Social Enterprise Incubation

Do good without sacrificing doing well.

Start a successful social enterprise that positively impacts the community while ensuring financial stability to sustain you and expand your work.

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Unlock Financial Sustainability & Grow Your Impact

Non-profit leaders will...

  • Reduce grants dependence by generating consistent and diversified income
  • Grow your impact through Innovative and entrepreneurial thinking and decision-making
  • Implement strategies for long-term success and growth of your organization

For-profit leaders will...

  • Seamlessly integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) requirements into your everyday business practices.
  • Improve sales, reputation and access to investment by deeply integrating social impact into your business.

Master 6 Must-Have Skills for Social Entrepreneurs

Problem and Impact Analysis
Deeply understand the problem and needs you address. Develop a theory of change to plan your intended change.
Business Model Development
Understand social entrepreneurship, develop a business model, and craft your unique value proposition.
Customer Development
Develop a minimal viable product and test it in the market. Understand what your customers need and are willing to pay for.
Financial Feasibility Analysis
Analyze your costs, develop a pricing strategy, and determine short and long-term profitability.
Impact Measurement
Use indicators to gauge your desired social and environmental outcomes, plan to collect useful information, and use results.
Storytelling and Marketing
Tell compelling and inspiring social impact stories. Create effective go-to-market and continuous marketing strategies.

Support to Build Your Social Enterprise

Self-Paced Courses & Tools

One year access to self-paced online courses and tools needed to launch a successful social enterprise.

Cohort of Supportive Peers

Peer support, collaboration, and transformative learning experience with four other organizations.

Expert Advisory Sessions

Eight expert-led group coaching sessions and four hours of personalized advisory sessions.

Ongoing Support

Experience ongoing support and collaborations within the global Impact Toolbox community.

Join Our Next Cohort

Award-Winning & Evidence-Based Curriculum

Your learning journey is guided by a curriculum shaped by research, teaching, and expertise from leading universities, including:

How It Works

5
Teams per Cohort
2
Representatives per Team
16
Weeks of Learning and Building
Join Our Next Cohort

Hear From Our Participants

I loved the Social Enterprise Incubation Program. The facilitators and homework were very useful. It helped us get out of the non-profit mindset and feel more confident in our ideas. I really appreciated the level of support and availability of the facilitators. This program has given us confidence in the sustainability of our food innovation centre, its community impact, and our ability to run it!
Sophie LarsonFood Innovation Centre Manager, Community Connections Society of Southeast BC
Joining the Impact Toolbox Social Enterprise Incubation Program was a turning point for our venture. The program was organized and insightful, giving us the tools we needed to grow. The mentorship was fantastic, and the skills we learned in financial management and strategic planning have been invaluable. Connecting with other social entrepreneurs was inspiring. We shared ideas, learned from each other, and celebrated our successes together.
Gunnoor Chawla
Gunnoor ChawlaCo-Founder, Ichor
I came to Impact Toolbox with a social enterprise idea that was like a sketch on a paper – has some potential but lacking a roadmap. The incubation program provided the structure and guidance I needed to turn that sketch into a blueprint. The program was well organized, with each module building upon the previous one, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience. Impact Toolbox didn't just throw information at us; they equipped us with practical skills. Learning to dissect social issues and analyze data effectively gave me the confidence to refine my venture's approach. But the most valuable takeaway for me was the network I built. The program fostered a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Sharing ideas and collaborating with other aspiring changemakers was truly inspiring. It gave me a sense of belonging and the knowledge that I wasn't alone on this journey.
Avaneendra SathivadaManaging Director

Featured Alumni

Here are some of the past program participants

FAQ

  • Non-profits and charities that want to explore social entrepreneurship for revenue generation and diversification.
  • For-profit businesses looking to integrate social impact into their business, fulfill ESG requirements and leverage their businesses for good.
  • Individuals and organizations with an idea for a social enterprise or community development organization.
  • Existing small community service organizations willing to improve staff/volunteer capabilities.

The incubation program is 16 weeks. We may take breaks to give participants time to to digest learnings and apply their skills in real-time, real-world scenarios. The program can be flexible and adjusted based on the cohort’s needs.

Spring (Feb to May)

Summer (May to August)

Fall (September to December)

Cohorts hosted directly by Impact Toolbox: We provide a cohort-based program for social change leaders, entrepreneurs, or non-profit teams. This allows for peer support, networking, and group coaching and support. We host three cohorts a year in the winter, summer, and fall.

Cohorts hosted by a partner: We also partner with funders, schools, people, and other organizations to deliver the incubation program to participants through onsite, synchronous, and asynchronous online training activities. The partner provides coaching support and determines cohort sizes and eligibility criteria. We provide train-the-trainer support to facilitators and all training materials, presentations, and worksheets. Partners may adapt the curriculum to their context and needs.

Individualized coaching and support for organizations and leaders: We curate special and personalized programs for individuals and organizations who prefer not to join cohorts. This includes exclusive workshops, personalized coaching sessions, and technical skills support. Click here to learn more.

Yes! Up to two team members responsible for everyday operations and strategic organizational decisions are welcome to attend the coaching sessions.

Interested participants must submit an expression of interest through our website. We will evaluate all submissions and select only applicants who meet the readiness criteria below. Click join our next cohort above.

You are ready if you demonstrate any of the following criteria: 
  • Strong passion for social entrepreneurship or community development.
  • Strong interest and readiness to develop their ideas into a community service organization or social enterprise 
  • Ability to articulate the problem to be solved and preliminary ideas and motivations for solving the problems.
  • Availability for all sessions and commitment to the 16-week process.
  • Ability to invest a commitment fee, see more details below.
If you do not fill ready, a good place to start is our self-paced online course on social impact strategy

With a financial investment of $3500 CAD, you will unlock financial sustainability and grow your impact. 

Some subsidies or sponsorships are available for organizations facing a financial barrier to participation. Please send us an email to determine if you qualify.

For more information, please reach out to us at tanya@impacttoolbox.org.

Prefer exclusive, personalized, and customized coaching and support?

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