Professional Documents
Culture Documents
STARTUP 1
GUIDE
20 15
PRESENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH
INTRO
CHANGE IT UP! –
THE CHANGER
www.thechanger.org
IT SEEMS TO BE THE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR’S LAMENT; THE OFFICIAL ANTHEM SUNG FAR
AND WIDE – I NEED MONEY. TALK TO PRETTY MUCH ANY YOUNG SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR
AND AT SOME POINT YOU’LL LAND ON THE SUBJECT OF FUNDING. SPECIFICALLY, HOW DO I
GET FUNDING?
It seems to be the social entrepreneur’s lament; the official anthem sung far and wide – I need money. Talk to pretty much
any young social entrepreneur and at some point you’ll land on the subject of funding. Specifically, how do I get funding?
Unfortunately there’s no easy answer to that question. But don’t stop reading! There are in fact very concrete ways you
PITCHING & F UNDR AISING GUIDE
can improve your chances of identifying potential funding sources and securing that cash.
A few weeks back, we were one of the lucky teams selected to participate in IT4Change, a program organized by PEP
and Ashoka, that helps young social entrepreneurs realize their social impact. There we had the pleasure of hearing
experts talk on everything from funding to PR and communications to visual storytelling.
This article derives from one those workshops, originally presented by Ryan Little from the BMW Foundation Herbert
Quandt. Ryan Little is a successful social entrepreneur himself, having founded two social businesses, CanadaHelps.
org and StormFisher. He currently works as a project manager at the BMW Foundation (aka, he sees A LOT of pitches).
In this article, you’ll learn how to tell your story and build relationships with funders to make your project a success. The
first section will focus on fine-tuning your story and preparing your pitch. The second half will focus on how to identify
funds and approach funders.
where you’re going, even if it’s not where you actually
PART I – STORYTELLING AND are right now. Especially in the case of social projects
PITCHING and businesses, you many not have reach your desirable
social impact yet, but you want to be clear on what you
TELL A STORY social impact will be.
Once upon a time… Everybody likes to hear a story Convey why what you’re doing is important and why it’s
– it’s a fun way to communicate information and (hopeful- relevant.
ly) there’s something more emotional that resonates with Before going in, apply the ‘Grandmother Test’. Are you
those hearing the story. Potential funders are no different. explaining your initiative in a way that your grandmother
(They are in fact people – don’t forget this.) Done well, would understand it? If not, go back to the drawing board
your story tells where you came from and where you want and rework it until you’ve passed the test.
to go. It communicates your message, values and even Give an example of a challenge you faced and how you
your company strategy. overcame it. Your funders need to trust you. A lot of peo-
Know your audience and tell your story in a way that ple like the idea of being an entrepreneur, you need to
speaks to them. The bottom line should always stay the prove you really are one.
same, but how you get there, or what you choose to Show examples of win-win cases – everyone wants to be
emphasize, may change based on your audience. Tell the a winner and everyone likes a feel good story
version of the story that interests them. Take out the tech. Seriously, most of the time you’ll just
“You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as confuse people. If people want to know the details of how
an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can it works, they’ll ask.
be very different.” – Emma Coats, Pixar Storyboard Artist
MAKE IT HANG TOGETHER
FIND AN ANGLE “HOW DO I GET A good pitch needs to follow a 5
Even if you’re selling fair-trade pa- logical narrative. (Remember, it’s all
per clips, you need to find an angle FUNDING?” part of the story.) The structure below
that grabs people’s attention. Look should help you present information
beyond the surface and see where there might be an emo- in a clear narrative. In fact, this can be excellent “home-
tional connection for your users or funders. Once you’ve work” for anyone who wants to hone their message. With
found it, start to build your angle around it. And don’t be your own social business or project in mind, try filling in
afraid to show a bit of personality here. each section and viola, you’ll see your story come to life.
MAKE IT INTERESTING, APPEALING AND Background/Current Situation – set the scene, what is
UNDERSTANDABLE the status quo? How did we get there?
Remember, yours is not the first funding application
people have seen – in fact, your potential funder probably Trends, regulatory changes, changes in preferences/
looks at hundreds, if not thousands, of funding applica- awareness – what structured, attitudes, etc are chan-
tions every year. Not to mention they also hear hundreds ging now that are creating opportunities and support
of pitches ever year. What does that mean? You’ve got to for what you are doing? (Tip: even better if you can
keep it interesting!! And that means grabbing their atten- prove it – use a quote from a reputable newspaper or
tion from the start. When pitching, here are some tips to magazine – that way people know it’s an issue that
keep in mind: more people care about.
Go for the wow factor. Tell them something they don’t The “pain” – what is not working and needs to change?
know and wouldn’t expect.
