National Center for Social Entrepreneurs

The focus of NCSE-NM is organizational change.

The most sustainable opportunities for nonprofits to achieve greater short-term financial stability are through a combination of reducing costs, improving upon existing programs that bring about earned income revenues, and identifying new opportunities that may exploit specific expertise, resources and/or relationships and fill a specific void within today’s current marketplace.

It's not about a single individual or business idea, but rather how an organization thinks and acts entrepreneurially. Throughout the course of our history, we have found that all levels of the organization (board, management and staff) think and act together to bring success to their social enterprise.

We help participants focus on the entrepreneurial process and mitigate risks along the way - our proprietary processes improve business and marketing practices and generate more revenue from mission-related activities.

The Social Entrepreneur Process

A.  PATHFINDER™ - Two full days
Pathfinder helps participants brainstorm potential entrepreneurial concepts, and then validate the merit and potential of the top concepts within the current marketplace.  Participants will formally define their business concept and gain a better understanding of their organization's level of readiness as they continue to hone their approach.
It begins with an I.D.E.A, - an internally-directed entrepreneurial assessment. We help participants review your agency’s readiness for an entrepreneurial concept.  In addition to this, we guide them through an organizational readiness survey and help them conduct a light risk analysis.

Participants further define their concept (in the form of a three-page "snapshot" business plan) and assemble a qualified enterprise team that will hold them accountable to the measurable advancement of their goals.  Finally, each agency forms an Enterprise Team, comprised of 5-8 board and staff members.  This team is the liaison of communication and investment within the agency. 

B.  ROADMAP™ - Seven full days
At this point agency participants have demonstrated their commitment to the process they are now ready for a whole new level of instruction.
ROADMAP is an intensive eight-month process that integrates group consulting with individual support. Throughout the course of the ROADMAP program all participants are required craft & deliver a formal written business plan that includes the following elements:

• A Detailed Business Description
• An Overview of the Core Business Offering
• A Comprehensive Market Overview and Competitive Analysis
• A Detailed Definition of Potential, Available and Target Markets
• A Detailed Marketing Plan Designed to Penetrate Target Market(s)
• A Three-Year Capitalization and Strategic Implementation Plan
• Historical and Pro-formal Financials that Quantify with the Overall Plan

C. FELLOWS ACADEMY™ - Two hour celebration!
Once participants have completed their business plans, they are required to make a formal presentation to the NCSE Fellows Academy - a group of NCSE Alumni who have already "endured" the same process. The agency, then graduates from the program, moves to the business "launch" process and becomes a member of the N.C.S.E fellow's academy.

As a member of the NCSE Fellows Academy, they can then be involved in quarterly sessions where they can network and exchange and best practices. Through the new PowerTools™ series they will be exposed to noteworthy speakers with timely topics and can gain access to resources critical services providers on an as-needed-as-requested basis.