social entreprenuership in urban america
DESCRIPTION
Presentation at the Alleviating Poverty through Entreprenuership Summit on February 5, 2010 sponsored by the Fisher School of Business at The Ohio State UniverstyTRANSCRIPT
Social Entrepreneurship in Urban America
Robert L. CaldwellDirector-Institute for Urban Public Policy
The National Center for Urban Solutions
www.ncusoultions.org
Institute for Urban Public Policy
To connect Research, Policy and Practice in ways that work to empower people mired in the cycle of generational poverty to transform their lives and their communities
Policy
Practice
Research
Change
Institute for Urban Public Policy
The Problem
The “Charity” Assumption
For decades well intended programs of public and private social service institutions have had a mixed impact on the poor living in urban communities
While some have had a positive impact, most (programs) have had a devastating negative impact, often consigning families to remain mired in the cycle of poverty for generations
Institute for Urban Public Policy
The Problem
The “Charity” Assumption
Programs with positive impacts operate with an “asset” assumption that people can do for themselves, and offer support/resources while requiring personal investment and personal responsibility
Programs with negative impacts operate from a “charity” (or deficit) assumption that people cannot do for themselves, and offer support without requiring personal investment and personal responsibility
Institute for Urban Public Policy
The Problem
The “Charity” Assumption
While there is a place for charity, (particularly when people truly cannot do for themselves), the “charity” assumption does not empower. It strips people of dignity and negatively impacts self-efficacy
Additionally its effect demands that an unsustainable amount of resources continue to be invested in programs/services that do not empower people to liberate themselves from the cycle of poverty
Institute for Urban Public Policy
The Problem
The “Charity” Assumption
Work to alleviate poverty in urban communities must transition from the social services and the “charity” assumption
To economic development, and the assumption that people can liberate themselves from the cycle of poverty when empowered to do so
Institute for Urban Public Policy
Policy Agenda
To move the work to alleviate
poverty in urban
communities from social services to economic
development
Poverty is not a social problem…
Poverty is an economic problem…
with social consequences
Institute for Urban Public Policy
Policy Agenda
To move the work to alleviate
poverty in urban
communities from social services to economic
development
Through economic development we can provide low/no income families real opportunities for economic self-sufficiency
This is not charity, this is a strategic investment in people that is both the solution to the problem of poverty in urban America, and a way to grow a productive local (and national) economy.
My Story…
Apollo 13 The Movie…
Social Entrepreneurship in Urban America
Understanding the Poverty Problem
in Urban America
The Dominant Culture effect…
Social Entrepreneurship in Urban America
Dominant Culture Values
Socio-Economic System
Corporate/Government/Institutional
Values, Polices, & Procedures
Program & Service Development
Program & Service Staffing
Community Engagement & Service Delivery
People mired in generational poverty …
What people see & react to…
What people do not see or understand…
Dominant Culture Privilege
Exercise # 1: Understanding Dominant Culture effect…
Social Entrepreneurship in Urban America
Dominant Culture Values
Socio-Economic System
Corporate/Government/Institutional
Values, Polices, & Procedures
Program & Service Development
Program & Service Staffing
Community Engagement & Service Delivery
People mired in generational poverty…
What people see & react to…
What people do not see or understand…
Individual & Family Reaction
Public/Private Behavior
Problem Community Impacts
Society at large…
No Living Wage Employment Opportunities / Sub Standard
Housing
What people see & react to…
What people do not see or understand…
Low/No Academic or Vocational Training
Low /No Economic Literacy
Low sense of Personal/Spiritual Value
Alleviating Poverty through “Social-Entrepreneurship”
Social Work is• about capacity building in people
Entrepreneurship is
• about applying business acumen to achieve targeted outcomes
Alleviating Poverty through “Social-Entrepreneurship”
To alleviate poverty in urban
communities Social Entrepreneurship must
combine these two focuses to build capacity in people towards the targeted outcome of
Economic Self-Sufficiency
Alleviating Poverty through “Social-Entrepreneurship”
There is a formula that must be embedded in any poverty alleviating enterprise to assure the greatest opportunity for people to achieve Economic Self Sufficiency…
What is it?
Robert L. CaldwellDirector – Institute for Urban Public Policy
VP, Professional Training & Development
The National Center for Urban Solutions
(614) 857-1811
www.NCUSolutions.org
PD + PI +TCS = PT