Show your passion for the cause. If you don’t believe in Your solution – What is the vision? How do you solve
it, why should they? Be clear on what your vision is, even the pain/problem above?
if it’s not explicit in the pitch. You want to communicate
eligible for. Do your research, and save everyone a lot of
PART II – FINDING FUNDING AND extra time and work.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING Look where else the donor is giving and for what sort of
projects – ask yourself, do you see yourself fitting into their
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE portfolio? If not, it might be a hard sell. How to do this?
First things first, know what type of funding you’re loo- Look at the foundation and corporations annual reports to
king for. Also keep in mind what sort of funding you’re see how much money is being given and to whom. (This
even able to apply for – i.e. does your legal status allow info can usually be found online with a little Googling.)
you to collect donations? Here’s a quick rundown of the Look at the language and tone used by both the donor
funding types and their general characteristics: AND the recipient organization and try to emulate it. You
Sponsorship want to present yourself in a way that’s aligned to their
Business relationship with benefits for both sides mission and message.
Marketing budget Use the “Good Neighbor” Ask yourself, can you make
Donation a case for how your project can complement one of the
Pure charity, tax- deductible ones already being funded? Can you argue that together,
CSR or foundation budget you could really maximize impact?
Investment
Some type of return on investment (ROI), whether it BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
be financial or impact related. To learn more about Even though it might seem like you’re dealing with ins-
impact investing, check out this article. titutions (governments, corporations, foundations); remem-
Crowdfunding ber, behind them is a person! So when there’s the option
$87,000 is raised through crowdfunding every hour. – make contact IN PERSON. If that doesn’t work, try the
DING DING DING! But slow down, before you go phone. And only then, when there’s no other option, use
running off to film your campaign video – do your re- email. In our digital day in age, there’s still something
search. It’s not as easy as it sounds and in fact, there’s to be said for face-to-face conversations, especially when
LOTS of competition fighting over relatively little fun- you’re discussing sticky subjects like money and funding.
ding. To find out everything you know before you start Invest in and cultivate relationships with your potential
crowdfunding – go here. funders – even if they pass this time around, they may
support your next project. PLUS don’t just see $$$ when
General tip: The obvi- looking at them, they’re also valuable mentors, sparring
“KNOW YOUR ous funding sources will partners and can provide other interesting contacts for
project is actually a good fit for each specific funding heavy lifting? (Not necessarily a bad thing.)
source. Look if they support projects like yours in terms of: Market Risk:
Area of Interest, Geography, Grant Size, Organization Who else is doing it?
Type, and project Stage. If you don’t fit – move on. There’s How are you doing it differently?
no point in applying for funding that you’re clearly not Does it meet a real need?
Will anyone use it? (A good way to find
out is to apply the “Sidewalk Test”. Stop “ASKING FOR TOO LITTLE IS AS BAD
20 random strangers on the street and
explain them your idea in 30 seconds or AS ASKING FOR TOO MUCH.” 7
less. If they understand it and would be
willing to pay for it, you’ve got yourself a market.)
Other tips:
Be prepared to discuss who else you are seeking funds
People Risk:
from. Expect that funders will talk to each other about your
How good is the team
project, it’s a small (social finance) world and people are
Is it the right team?
well-connected. That said, make sure your story is con-
(aka – diversify!)
sistent. Pay attention to the restrictions – do you meet the
requirements?
Financial Risk:
Show how the funds will be used. Transparency is king.
What is the capital intensity?
Pay attention to the project trap – many donors do not
Is the ask enough/too much?
want to fund overhead costs (i.e. staff costs, rent, IT, etc.).
Will follow-up funding be needed?
They want to fund the PROJECT. Therefore make sure
you’re selling the vision and the impact – not just the nit-
Ask yourself these questions before sending off any fun-
ty-gritty. A good balance is to delegate 15-20% of the ask
ding applications or meeting any funders. Know your
to overhead costs and with the remaining rest going into
strengths and weaknesses, do you research and don’t let
the project.
yourself be caught off guard.
THE FOLLOW-UP
FOCUS ON THE FINANCES
You got lucky and hit gold? Awesome! Now make sure
Now that you’ve put the legwork, fine-tuned your story,
you know your reporting requirements and timelines, you
identified funding sources and started building relations-
don’t want to miss a deadline and risk losing that hard-
hips, now comes the moment you’ve been preparing for.
earned cash. Follow up and of course, say thank you!
The ask. Getting the ask right is one of the main filters for
funders, so make sure you’re asking for the right amount.
Asking for too little is as bad as asking for too much.
INTERVIEW MIT
ANNE-SOPHIE PAHL
VON YOUVO
IN UNSERER INTERVIEWSERIE SPRACHEN WIR MIT ANNE-SOPHIE PAHL VON YOUVO. YOUVO IST EINE ENGAGE-
MENTPLATTFORM FÜR JUNGE KREATIVE. HIER WERDEN KREATIVE KÖPFE MIT GEMEINNÜTZIGEN ORGANISATIONEN,
DIE UNTERSTÜTZUNG BEI IHRER ÖFFENTLICHKEITSARBEIT BENÖTIGEN, ZUSAMMENGEBRACHT.
