The most comprehensive and widely used definition on social entrepreneurship is published by the British government in the document Social Enterprise: A Strategy for Success (2006):
“A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners".
Ashoka “Social entrepreneurs often seem to be possessed by their ideas, committing their lives to changing the direction of their field. They are both visionaries and ultimate realists, concerned with the practical implementation of their vision above all else. Social entrepreneurs are change agents for the social sector. They are mission-driven, determined to achieve results and committed to maintaining accountability to the communities they serve. Social entrepreneurs effect systemic transformation by tackling not only the problem at hand, but also the roots of that problem. What’s more, social entrepreneurs are usually more effective in addressing root causes than are supranational NGOs because they are better integrated into the societies they serve, and know the specific needs of their beneficiaries.”
Echoing Green “Social entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneurs. We believe that social entrepreneurs are those exceptional individuals who dream up and take responsibility for an innovative and untested idea for positive social change, and usher that idea from dream to reality. What enables social entrepreneurs to make lasting impact on the most difficult problems is a special combination of groundbreaking creativity and steadfast execution.”
Public Innovators “Social entrepreneurship is defined here as the practice of responding to market failures with transformative and financially sustainable innovations aimed at solving social problems. These three essential components are: 1) response to market failures; 2) transformative innovation; and 3) financial sustainability.”
Schwab Foundation “A social entrepreneur is a type of entrepreneur who relies on innovation to improve the world through market solutions. Social entrepreneurs use their skills and creativity to try and solve an urgent social problem, with the goal being to make a positive impact.
“Social entrepreneurs drive social innovation and transformation in various fields including education, health, environment and enterprise development. They pursue poverty alleviation goals with entrepreneurial zeal, business methods and the courage to innovate and overcome traditional practices. A social entrepreneur, similar to a business entrepreneur, builds strong and sustainable organizations, which are either set up as not-for-profits or companies.”
Canning, Lisa: “I think the best social innovators are prepared to pay not just the price of working all the time and not getting rich, but even the price of their convictions in order to truly create the change that they want. In other words, they will change their minds. In my opinion,the artist as social entrepreneur is almost as natural an expression of entrepreneurship as it gets. Both social entrepreneurship and artistry embrace common ground in their philosophical roots. Almost like a religion, both desire to spread the “good word” through the integrity, thoughtful reflection and determination that an artist’s intuitive nature, creativity and passion naturally create.”
Dees, J. Gregory: “Social Entrepreneurs are change friendly, opportunity-oriented, innovative, resourceful, value creators. They see resources and they find a way to mobilize or move them to areas of higher productivity and yield. They find a way to create value.”
Drayton, Bill: “Social entrepreneurs see a future in places where others can not. They see the end results globally even before starting. Social entrepreneurship is about turning problems into opportunities . It is about not just having great ideas but knowing how to implement them.”
Westley, Frances : “Social innovation is a complex business — these problems are not simple problems. They’re not problems you can solve in deterministic, rational, straightforward ways. So if you enter into that world ... there are certain kinds of rules and drivers in it. But it’s more about sensing them and aligning yourself with them, than it is about making them happen or moving the system in a very deliberate way. ...”
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