Digital Downloads List

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Embarking on the journey of establishing a social enterprise can initially seem overwhelming, filled
with uncertainty and risks. However, a successful social enterprise is fuelled by passion and a robust
business plan.

We have created this Social Enterprise Business Plan Checklist specifically for non-profit leaders like
you. The questions in this checklist encourage social entrepreneurs to consider various aspects of
launching a social enterprise and positioning it for long-term success.

Your community holds insights you can’t afford to miss. Done right, interest holder engagement builds trust, surfaces bright ideas, and ensures your strategic plan reflects real needs—not just boardroom assumptions.

The success of your planning process depends on what you do before you start. This mini-guide helps you assess your organization’s readiness—so you build a plan with clarity, confidence, and real momentum.

A well-structured board capacity building or training plan not only strengthens governance competencies but also enhances decision-making, compliance, board dynamics, and adaptability, contributing to overall organizational success.

Annual evaluations, coupled with a defined process, create a culture of continuous improvement, allowing the board to stay agile, responsive, and adaptable to evolving organizational needs and challenges.

Effortlessly navigate the world of board recruitment with our meticulously defined process. Whether you choose to use it as is or customize it to match your unique needs, our framework guarantees efficiency and effectiveness in every step.

Motivation is one of the biggest challenges faced by business leaders. With proper planning, you can put supports in place to keep yourself moving forward. This set of reflective questions will help you fine tune your motivation techniques.

Forcing yourself to take a brain or body break can be challenging sometimes with so many things on your to-do list. Here are some ideas and techniques that will help you integrate a little more fun into your (or your team's) daily routine.

A well thought out brainstorming process can be a simple and effective way to quickly re-vitalize how you do your annual action planning. Check out the PDF to learn how to bring your planning to life.

Finding and replacing Board Members is one of the core functions of any Board of Directors.  As this is done annually, having a well-thought-out and consistent process will help streamline the activity for those on the Recruiting Committee. Here is a suggested process and timeline to ensure new board members are ready to board at your AGM.

The Board sets Strategic goals and objectives on a three to five-year cycle. Annually, goals are broken down by the management and staff teams into actionable steps to guide daily activities and priorities. Use this tool to help you understand the various components and break them down into tasks for which individuals can be held accountable.

Companion Resource to the Board Recruitment Process. This worksheet is a simple matrix for recording and evaluating what skills exist on your current board and where gaps exist. This information forms the basis of who you want to recruit and can be modified to reflect your organizations unique needs.

As the need for increased collaboration continues, and our communities become more diverse, we must surround ourselves with a select circle of advisors to help us advance our organization, expand our community contacts, and grow personally and professionally.

It’s time to become intentional about who is in our circle of advisors.

Gathering the stories that showcase how vital and impactful your organization's daily work is vital for non-profits who want to expand their reach. Once the stories are captured, share them with pride with your stakeholders, funders, community partners, sponsors, and the community.

The key to being accountable is having a good plan with detailed goals and measurable results, measuring progress regularly, assessing what is getting in your way, and seeking advice when things are not going as planned.

Shift your networking conversations from "Tell me about yourself" to "We are in this together,"– where trust is first established and connections are built. Soon, you will discover that it’s not about the handshakes at the end of the meeting but the hugs – as you will have connected on an entirely new level.

How you introduce yourself at networking meetings matters. Craft a memorable and impactful networking introduction using this worksheet.

As a non-profit leader, building strong collaborative relationships is essential, shifting the business model from competition to cooperation. This tool offers a robust blueprint for reigniting trust-based conversations that lead to collaboration.

The questions you ask people during conversations have the ability to shut down or open up the conversation: choose wisely.

Once your Board has set your goals and associated objectives, it's time to sit back and relax. Right? No! Strategic planning, when done right, is a two-part process. The Board sets overall goals and objectives (direction and metrics), and the Management and Staff teams break those down into actionable steps with associated performance indicators to measure individual results.

Shape stakeholder engagement to build relationships, gather information, manage expectations, and keep things flowing smoothly by investing time and energy before connecting with stakeholders.

Excited about collaborating? Before committing to a partner, slow down and explore expectations, boundaries and desired outcomes. Make sure you are on the same page before you invest time and energy, only to have the collaborative partnership dissolve.

Access our free checklist to help you define and frame your next strategic planning session.

Shevalesco's approach to grant writing, corporate sponsorships, social enterprise, and subsidies has helped them to build an innovative funding model with a limited reliance on government funds. Read the case study for more details.

This is the story of a community-based initiative that began as a random idea but blossomed into something truly remarkable. This case study examines how this grassroots, volunteer-led, heartwarming initiative has united a community for over a decade.

A neighbourhood walkabout to hear what residents loved about their neighbourhood. One walkabout a smashing success; the second identifies significant concerns. Learn from the case study about the value of investing in difficult conversations to bring change.

Capacity building is tightly woven into the non-profit sector. Our ultimate success is realized when our clients no longer need us.  This case study delves into how non-profits can weave capacity building into their daily activities and strategic plans to realize results.