11
Das ist gar nicht so einfach zu sagen. Ich habe entscheidend, auch persönliche Gespräche zu führen
durch youvo mittlerweile schon einige Social Startups – auch wenn das trocken klingt: quantitative und qua-
kennengelernt und finde es großartig, dass Wirtschaft litative Forschung sind für eine Idee meiner Meinung
endlich auch außerhalb der „Berlin-Blase“ neu gedacht nach der wichtigste Schritt auf dem Weg zum Erfolg.
wird. Meiner Meinung nach ist es essentiell, dass die Das dritte Learning, das ich Social Entrepreneurs
soziale Wirkung – der sog. „social impact“ – nicht hin- mit auf den Weg geben möchte, ist die Relevanz von
ter finanziellen Interessen verschwindet. Das passiert Wissenstransfer. youvo wäre nicht so toll, wenn uns
leider nicht selten, vor allem wenn aus kleinen ehren- nicht zahlreiche Menschen beraten, Feedback zu un-
amtlichen Projekten Unternehmen mit wirtschaftlichen seren Ideen gegeben und uns unterstützt hätten. Kon-
Zwängen werden. Es wäre toll, wenn es in diesem kurrenzgedanken sind in diesem Bereich völlig fehl am
Feld auch in der Öffentlichkeit größere Unterstützung Platz. Jemand hatte die selbe Idee wie Du? Sprich mit
gäbe. Ich finde Euer Engagement in diese Richtung ihm und vielleicht könnt Ihr gemeinsam viel besser Eure
super und dringend notwendig! Ziele erreichen!
BITTE TEILE DIE 3 TOP LEARNINGS MIT UNS – WAS MACHT DICH ZUM CHANGER?
WAS WÜRDEST DU ANDEREN SOCIAL ENTRE- Der Grundgedanke von youvo ist es, Menschen
PRENEURS EMPFEHLEN, WOVON ABRATEN? Wege aufzuzeigen, sich mit ihren Fähigkeiten für
Eins der wichtigsten Learnings bei youvo war die soziale und gesellschaftspolitische Anliegen einzuset-
Erkenntnis, dass das Team alles ist. Nur mit einem gu- zen und so selbst zum „Changer“ zu werden. Mei-
ten Team, in dem jeder seine Aufgabe kennt und die ne Aufgabe besteht darin, das niedrigschwellig zu
Zusammenarbeit Spaß macht, kann man langfristig ein ermöglichen und Menschen zusammenzubringen, die
größeres Projekt stemmen. Da wir dezentral arbeiten, gemeinsam Großartiges erreichen können. Die Welt
geben wir uns Mühe, dass regelmäßig alle zusammen- verändern – step by step. Oder wie unser beliebter
kommen und nehmen uns dann auch Zeit für gemein- Flyer sagt: I want to change the world! But I’m only
same Freizeitaktivitäten. Wir sind auch über youvo good at Photoshop…
hinaus gut befreundet und mussten erst lernen, dass
SOCIAL BUSINESS
IN DEUTSCHLAND
„SOCIAL BUSINESS IN DEUTSCHLAND IST DOCH EIGENTLICH NICHTS NEUES”
„SOCIAL BUSINESS IN DEUTSCHLAND IST NOCH NICHT SOWEIT WIE IN ANDEREN LÄNDERN”
Auf der einen Seite ist man stolz, dass es einen super funktionierenden
Sozialstaat gibt, bestehend aus sechs riesigen Wohlfahrtsverbänden (die größ-
te Organisation Caritas beschäftigt über 600,000 Menschen in Deutschland
– viel mehr als jede Firma in der Privatwirtschaft), die im Auftrag der Regie-
rung ein flächendeckendes Versorgungungssystem mit Kitas, Pflegeheimen,
Inklusionsprojekten uvm. für die ganze Gesellschaft bereitstellen. Im Grunde
sind diese Organisationen erfolgreiche Sozialunternehmen: sie leisten einen
Service und werden dafür bezahlt. Jedoch agieren sie in einem nur halb-freien
Markt und bekommen eine Finanzierung von der Regierung, die nur entfernt
Leistungsorientiert ist. Also keine übliche Situation für ein Social Business, das
auf dem freien Markt mit “normalen” Unternehmen agiert.
