Selection of a Social Enterprise: Focus on Criteria
Michelle Munro, Charles H. Bélanger, Milad Mansour

Abstract
In the face of declining government funding, social enterprise development has become an increasing trend in non-profit organizations. A social enterprise addresses social issues, using generated capital to enhance the community or fund social objectives. In this study, a questionnaire was created and dispensed to 12 non-profit board members and executive directors in Canada to determine their perceptions of the most relevant criteria to use when selecting a social enterprise. Four of the top five criteria dealt with social benefit, namely: 1) demonstrated social benefits from the products/services, 2) positive impact to the community, 3) community development and growth, and 4) positive impact on the lives of individuals and families who are experiencing social hardship. The final of the top five criteria is the importance of upholding the mandate of the organization. This is the first study to use a consensus building technique to agree on selection criteria.

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