Social enterprise in community and economic development in the USA: theory, corporate form and purpose

Abstract

Social enterprises intended to contribute to community development in the USA engage in a variety of activities ranging from retail businesses to counselling services. These enterprises are structured in various ways, including direct programmes and for-profit subsidiaries of nonprofit organisations, and alliances among non-profits and business corporations. The various forms reflect a range of purposes, organisational identities, and entrepreneurial motivations. This paper grounds this spectrum in economic and organisational theory, and examines a sample of ventures, finding that they commonly take the form of initiatives by non-profit organisations, often rely on external collaborations, and are concerned with direct contributions to social mission as well as net revenue generation.

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