Auf der anderen Seite gibt es definitiv weniger markttreue Social Busines-
ses in Deutschland als in anderen westlichen Länder (z.B. USA und UK). Das
liegt sicherlich daran, dass hier der Sozialstaat vieles übernimmt von dem,
was in USA (und mittlerweile auch UK) nun von Sozialunternehmen geleistet
werden muss. Es führt aber auch dahin, dass das soziale Innovationspotenzial
in Deutschland etwas unterdrückt wird. Durch die bisherige Dominanz der
Wohlfahrtsverbände gibt es auch noch keine Infrastruktur für große Risiko In-
vestitionen. Darüber hinaus ist die Deutsche Start-up Welt und die Politik darum
herum in Deutschland immer noch vorwiegend Profit-getrieben. D.h. schlaue
Menschen mit einem Sinn für Business gründen vorwiegend profit-orientierte
Unternehmen. In den USA haben große klassische Start-Up Inkubatoren wie
SOC IAL B USI NESS IN DEUTSCHLAND
BONVENTURE
BonVenture finanziert Sozialunternehmen im deutschsprachigen Raum mit
sozialem Risikokapital. BonVenture ist selbst als Social Business strukturiert und
beachtet bei allen Investitionen auch soziale und finanzielle Renditeaspekte.
Im deutschsprachigen Raum hat BonVenture als erste Beteiligungsgesellschaft
diesen Ansatz aufgegriffen und bietet seit 2003 Investoren die Möglichkeit,
solche Unternehmungen zu unterstützen. Sie stärken auch neben Kapital mit
Die Ananda Ventures GmbH ist Initiatorin des ersten international investieren-
den Social Venture Capital Fonds in Deutschland. Sie wurde 2010 als Sozi-
alunternehmen gegründet. Ziel der Gesellschaft ist es, mit unternehmerischer
Energie und einem erfolgsorientierten Investmentansatz positiven gesellschaft-
lichen Wandel zu ermöglichen.
BERTELSMANN STIFTUNG
Bertelsmann ist vor allem eine operative Stiftung, die aber riesig ist und
sehr einflussreich. Sie machen viel Lobby und Advocacy im Bereich des Sozi-
alunternehmertums und auch Impact Investing.
BMW STIFTUNG
Die BMW Stiftung Herbert Quandt ist ebenfalls vor allem operativ tätig
aber nimmt eine Schlüsselrolle ein im Bereich Social Business und Impact Inves-
ting. Ryan Little, selbst Sozialunternehmer, ist der wichtigste Ansprechpartner
in diesem Bereich.
IMPACT HUB
Impact Hub ist ein globales Netzwerk von co-working Spaces für Sozialun-
ternehmer/innen und Freiberufler/innen mit einem sozialen Mehrwert. Aktuell
gibt es ein Impact Hub in Berlin und in München. Die Mitgliedschaft fängt bei
20 EUR im Monat an. Spannende Veranstaltungen und eine sehr positive Ener-
gie sind einige der vielen Vorteile einer solchen Mitgliedschaft.
ENTREPRENEURS PLEDGE
Ein soziales und nachhaltiges Unternehmen gründen und die Gewin-
ne dieses Unternehmens zur Hälfte zu reinvestieren – das versprechen die
Unterzeichner des Entrepreneur’s Pledge. Das Projekt wurde von Walde-
mar Zeiler und Philip Siefer in Berlin gestartet. Es soll mehr Aufmerksam-
keit für soziale Aspekte und Fairness im Business erzeugen – aber auch
skalierbare Unternehmen hervorbringen. Die Liste der bislang knapp 50
Unterzeichner enthält bekannte Gesichter. Die Mymuesli-Gründer Huber-
tus Bessau und Max Wittrock haben unterzeichnet, auch I-Potentials-Front-
frau Constanze Buchheim, die Helpling-Macher Benedikt Franke und
Philip Huffmann, Lebenslauf.com-Gründer Thomas Bachem oder Team-
Europe-Partner Kolja Hebenstreit.
TAKING A DEEP DIVE
INTO YOUR CUSTOMER’S
LIVES – HOW TO CONDUCT
MARKET RESEARCH
NICOLAS GUNKEL IS A RESEARCH CONSULTANT AND HAS CONDUCTED OPERATIONAL AND
ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH ON MHEALTH (MOBILE HEALTH) INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT NU-
TRITION INTERV ENTIONS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. HE IS CURRENTLY BASED IN GERMA-
NY. THESE LESSONS ON HOW TO CONDUCT MARKET RESEARCH WILL HELP YOU BE CER-
TAIN THAT YOUR SOCIAL BUSINESS PRODUCT HAS THE DESIRED IMPACT AND MAKES A REAL
DIFFERENCE.
