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Social Impact Strategy: Tools for Entrepreneurs and Innovators
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 8 hours
  • Course by University of Pennsylvania
  • Offered by

About

This course offers an introduction to social impact strategy and social entrepreneurship, including key concepts, an overview of the field, and tools to get started as a changemaker. Students will learn how to innovate and design new ideas and new organizational forms to implement those ideas. Students who take this course will be better prepared to launch social impact organizations of their own invention. By moving through four stages, Define, Design, Pilot, and Scale, students will turn their passion for changing the world into concrete plans for launching a nonprofit or for-profit venture designed to achieve a social goal. This course will allow students to systematically think through problems; develop and test an innovative solution; assess risk, competition, and performance; and spread impact in a way that is financially sustainable. Students who complete the course become eligible to apply for an in-person educational experience, called the Global Social Impact House. GSIH is a seven-day residential program that provides fellows with the tools, community and training they need to advance their ventures. Workshops are customized to the needs of fellows and explore advanced concepts in business models, design thinking and leadership. The program is also designed to help fellows build meaningful, global connections while living together in an inspirational host location. For more information on the Global Social Impact House, please visit: https://csis.upenn.edu/residential-program/gsih/

Modules

Introduction

    • 9 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 1 Quiz: Introduction to Social Innovation, Enterprise, and Entrepreneurship

2 Discussions

  • Introductions
  • Admirable social innovators and entrepreneurs

9 Videos

  • 0.1. What to Expect in this Course
  • 1.1 Introduction to Social Innovation
  • 1.2 Traditional approaches to public problem solving
  • 1.3 A social entrepreneur's approach to problem solving
  • 1.4 Introduction to the social enterprise and the social enterprise spectrum
  • 1.5 The Importance of the business model
  • 1.6 Traits of social enterprise across the spectrum
  • 1.7. Meet Carlos and Coco
  • 1.8. Anatomy of a Social Entrepreneur

1 Readings

  • Recommended Readings for Week 1. Introduction

Define and Design

    • 13 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 2 Quiz: Finding Innovations and the Road to Impact

2 Discussions

  • Mind Mapping for Powerful Insights and Potential Solutions
  • Logic Models for Building a Roadmap to Impact

13 Videos

  • 2.1 How Do We Find Innovations? Introduction to the Design Process
  • 2.2 Why is Design Thinking Important for Social Innovation?
  • 2.3 How to Design Part 1: Spark Useful Insights by Listening with Empathy
  • 2.4 How to Design Part 2: Identify the Most Powerful Insights and Potential Solutions by Building a Mind Map
  • 2.5 How to Design Part 3: Prototyping
  • 2.6 Embracing Creativity and Innovation
  • 2.7 Articulating your Roadmap to Impact: The Logic Model
  • 2.8 The Logic Model: Critical Elements
  • 2.9 The Logic Model: How to Use It
  • 2.10 Three Examples of Logic Models
  • 2.11 Tips for Building a Strong Logic Model
  • 2.12. Carlos and Coco Define and Design (Part 1: Listening with Empathy, Empathy Maps, and Mind Maps)
  • 2.13. Carlos and Coco Define and Design (Part 2. Prototyping and Logic Models)

1 Readings

  • Recommended Readings for Week 2: Define and Design

Pilot and Scale

    • 11 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 3 Quiz: Performance Measurement and Scale

2 Discussions

  • Performance Measurement
  • Paths to Scale

11 Videos

  • 3.1 Two Approaches to Measuring Performance: Social Return on Investment (SROI) and Ratings
  • 3.2 A Third Approach to Measuring Performance: The Balanced Scorecard
  • 3.3 Examples of Balanced Scorecards
  • 3.4 How to Develop a Balanced Scorecard - Overview
  • 3.5 How to Develop a Balanced Scorecard - Detail
  • 3.6 What is Scale?
  • 3.7 The Importance of Scale in the Social Sector
  • 3.8 Five Approaches to Scale - Overview
  • 3.9 Five Approaches to Scale - Details and Implications
  • 3.10 Approaching Scale Critically
  • 3.11. Carlos and Coco Pilot and Scale (Scorecard, Marketing Matrix, and Customer Segmentation)

1 Readings

  • Recommended Readings for Week 3. Pilot and Scale

Sector Selection and Business Models

    • 15 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Week 4 Quiz: Sector Selection and Business Models

2 Discussions

  • Sector Selection and Competitive Positioning
  • What's Next and Staying in Touch

15 Videos

  • 4.1 Why you Need a Business Model
  • 4.2 Features of the Business Model
  • 4.3 Business Models along the Business Model Spectrum
  • 4.4 Choosing a Model - Introduction
  • 4.5 Choosing a Model - How to Choose
  • 4.6 Drilling Down on Assessment 2: Competitive Positioning
  • 4.7 Competitive Positioning: Market Characteristics and Differentiation
  • 4.8 An Example of Competitive Positioning: Blue Avocado
  • 4.9 An Example of Competitive Positioning: Jolkona
  • 4.10 Key Criteria of Competitive Positioning Assessment
  • 4.11 Choosing a Model - Pathways Lead to Many Organizational Forms that Can Result
  • 4.12 Balancing Mission and Profit
  • 4.13.Carlos and Coco Choose a Business Model
  • 4.14 The bottom line
  • 4.15. Key Questions all Social Innovators Must Ask

1 Readings

  • Recommended Readings for Week 4. Sector Selection and Business Models

Auto Summary

Explore social impact strategy and social entrepreneurship with this foundational course designed for aspiring changemakers. Led by experts from Coursera, you'll learn to innovate and design actionable plans for launching social impact ventures through four stages: Define, Design, Pilot, and Scale. The 480-hour course offers hands-on tools and insights to develop, test, and scale your ideas sustainably. Completing the course gives you eligibility to apply for the Global Social Impact House, a seven-day in-person educational experience. Available via Starter and Professional subscriptions, this course is ideal for entrepreneurs and innovators looking to make a difference.

Peter Frumkin
Instructor

Peter Frumkin