In pursuit of a more sustainable and diversified funding base, more accountable division managers and better results for their programs, an increasing number of development and aid organizations are talking about the benefits of operating as social enterprises in the sector.
But how does this conversion actually work? Few understand what it means to operate on a social enterprise model and even fewer have actually done it.
Cordaid, headquartered in the Netherlands, is a notable exception, having recently undergone a transformation from a nongovernmental organization focused on foreign aid to an international development agency operating as a social enterprise.