Crawling backwards out of the minibus, I looked into the I am absolutely convinced that these lessons are genera-
twelve puzzled faces of my fellow passengers. We had lizable to any social entrepreneur or business that is truly
sat cramped together, along with three cackling hens, two interested in making a difference in the lives of current
toddlers and baskets full of market produce, during this and future customers. Social businesses all fail their purpo-
journey from Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe to the rural outs- se, and fail their customers, if they don’t make a genuine
kirts of the city. Judging from the expression on their faces, effort to understand what ‘makes them tick’. Do you use
they had rarely seen a foreigner who forwent taxi rides any of the below six recommendations in your business
and then had to regularly disentangle his too long legs to yet?
prevent them from falling asleep.
as we sought to gain the trust of the village women we in- everyday life of your customer. Make a commitment to
terviewed during the day. Earning the confidence of these stay for longer, so you can accompany her through the
women, so they would feel comfortable opening up and daily routines. At first your presence will act as a filter
sharing their stories with us, proved to be the hardest nut on everything you will get to see: acts assumed to be
to crack. Underneath their exterior shell of skepticism and undesirable or inappropriate will rarely surface – instead
reservation, we eventually found exceptional knowledge you will witness socially acceptable behaviors. As time
and generosity, both of which we probably would have passes, neighbors and friends will also get used to seeing
missed out on had we not taken the time and effort to you around and gradually lower their guard. Take a closer
build real relationships with them. look, what behaviors emerge that had been shielded from
you before? Are people really doing the things they claim
In our quest to get a richer understanding of our custo- after the first excitement of being observed has passed?
mers; their social fabric, their worries and ultimately their
aspirations, we learned through experience what rules to Actually living in the same environment, eating the same
respect and what we ourselves could expect from our stay. food and buying the same items will offer you invaluable
impressions into the lives of your (future) customer. Get- The grapevine will likely also reach you, even if you don’t
ting laughs about the way you act is the best indicator specifically demonstrate your interest in it, as people start
that you seem to step out of the role and your behavior to inquire why they haven’t been selected for interviews
doesn’t match the prevailing norms. Then you need to pro- but others have.
be deeper to see if your product or service also violates
this ‘rule of the game’. YES, THE CUSTOMER IS KING,
BUT NOT ALMIGHTY.
LET SOMEONE WHO IS RESPECTED
Whether it applies to the ‘correct’ use of a product or
IN THE COMMUNITY INTRODUCE service, ‘accurate’ perceptions of your company or any
YOU. other everyday activity that you think could be done better
(faster, cheaper, nicer…), try to keep your notions of ‘how
The extent to which you can establish rapport with the things should be’ to yourself. If your product is consistently
people you engage with is hugely determined by the qua- used differently than intended, it looks as though you did
lity of your introduction. Obtaining support for your work a poor job anticipating how people would engage with it.
from the local authority is a prerequisite, without it many If objectively-speaking, people spread wrong statements
people won’t even begin to speak to you. Such an intro- about what your company does for instance, you better
duction can open doors, but may also easily bias your begin taking this at face value before it gains even greater
independence, especially if you are seen as a spokes- currency. Still, you are wise to question the customer’s be-
person of the authority’s interests. Moreover, you have to havior and in some cases, may even choose to dethrone
proactively fight the fear that all information you obtain is the ‘customer king’. If you observe that she alone in being
being shared with someone else. way off the mark, you may call her attention to it and sug-
gest another approach.
In our case, we had to seek permission from the village
chief, or his deputies, each time we wanted to interview ASK FOR CLARIFICATION AGAIN 17
someone under his sphere of influence. Bargaining over
the conditions under which this could take place invol-
AND AGAIN. EVERY SINGLE TIME.
ved us making I clear that we didn’t want to speak to the AND THEN AGAIN.
chief’s friends and cronies. We assumed they would go
great lengths to please the chief and paint an unrealisti- You won’t grasp it in its entirety the first time you hear it.
cally bright picture of their lives. Perhaps you also won’t the second or even the third time.
Even if you think you understood, responses to certain
questions can be extremely fluid, so that questions inten-
DISCOVER THE ROLE OF YOUR ded for clarification may prompt surprising results. Asking
(FUTURE) CUSTOMER IN THE many questions again and again, in different forms, may
come as a great challenge for someone who is afraid
COMMUNITY. that this will make them look like a moron. But it is worth
taking the risk!
Is your informant an opinion shaper, an outcast or a per-
son who is secretly ridiculed by his peers? Such characte-
rizations should be taken into consideration when evalua- PROMISE TO COME BACK.
ting what you’ve learnt from them. This will help you to
make sense of any extreme observations and provides
THEN COME BACK.
a first orientation for the follow-up, when you want to ca- Finally, the people that have helped you by generously
tegorize customers into innovators, early adopters, lag- granting you access into their lives will feel much more
gards etc. However do note that asking direct questions appreciated if you visit them again once your project has
about other people’s standing in the community usually ended. By doing this, you demonstrate how important
raises suspicions about your intentions. (Though friendly their contributions have been to you. Too many compa-
and conversational local staff can help you decipher some nies have walked away on this promise before you. Don’t
of the hidden clues and look beyond first appearances.) be one of them.
