This Month: Our “Giving Back” Social Enterprise
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Congratulations to Housing Works: Proudly Named Our Giving Back Social Enterprise of the Month
At No Margin, No Mission, we are committed to supporting organizations that successfully apply entrepreneurial practices to better achieving their social or environmental mission. As part of that commitment, we select an outstanding social enterprise each month that has succeeded in creating diversified revenue, mission impact, and demonstrated staying power.
Along with this selection, and in keeping with our commitment to Give Back in communities where we live and work, we make a financial contribution to that organization and feature their story prominently on our Web site and in our communications for the month.
Last month, we were proud to select E-Three Labs, a Detroit-based social enterprise that equips young adults in developing communities worldwide with technical skills and training to use in creating and supporting local businesses.
Please take a look below to read about Housing Works, this month’s featured Giving Back Social Enterprise, and learn about the innovative and entrepreneurial work that they’re doing to make a difference in the lives of so many people in New York City.
HOUSING WORKS: A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WITH MARGIN AND MISSION
New York City-based Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Their mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain their efforts.
Key to the success of Housing Works since its founding has been the organization’s three pillars:
ADVOCACY
Through their advocacy offices in New York City, Albany, Washington D.C., Mississippi and abroad in Haiti and Puerto Rico, Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention information and other life-sustaining services, as well as legal protections from stigma and discrimination. Housing Works is a grassroots organization committed to the use of non-violent civil disobedience in order to further their mission to end AIDS and homelessness.
SERVICES
Housing Works prides itself on the comprehensive array of services that they have provided to more than 20,000 homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS since 1990. They believe that providing stable housing is healthcare and the first step toward living a long and healthy life. Supportive services include but are not limited to housing, healthcare, meals and nutritional counseling, mental health and substance use treatment, job training, and legal assistance.
ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESSES
Housing Works pioneered the concept of social enterprise–businesses whose profits fund the mission of a parent not-for-profit organization. This self-sustaining model provides employment opportunities to the community in addition to fundraising. Their acclaimed Housing Works Thrift Shops, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe and The Works Catering account for approximately 25% of their $43 million annual operating budget.
ABOUT NO MARGIN, NO MISSION
No Margin, No Mission is a social enterprise and national consulting practice that helps organizations with a social or environmental mission find ways to expand their margin so they’re better able to achieve their mission. We focus largely on identifying opportunities to diversify revenue through earned income strategies, innovation, and entrepreneurial business practices.
We operate from the premise that many nonprofits have created assets of value that can be sold to other stakeholders to help generate financial resources for their organization – which could include anything from curriculum, trainings, keynote speaking engagements, consulting, and a whole host of other offerings.
In the end, our goal is to help nonprofits gain some financial stability and independence by reducing their dependence on grants and donations, particularly as the economic environment of recent years has left so many organizations unable to grow, thrive, or even survive.
With services targeted to nonprofit leaders, board members, and funders providing support to their grantees, No Margin, No Mission offers specialized consulting, training, speaking, and implementation offerings to clients on topics such as entrepreneurial leadership, social enterprise, revenue generation, and business planning, just to name a few.
No Margin, No Mission’s co-founders, Larry Clark and Michael Oxman, are cutting-edge thinkers, innovative leaders, and entrepreneurs who are passionate about social change. Their collective work experience spans decades working with clients in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. To learn more about No Margin, No Mission, visit us at www.NoMarginNoMission.org.
