Youth Centre as a Social Enterprise

WELCOME!

Our Vision is To be the leading youth service facility where youth want to be

Our Mission is that Youth directed initiatives will guide our Team to provide a fun, safe and inclusive environment where youth know they belong and are empowered to make positive changes in their lives

The Mantra –Where Fusion YOUTH are Priority ONE

Fusion Youth Centre

• Town of Ingersoll asked its youth what they needed in the community

• To give youth a voice, they created the Youth Action Committee

How did Fusion begin?

What does your town or youth centre do to give youth a voice in your community?

Formed September 2005 from a Youth Forum Youth organization designates & Community members 2 youth liaisons from the Youth Advisory Council Deputy Mayor sits on committee Takes action with the youth

Youth Action Committee

Mission Statement“The Town of Ingersoll Youth Action Committee will collaborate with the

Youth Advisory Council to plan and implement civic strategies that respond to the flexible needs of youth. We will work cooperatively to improve the well-being of children and youth in the Town of Ingersoll and surrounding area.”

In your groups, come with a business idea and be prepared to answer the following questions:

1. What is your business idea?2. Who would be buying your product or service?3. What makes someone want to choose your

business over another one that is similar?

Time to think business…

Where does Fusion get its money from anyways?

Town of Ingersoll • Owns, operates and funds 60% of Fusion’s $850,000 operating budget

Grants & Donations• 15% comes from grants, community groups

Facility Leases and Rentals• 25% comes from Facility leases and rentals

Social Enterprise • generate 10% of annual operating budget

What is a social enterprise?

• Operates like a business• Instead of profits going back to owners

revenue is directed towards social or environmental goals

• Example of goals could be: -helping the homeless or hungry-using less pesticides-providing employment experience• Some social enterprises can have more

than one goal

Types of social enterprise

Youth Centre offers programs free of charge

Youth Centre rents out its space for meetings

A catering business only hires employees with intellectual disabilities

A clothing company only uses fabrics made by impoverished African women

A business donates money back into the community by donating $1 for every cookie they sell

A business makes money

-youth get programs, but are worried they programs will stop when a grant ends

-programs can run longer because some of the costs are covered by renting their space to other people

-people with a disability get job experience they couldn’t get before and can now work part-time

-African women can send their children to school because of the money they are making selling their fabrics

-some of the money a business makes is donated to a non profit in their community

-the owners of the business keep the profit for themselves and other shareholders (other owners)

Examples of Social Enterprise

ReStores are building supply stores run by Habitat for Humanity affiliates that accept and resell quality new and used building materials. Shopping at a ReStore is a socially conscious decision, as funds generated are used to fund Habitat homebuilding projects.

Patagonia makes equipment for “silent sports” (ones that do not require gas such as hiking, skiing, biking) and much of the profit is used to educate people about and to address environmental problems.

• Multimedia Production– Engage in our state-of-the-art facilities,

primarily the iMac Lab• Digital Recording and Audio

– Learn the basics of music production and recording

• Computer Skills– Learn the components of a computer and

how to fix computers– Provide computers and repairs to people in

our community– Collect E-waste for recycling

Social Enterprises at Fusion

• Youth rebuild donated computers

• Hands on experience

• Hardware and software repair

• Health and Safety training

• E-waste collection

Rebuild IT

iMAC Lab

Graphic Design & Video Editing • Learn how to use IMAC computers • Learn graphic design programs • Create videos, art, and music using programs such as

Final Cut, Adobe Creative Suite and Garage Band

• A state of the art recording studio that is available to youth and the community for:– recording opportunities– individual youth and band practice – Music lessons

• Youth are trained in the use of recording console and software

• Youth also provide sound reinforcement for community events

The Recording Studio

Youth Café• Nutrition Program• nutritious meals are offered daily to youth for $3.00• staff and youth work together to create creative snacks

during the Snack Shack hour• Menu planning, grocery lists, and cost breakdown are

some of the daily life skills youth learn in the cafe

Benefits for YOUth

• Access to training and experience to help get a job

• Ability to try a variety of things without worrying if you don’t like it or if you aren’t good at it

• Meet new people• Earn some money• Money for programs

One youth has alreadystarted their own

business at Fusion

Received funding fromSummer Company

Started Businesssummer of 2010

Success!

In your groups, think again about the business idea. You now have to turn your idea into a social enterprise! Remember the social enterprise chart and try not to settle to be a socially responsible business.

Be prepared to answer these questions:

1. Explain your business and how you will make money. 2. What is the social or environmental purpose of your business?3. Who will benefit from the social or environmental purpose of your

business?

Back to business

What is so exciting about social enterprise?

• It means that you can solve even the toughest problems in your community- or the world!

• It means that business is not just about making money- business can do good too.

• It means that youth centres do not need to chase money (grants, fundraising, donations) because you can generate your own funding!

For more information!

Online Virtual Tourwww.FusionYouthCentre.ca