INTERVIEW WITH
STEFAN WILHELM FROM
“DISCOVERING HANDS”
– HOW ONE STARTUP IS MAKING BREAST CANCER DETECTION BETTER AND CREATING EMPLOYMENT FOR THE BLIND
19
the framework of the cement for ultrasound or
general preventive mammography.
care, Frank decided to try and develop his own, qua- Another important detail: our MTEs never diagno-
lity assured and standardized palpatory examination se, they only assist the doctors, who employ them, by
method. lending them their “discovering hands”.
His intention was to offer more time and better
quality to his patients for the best possible diagnosis, HOW DO THE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED
because he wasn’t comfortable with sending patients WOMEN REACT WHEN HEARING ABOUT THE
home after one or two minutes of palpation, having CONCEPT?
made a diagnosis of the breast or not. Most of them are thrilled by the idea. Especially
The idea to utilize the extraordinarily well trained because the focus lies on taking advantage of their ca-
tactile sense of blind and visually impaired people to pabilities, rather than only looking at what they can’t
improve the palpatory examination literally came to do. Also, our MTEs say that doing this job offers a
him one morning under the shower. He did some rese- meaningful activity in which they don’t compete with
arch and was really surprised that no one had the idea sighted people on the labor market. And they like hel-
before him. And ended up creating a globally unique ping people while improving healthcare and the per-
field of employment for our blind and visually impaired spective on “disability” in general. So they are “am-
“Medical Tactile Examiners” (MTEs) not “despite their bassadors of their own cause”, if you will.
disability”, but because of their capabilities. Of course, this job is not for everyone. There are
people who dislike the idea of touching patients for a
ARE DISCOVERING HANDS BETTER THAN living or who don’t want to deal with the risk of can-
MACHINES? COULD DISCOVERING HANDS cer and possible findings on a daily basis. That’s why
REPLACE BREAST CANCER DETECTION MA- we conduct a 5-day assessment for MTE-candidates
CHINES ALTOGETHER? before admitting them to the 9-month course at one of
Actually, there is no competition between the “dis- our vocational training centers. It’s important for us to
covering hands” and technical devices like sonogram know that they have the tactile abilities as well as the
social and communication skills we need. Once we YOU’RE A SOCIAL BUSINESS – HOW DO YOU
have clarified these details, they are ready to go and FINANCE YOURSELVES AND HOW DO YOU
generally very happy with what they’re doing. MEASURE YOUR IMPACT?
The business model is surprisingly uncomplex: For
WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM THE each examination the MTE needs haptic orientation
OTHER STAKEHOLDERS? stripes that are applied to the upper torso of the pa-
Overall, the feedback has been overwhelmingly tient. They are equipped with little dots that help the
positive from all sides. Not only because the Minister MTE orientate, creating a kind of coordination system
of Health of the Federal State of Northrhine-Westfalia, which enables her to palpate every square centimeter
Barbara Steffens, is our patron, but just because the of the patient’s breast in three depths and allows her to
idea is so simple and ingenious at the same time. It just document possible findings very precisely.
makes immediate intuitive sense. The public and pri- Dr. Hoffmann invented these stripes and patented
vate sector as well as NGOs, foundations and fellow them – and our enterprise sells them. So with each
social enterprises all agree with us. They think what examination, we get revenue: the standardized price
we’re doing is a really good idea. On a local, national for an examination in Germany is 46,50 EUR (the exa-
and international level. mination takes at least 30 minutes – so it’s a bargain).
Obviously, dealing with the German health care Out of these 46,50, 10 EUR go to discovering hands
system and for the stripes. The rest of the revenue
professional enables the MTE’s employer to finan-
rehabilitation „REALLY, THERE IS NO ce her salary. The revenue we gene-
authorities for
people with
LOSER TO OUR GAME. rate helps us market and roll out the
model nationally and internationally.
disabilities is ALL STAKEHOLDERS The beauty of this system is, that
not an easy we increase the social impact we
task. Bureauc INVOLVED BENEFIT. generate with each examination that
ratic hurdles
are high and
I’M STILL LOOKING FOR is being carried out. So while we’re
earning money, we’re also scaling:
there is some THE HAIR IN THE SOUP.” better early breast cancer detection,
resistance in creating jobs for blind women and
the medical community. We’re OK with that. Not ever- changing mindsets towards people with disabilities.
ybody needs to like us, but most do. Also, most of the An excellent motivation to carry on what we’re doing.
time we can get people on board if we are able to Also, we’re currently rolling out internationally via
explain what we do in detail. a Social Franchise System. The first Franchise is Aust-
Really, there is no loser to our game. All stakehol- ria. There’s a different pricing model behind this idea,
ders involved benefit. I’m still looking for the hair in however.
the soup.
EVERY SECTOR HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS.
INTERVIEW: STEFAN WILHELM
23
IN EVERY SECTOR THERE ARE UPS AND
DOWNS. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST
ACCOMPLISHMENT WITH FOLKDAYS?
