Social enterprise

Evaluating the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE)

The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) supports aspiring social entrepreneurs to set up social ventures that address pressing social problems. It provides an intensive one-year programme of support, plus follow-up support and a chance to network with other social entrepreneurs.

Like all schools, SSE has struggled with the question – how much difference do we make to our students? This was one of the key questions NPC sought to address through its impact evaluation of SSE; researched and written in autumn 2010.

We conducted case studies and surveyed a sample of SSE graduates to identify the impact that graduates have had in their communities. We then calculated the value of this impact in monetary terms and estimated how much value all SSE graduates have created (called extrapolation). Finally, we estimated how much of this is due to the SSE (attribution).

The evaluation was one of the first ever to attempt to calculate how much of the impact created by social ventures (charities, social enterprises etc) is the result of support from a second tier organisation. This was challenging, but will hopefully push forward thinking on how to measure the value of support provided by organisations like the SSE.

Download a summary of NPC's impact evaluation of the SSE.

Download the full report and appendices and case studies.

 

Are social enterprises more resilient in times of limited resources?

Click here to download a paper by Eibhlín Ní Ógáin, presented at the NCVO Researching the Voluntary Sector conference, 7 September 2011

 

Read posts on NPC's blog about the SSE, creating a Dragon's Den for social entrepreneurs, and what social finance can lean from microfinance.