The Social Enterprise Incubation Program is a comprehensive capacity development program designed to help leaders of non-profits and charities explore business tactics and approaches to diversify their revenue. It helps them develop strategies and models to increase the chances of success, growth, and long-term sustainability of such social entrepreneurial initiatives. The program guides participants through creating social impact strategies, business and financial models, customer development plans, go-to-market and storytelling strategies and business plans.
What this program offers
Seven instructional training workshops and complimentary online course modules on starting & growing a social enterprise
Our curriculum, training approach and contents have been tested and validated.
Stage One: Starting a Social Enterprise – From Ideation to Market-Fit
Refine your ideas & achieve impact and strategic clarity
Strategically consider the problem you are addressing to ascertain its critical root causes.
Brainstorm possible solutions and identify the most viable.
Create a strategic plan including a theory of change, a clear road map and risk mitigation strategies.
Develop a business model
Understand social entrepreneurship and its various forms.
See examples of social enterprise business models in action.
Understand the steps required to launch your social enterprise and develop a business model for your ideas.
Develop a minimal viable product & find market fit
Learn how to develop a minimal viable product or a prototype.
Discover and understand your potential customers and find product-market fit.
Learn how to overcome startup challenges, pivot or persevere and develop solutions that meet the time’s needs.
Stage two: Going to Market and Investment Readiness
Understand business economics and drivers & create financial projections
Learn easy steps for building a financial model that guarantees social venture accountability, value maximization and viability.
Develop an optimistic & defendable financial model using vetted assumptions to understand key business drivers.
Develop a social impact measurement plan
Learn how to define your venture’s success in terms of its social impact.
Decide what should be measured and how it should be done.
Learn to monitor and track your organization’s progress to promote accountability and collect verifiable evaluation data for compelling impact storytelling.
Develop a storytelling, brand, and marketing strategy
Learn to tell effective and inspiring social impact stories to help social ventures.
Develop a strong brand identity that demonstrates integrity, credibility and accountability.
Learn to create an effective go-to-market strategy and continuous communication and marketing strategies for a social venture.
Develop a business plan and pitch deck
Understand investors and investment processes and how to build strong relationships.
Learn how to develop the essential components of a good business plan and effective pitch decks.
Coaching and Technical Skills Support
Our coaches are skilled social entrepreneurs and non-profit executives with expertise in social innovation and entrepreneurship. They offer guidance, growth strategies, feedback, and industry insights to turn ideas into successful community development initiatives and enterprises. We also assist participants by connecting them with collaborators, supporters, volunteers, and freelancers to fill skill gaps on their team.
Express interest in joining the program
Complete this form to express interest in participating in this program. After receiving your information, our team will follow up with you.Â
FAQs
- Non-profits and charities that want to explore social entrepreneurship for revenue generation and diversification.
- Individuals and organizations with an idea for a social enterprise or community development organization.
- It is also suitable for college students and new graduates interested in starting a social enterprise, community development projects or non-profit organizations, and already existing small community service organizations willing to improve staff/volunteer capabilities.
The incubation program may last 8 weeks or 16 weeks depending on if workshops and coaching sessions are delivered weekly or bi-weekly. The program is quite flexible.Â
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 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. 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/needs.
Individualized programs for organizations & 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.
Yes! absolutely. 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 that meet the following criteria:
- Demonstrated a strong passion for social entrepreneurship or community development
- Demonstrates readiness to develop their ideas into a community service organization or social enterprise by clearly articulating their ideas and aspirations
- Demonstrates that they will be available for all workshops and commit to the process
While we aim to work with at least 10 participants/teams per cohort, the number of teams we admit is subject to the availability of funds and resources. This makes our selection process very competitive, and selection depends on the quality of your expression of interest and a careful evaluation of applicants’ aspirations for systemic and sustainable social change. If an applicant is not accepted into this program, they may consider two other options.
- Apply for one of our fellowships: You must be a youth from a low-income or equity-deserving community to be qualified. The fellowship includes social entrepreneurship training sessions, practical workshop sessions and mentorship.Â
- Explore coaching grants to work with us: You may apply for a coaching grant to have us coach your team. These grants often prefer organizations that have had some track records of social impact within their communities of service. An example is the Innoweave grant.Â
We are able to provide additional or ongoing support and workshops on a case by case basis. If you require more extensive and ongoing support, we will refer you to some credible coaching and consulting firms in our network.Â
For more information, please reach out to us at hello@impacttoolbox.orgÂ
Alumni Testimonies
I have not attended a training that is so insightful and impactful as this. I have better understood my target audience and rebranded my idea to better position it for global opportunities. I had the golden opportunity to interact and meet with social change leaders from across the continent that answered my questions personally.
Obasanjo Fajemirokun
Founder, Brace up the young
I like the self-paced learning which cultivates self-drive in learners. I like the practical assignments given after every lesson, and these enable one to understand the content more as they challenge you to think past the lesson and incorporate what you have learned in your venture practically.
Brenda Nakanwagi
Farmer Evolve
Thank you so much Impact Toolbox for creating amazing courses that one can apply in real time and see results from. It has been an awesome experience, and I hope to collaborate and support your organization in the on going future.
MONICA DUBE-SEKHWELA
Founder, Strength of a Young Mother (STAYM)
The platform has not only prepared me to become a better leader but also made me appreciate my wins and milestones. I've learnt thus far that problems exist everywhere, however, my ability to discover the problem and proffer lasting solutions makes me a leader. This platform has also proven that collaboration has become the next big thing in the development space.
Blessing Ashi
Program Manager at Tech4Dev