That we managed to make enough money with our
first season to buy new products from our producers
and thus create not only a short term income source
for them.
Also we are proud to not have needed external inves-
tors, so we can decide on strategic company questions
ourselves and set emphasis where we find necessary.
PLEASE SHARE THE TOP FIVE LEARNINGS HOW DOES EARNING MONEY FIT INTO THE
WITH US? WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND SOCIAL SECTOR IN YOUR OPINION?
OTHERS TO DO OR NOT DO? Making money with your social business is im-
If you manage to survive without investors, try! If portant, because only a profitable business can be a
you spend your own money you will be more wise sustainable and successful one. But in my world there
about a lot of decisions. can’t be a hierarchy between profitability and social
Keep your financial planning in order. change. Both factors have to be equally important and,
Treat the people you work with like you want to be in every decision, weighted against each other.
treated.
Don’t rely on people you can’t pay – always pay WHAT MAKES YOU THE CHANGER?
for services, even if it is only a small amount. With Folkdays, we show that fair trade and beauty
Don’t read “how to” business books written by men do not exclude each other. Thus we change the way
who are married for the third time. people think about fair fashion.
HOW TO GET FUNDING
ARE YOU WONDERING HOW TO GET FUNDING FOR YOUR BERLIN-BASED
SOCIAL BUSINESS ? THEN HOPEFULLY YOU’LL FIND SOME ANSWERS HERE!
When starting a social business, emotions can run high. Not only because you really feel that your idea could change
the world, but also because it is often difficult to identify how you can even fulfill your vision without having at least a
little bit of financial support. Change is often not cheap. You might have to design and build a website, a prototype,
employ a team, get marketing going and maybe even rent an office space. But how with little to no money?
Don’t worry! Even though Germany still lags behind the U.S and UK when it comes to social investment, there are
a few good possibilities to get funding for your idea.
you believe in your idea – which you should, if you are Requirements:
thinking about starting a company – to ask your loved - Have an idea with a highly technical aspect
ones if they would like to invest in you. There are many - Write a complete business plan (20 pages)
different ways for this to be done professionally. Write - Fluency in German (the pitch will be in German
up a contract covering everything both parties agreed on - Willingness to take on a full-time commitment
e.g. form of investment (loan, donation etc.) so you both
have the security for later. Usually there is a call for applications in October and
March. For more information, please visit the Beuth web-
site.
EXIST – You can offer a full-time commitment
Exist offers three different forms of scholarships: a – You have an entrepreneurial spirit
monthly stipend of up to 2,500 EUR; up to 5,000 EUR in
coaching; or material expenses of up to 17,000 EUR for
teams. 3. SOCIAL INVESTORS:
Requirements:
– An innovative, technical idea/ BON VENTURE
innovative education-based service Bon Venture supports projects in the areas of social
– A team of not more than three people services, products, ecology and societal education and
– A university “mentor”, who applies on your behalf development. There are different financing models, but
or matriculation at a university yourself they will usually only invest above 200,000 EUR.
– You cannot have founded your business already
Requirements:
Applications are accepted at all times. For more informa- - The idea should solve a social/environmental
tion, please visit the Exist website. problem
- The project should be projected to be self-financing
PEP- ASHOKA after the investment
PEP offers part-time and full-time programs. The full-
SOCIAL VENTURE FUND
25
time program is a one year scholarship that supports
young people to develop their social businesses with max. Social Venture Fund supports social businesses that
1200 Euros/month, as well as offering coaching through have already proven to be successful in their market and
Ashoka, mentoring and further education. aim to expand.
Requirements:
- You should be between 16 and 27 years old Requirements:
- Your idea needs to be non-profit oriented – The ideas should have a clear social impact
- You should be living in Germany – There should be a sustainable business model
in place
SOCIAL IMPACT START (No financial support) – The business model should be scalable
Although it doesn’t offer funding directly, social impact For more detailed information, visit their website.
start is an incubation program for social entrepreneurs in
the early start-up phase. The program covers a period up CLIMATE- KIC ACCELERATOR
to eight months and includes: Climate- KIC Accelerator accelerates development to
– Access to networks; help create investable business start-ups, with products or
– Intros and matching with potential financing partners; services delivered to the first client in about 12-18 months.
– Professional assistance in writing applications The Climate- KIC Accelerator enables entrepreneurs to
for financial support move through three stages: starting with an idea and finis-
-– Mentoring by SAP employees; hing with a clean tech venture.
– Coaching/courses
– Desks in their co-working space in Kreuzberg. Stage 1: Fundamentals (takes up to six months)
Needed: a breakthrough idea related to new technolo-
gy with a substantial climate impact.
Requirements: Team is working on business model
– You have a socially innovative idea that has not Climate-KIC provides a business coach, access to a mas-
yet entered the market ter class and up to 20,000 EUR
“THE CLIMATE- KIC ACCELERATOR ENABLES
ENTREPRENEURS TO MOVE THROUGH THREE STAGES:
STARTING WITH AN IDEA AND FINISHING
WITH A CLEAN TECH VENTURE.”
