Social enterprises aim to create shared value. Many organizations try to create shared value as an added bonus, bus the sole purpose of social enterprises is to create this shared value. The United Nations is an organization that promotes social progress. To do so, the UN often partners with social enterprises. The question is, if the UN was fully funded why would we need social enterprises? Well social enterprises tackle social issues and work towards beneficial social change from many different aspects. There are many issues that social enterprises deal with, and there is no way all of them could be left to solely the UN to solve.

Image Source: The Arc Initiative Site

One example of a social enterprise is the Arc Initiative which educates entrepreneurs and business owners so they can effectively contribute to their local economies. An important aspect of this initiative is the resource of knowledge. The key in attaining the mission of developing economies in the third world is sharing knowledge, not money. Funds are important and necessary to run social enterprises, but it is not what solves the social issues that they target. This is why social enterprises are important, even if the UN was fully funded: because money is not only solution. Social enterprises are usually smaller organizations that are able to create lasting partnerships and evoke sustainable social change, something that a disconnected money donor can not ensure.

Image Source: Google Images