterprise: A Deep History

Webinars

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

Truth-Telling Resource Hub

Guides

First Nations

This resource page from Reconciliation Australia shares learning materials about truth-telling in Australia. It includes guides, reports and videos that explain what truth-telling is and why it matters for reconciliation with First Nations peoples.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Reports

First Nations

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) sets out the global standards for the rights, dignity and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples. Adopted by the United Nations in 2007, it affirms Indigenous Peoples’ rights to culture, land, self-determination and participation in decision making. The Declaration guides governments, organisations and communities toward respectful and fair relationships.

Unlocking Social Procurement Opportunities: Two-part workshop series | workshop 1

Webinars

QSEC, ArcBlue and Gov Ready held an interactive webinar exploring what it means for social enterprises to be procurement ready. Drawing on experience across government and private sector procurement, the session shared practical strategies to help social enterprises position themselves effectively, communicate their value, and demonstrate capability.

Unpacking the Social Economy

Webinars

Co-operative Bonds held an informative webinar exploring how social enterprises and co-operatives contribute to the broader social and solidarity economy. The session unpacked global developments, local examples, and practical tools for embedding co-operative values into governance, community ownership, and sustainable business models.

Using the Business Model Canvas for Social Enterprise Design

Guides

This booklet looks beyond the Business Model Canvas as a general tool. It explains how Ingrid Burkett, an Australian social entrepreneur, adapts the Canvas for social enterprises. The booklet guides you step by step on how to use the Canvas to suit social purpose work.

Value of Good Impact Measurement

Webinars

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

Ventures at the Helm

Guides

This report is a practical guide to impact measurement and management. It explains how enterprises can build strong impact strategies and shows that different approaches are needed at different stages of growth. Rather than using one model for everyone, it encourages flexible, stage-based impact practices.

Voices on Work: Young People with Disability in Greater Melbourne

Reports

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.

Wathaga: Measurement and Evaluation (M&E) platform

Platforms

First Nations

Wathaga is an online tool made for First Nations programs and organisations. It helps teams collect, store and understand data in a safe and respectful way. Wathaga is built to protect community ownership of data and support cultural values and ethical use.

#Web3for2030: How can Web3 help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Reports

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.

Wellbeing Matters Guide

Guides

The "Wellbeing Matters Guide" offers insights from social enterprise leaders, particularly in regional, rural, and remote areas. It provides resources to support leaders in enhancing their wellbeing and effectiveness by sharing real-life experiences.