Axiom News: Social Enterprises in the Business of Bringing Hope
Posted 03/30/2011
As an organization supporting businesses with a blended commitment to profit and purpose, AspenPointe Enterprises is, more than anything, in the business of bringing hope -- and that’s according to a core group the organization serves.
“You guys are in the business of hope, because you provide opportunities for all of us. You don’t do the work for us. You just set up the opportunities for us so that we can go out there and do what we want to do.”
That’s what the group told vice-president Jonathan Liebert when he asked them during the company’s recent re-branding how they would sum up the organization.
Way ahead of the curve, AspenPointe Enterprises, a Colorado-based organization, has been creating and supporting a model of organization for about 20 years that is only recently seeing an acceleration of interest in Canada, the U.S. and Britain, the social enterprise.
In Canada, the recent big news is the release of the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance’s report, entitled Mobilizing Private Capital for Public Good, which details recommendations for supporting the unleashing of social finance to advance the sector.
The creation of AspenPointe was sparked when it was realized that people who have severe mental illness couldn’t find jobs in traditional businesses, says Liebert.
Citing research that backs the value of paid employment in particular for strengthening psychological wellness, Liebert notes the decision was made to “start our own company where we will go out and get the contracts and the jobs and then we will hire our folks to come work for us.”
Since that time, the organization has expanded its client base to also include seniors, veterans and youth.
Today AspenPointe supports 12 social enterprises of such diversity as a café to light construction services to high school education. Across the board, the enterprises are providing a service or product for a fee, while offering jobs, training and/or education for people who are either disabled or disenfranchised and so less likely to find opportunities in traditional businesses without added support.
Liebert says his greatest hope is to see social enterprise become a household name with the added awareness driving increased support and innovative new business start-ups.
The logic of the model, as well as its sustainability and that it can “be done very quickly” are some of its key strengths, he adds.
“This is a model that works . . . It’s got such tremendous potential and it’s such an extremely powerful way to do business and serve your community and help individuals all at the same time,” says Liebert.
Just some stats on the impact AspenPointe had last year: 3,000 people were supported, up from about 300 five years ago; job placements were arranged for 145, notable considering the state of the economy, says Liebert; and 73 found volunteer opportunities, also significant in that this opens the way for people to find purpose while adding to their resumé credentials, he says.
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