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LEFT AND RIGHT?

"The Left and Right have been as bad as each other. The Left has allowed its distrust of markets and endless faith in government to obscure the importance of civil society. The Right has been so focused on replacing the state with markets that it has forgotten how to cultivate a trusting society.

This is the politics of the absurd. The Left identifies with the good society but rarely talks about the mutualism and trust between people. The Right recognises the importance of moral obligation but gives the impression of trusting market transactions more than civil society.

Few things seem to happen anymore without a government law or market transaction to guide them. This is how record levels of GDP in Australia now sit alongside record levels of crime, social stress and family  breakdown. The political balance needs to swing back towards civil society.

This task, in fact, requires a new type of politics."

Mark Latham, Mutualism: A Third Way for Australia," 1999.

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A leadership and public voice for social enterprise
in Australia


The Social Enterprise Coalition Australia was formed on 29th July 2009 in Melbourne. It is a peer-generated leadership voice and strategic development tool for the emerging social enterprise sector in Australia.

Membership of the Coalition is open to all social enterprises who meet the eligibility criteria (below). There is no cost. The Coalition is a lean development-oriented innovation-focussed network - it is not a provider of services or member benefits, nor is it a consultancy.

Members of the inaugural Leadership Council of the Coalition, and our founding Statement of Purpose are below.

To join the Coalition, complete this online membership form.
 

Leadership Council

The members of the inaugural Leadership Council of the Coalition are:

Dianne Batterham, General Manager, Westgate Health Cooperative, South Kingsville VIC

Denis Grehan, CEO, Maroondah Credit Union, Ringwood VIC

Greg Peel, CEO, Community Sector Banking, Bendigo VIC

John Simpson, CEO, Finding Workable Solutions, Mt Barker SA

Peter Collins, Business Manager, Bleeding Heart, Brisbane QLD

Robert Pekin, CEO and Enterprise Coordinator, FoodConnect, Brisbane QLD 

Paul Knight, Managing Director, Djenbella Group, Sydney NSW  

Peter Challis, CEO, Wangaratta and Wodonga Credit Union, Wodonga VIC

Mark Thomson, Director, The TVS Partnership, Brisbane QLD

Robert Chewying, Managing Director, ChewYings Lawn and Horticulture, Nowra NSW

Gail Slocombe, CEO, PeakCare, Brisbane QLD

Simon Cox, Employment Training Coordinator, HopeStreet, Sydney NSW
 

Cynthia Nadai, Director Balmain / Rozelle Community Bank© a branch of Bendigo Bank, NSW

Vern Hughes, Director, Social Enterprise Partnerships, North Melbourne VIC


Statement of Purpose

1. A social enterprise is a financially independent, market-based business for a social purpose. It may be for-profit or not-for-profit.

2. The social enterprise sector in Australia is large and diverse but lacks a peer-generated leadership, a public voice, and shared tools for strategic development and innovation.

3. The Social Enterprise Coalition will be a leadership vehicle and voice for social enterprises in Australia. Its governing body will be a Leadership Council comprising representatives from:   

    a. cooperatives and mutuals
    b. for-profits with a social purpose
    c. community sector ventures for a social purpose
    d. indigenous businesses and social enterprises
    e. rural community businesses and social enterprises
    f. environmental businesses and social enterprises
    g. consumer empowerment businesses

4. The Coalition will be a leadership vehicle and public voice, not a provider of services or member benefits. It will speak to governments and the general public  on the value of social enterprise and engage them in the growth and development of the social enterprise sector.

5. The Coalition will advocate against government interference in the social enterprise field. It will not seek special industry assistance but will seek major regulatory reform in creating a favourable operating environment for social enterprise.

6. The Coalition will advocate for a key role for social enterprise in the break-up and reform of service delivery in health, education, housing, indigenous affairs, community services, rural affairs and environmental innovation.


Membership

Membership of the Coalition is open to all social enterprises that meet the following eligibility criteria:

Applicants for membership must:

1. Be an independent business;

2. Have traded for more than one year and earn 50% or more of its income from trading;

3. Allocate a significant proportion of profit for social or community or environmental benefit.

To join the Coalition, complete this online membership form.

The following table outlines the types of evidence that may be required.

An eligible enterprise will: Notes/Explanation
Be an independent business
 
An eligible organisation must be an independent business and not part of the public or charitable sector. If an auspicing body is a public authority (such as a municipality, health organisation, or university), or a community organisation (such as welfare agency, sporting club, or arts body) then evidence is required that the social enterprise is a separate trading entity with  independent governance.
Have traded for a minimum of one year and earn 50% or more of its income from
trading
The organisation must earn 50% or more of its income through trading (evidence from audited accounts may be requested).

Trading is defined as ‘the direct exchange of goods and services’.

This definition of trading excludes government grants, philanthropic grants and donations.
Distribute all or a significant proportion of profit for social or community or environmental benefit Evidence may be required of how the business distributes profit.

If the trading activity of the social enterprise is, in itself, socially beneficial (such as employment of disadvantaged people, or sales of produce of disadvantaged people), then direct reinvestment of profit in the business is socially beneficial.

If income is distributed to individual members or shareholders who have a co-operative form of participation in the business, then this is, in itself, socially beneficial. If income is otherwise distributed to individuals, then evidence is required that at least 50% of profit is distributed for social or community or environmental benefit.

If profit is earned through commercial trading activity specifically to generate income for another organisation or organisational shareholders, then evidence may be required as to whether this use is socially beneficial.

Where investors receive a share of profits from a business, evidence may be required that at least 30% of profit is distributed for social benefit before returns are distributed to investors.


To join the Coalition, complete this online membership form.

Enquiries

Vern Hughes
vern@civilsociety.org.au
PO Box 159 Yarraville Vic 3013
Tel: 0425 722 890

 

 © Centre for Civil Society 2007-2009

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