Reflections on Rural Social Enterprise in Ontario: RSEC Learning Report

ORGANIZATION:
Rural Social Enterprise Constellation (RSEC)

Author +
Catherine Lang & Mary Ferguson with Paul Chamberlain, Heather Laird, and Jennifer Mitchell

Year: 2016

The RSEC Learning Report describes the groundbreaking Rural Social Enterprise Constellation (RSEC) project (2012 – 2015) sharing its accomplishments, the voices of rural stakeholders, key learning, and, most significantly, insights for action: ways to continue building the capacity of rural and northern nonprofits to strategically engage in social enterprise and provide leadership in the larger social enterprise (SE) sector.

Download the RSEC Learning Report

Report Highlights:

  • The critical role of Regional Intermediaries in unique local contexts, as well as the important part that Provincial Intermediaries play in sharing resources and best practice, and providing a strong voice for rural social enterprise;
  • The continuing need for Capacity Building that shares effective models, provides urban-rural exchanges and includes policy development that is grounded in experience;
  • The opportunity to fill gaps in Practitioner Development that includes private and public sector business consultants, fosters emerging practitioners, and incorporates sustainable training models;
  • The value of Post-Secondary Research and Engagement that provides academically validated information on the sector, increases capacity for social enterprises, introduces students to SE, and begins the much needed to integration of additional information on rural SE into post secondary courses.
  • The call for Rurality and SE Policy makers to align policy with funding to link with local small business, include a place-based lens, and work with municipalities to show the potential of SE, particularly in the employment of the hard to employ;
  • The dynamic inputs of various intermediaries that is required to join networks together and build connections across the Rural SE and Ecosystem in a collaborative non-competitive way.
Reflections on Rural Social Enterprise in Ontario: RSEC model for change graphic

Download the RSEC Learning Report

The graphic above shows the project’s holistic and complex model for change. RSEC’s approach and insights are also portrayed visually in the compelling Rural Vitality info-graphic at the head of SEontario.org Rural Social Enterprise space.

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