"Recently, I spoke with Richard Warner, a leader in the Australian social economy, following his visits to social enterprises in Santa Fe, NM. Warner is CEO of Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative (NCEC), a worker cooperative that focuses on generating sustainable employment and training opportunities for people with developmental disabilities through high-quality, long-term jobs. The cooperative's award-winning social enterprise businesses include cafes, catering, and landscaping services that have had lasting social impact in their community."
"The comparison reveals not just differences in funding and structure, but a fundamental distinction in political recognition and collective identity. Defining Social Enterprise: Two Perspectives Australia...defines social enterprise as: " a business that puts people and planet first...that [exists] specifically to make the world a better place.""
Definitions and support for social enterprises differ significantly between Australia and the United States. Australia provides a clear, politically recognized definition framing social enterprise as businesses prioritizing people and planet and working explicitly to improve the world. The United States lacks a single definition, treating social enterprise as the intersection of business and social change or as nonprofits with revenue streams aligned to mission. Worker cooperatives such as Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative create long-term employment and training for people with developmental disabilities through enterprises like cafes, catering, and landscaping. Comparative differences appear in funding, structure, political recognition, and collective identity.
Read at Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
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