Stage 2: Validation
Needed: Proof of concept- meeting 50 potential clients to verify business model
Climate- KIC provides access to master classes, up to 25,000 EUR and the
opportunity to enter venture competition.
Coach will still be available
Result: comprehensive business plan, financial model and customer research.
Stage 3: Delivery
Secure customers
Look into scaling
Meet investors
Climate- KIC provides you with pitch training sessions and the opportunity
to enter venture competition, as well as up to 50,000 EUR.
For more detailed information, visit their website.
Requirements:
– Idea should have a clear social impact- Business
model in the fields of education, disability and/or
HOW TO GET F UNDI NG
4. CROWDFUNDING:
STARTNEXT
Startnext is one of the most used crowdfunding platforms for social startups
in Germany. It’s also the largest crowdfunding community for creative projects
in the German speaking area. Filmmakers, musicians, journalists, designers,
artists, inventors, founders, and other creative people present their ideas on
Startnext in order to fund them through the direct support of the crowd.
Requirements:
– Clear project goal
– Funding goal
– Crowdfunding video
– Gifts for supporters
5. COMPETITIONS
Depending on when you look, there are also quite a lot of competitions
happening that might be relevant for your endeavor.
Here is one that happens on an annual basis:
Requirements:
– Have an idea that has a clear social
impact
– Project should address the topic of
education and integration of young “ACT FOR IMPACT IS ONE OF
people up to 25 years.
GERMANY’S LARGEST FUNDING
The call for applications is usually around COMPETITIONS FOR SOCIAL
February. If you want to find out about
the current winner, have a look at our ENTREPRENEURS IN THE AREA OF
interview with Philipp Knodel from App-
Camps. For more information about the
EDUCATION AND INTEGRATION.”
competition itself, visit the SEA website.
FOUNDING A VEREIN:
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FROM
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
IF THINGS HAD TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY BACK IN 2011, THE CHANGER MIGHT NEVER
HAVE HAPPENED. IF, BACK THEN, THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN SOMETHING LIKE THE CHAN-
GER TO HELP US GET IT OFF THE GROUND, YOU MIGHT NOW BE READING SOMETHING
FRO M THE MIGREAT E.V.
The Changer isn’t our first baby. Back in those hea- how-to guide to help you through this process, so that you
dy days, Nicole, Nadia and I had recently graduated won’t have to experience the same pain we did.
from our Masters Programme and through both our aca-
demic experiences and our on-the-street experiences of
early Twennies Kreuzberg and Neukölln, we decided so-
FOUNDING A VEREIN
mething had to be done about “the integration problem”
First things first, you should know this is not going to
and everyday racism permeating the city. Knowing that
happen in a day. You should expect this whole process
Germany isn’t the only place to suffer these problems, we
to last minimum 6 weeks, and if you are going for the
took inspiration from other countries and found a really
charitable status probably longer. So plan accordingly,
cool visual campaign in the UK called I Love Migrants.
and accept that you will either have to wait or just plough
We got in touch with the people who ran it and asked if
on without the status. It’s annoying because it means you
they would mind if we set up something similar in Germa-
can’t really get funding – or at least nobody will be very
ny and they said “go for it”! So we did. Or at least we
willing to give it to you since you can’t give them a Spen-
tried.
Never having
set up a chari- “FIRST THINGS FIRST, YOU SHOULD KNOW
table organisa-
tion before and
THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN A DAY.”
with a limited
professional network, we set about meeting, and plan- denquittung (donation receipt which allows them to save
ning and concept-writing. That bit was fun. We were full taxes) and foundations want to see the papers. But on the
of optimism! We had a great idea, it was already tried other hand, we made the mistake of waiting too long and
and tested and it was tackling Germany’s biggest social running out of steam, time and energy. It’s worth trying to
problem. So what was to stop us? Bureaucracy, a lack figure out what smaller, low-cost activities you can do to
of a relevant network and information and inaccessible keep you ticking over so you don’t get frustrated or out-of-
FOUND ING A VEREIN
funding. That’s what. Which meant that we never actually touch from being consumed by paperwork. If you are not
did anything useful to stem racism or make “migrants” no a German speaker you will definitely need one.
longer feel like foreigners in their own country. But what
we did do, was to found a Verein. And of that we are pro-
ud. Because, people, it ain’t easy. So, since we founded
The Changer to help people like our 2011 selves, to do
good more easily, we have created a quick and practical
WHAT IS A VEREIN?
“AS A MEMBER OF
It’s basically a club or society – literally it comes from
the German meaning “people coming together”. It can
A VEREIN, YOU ARE
be a sport club (in fact according to the statistics that is NOT PERSONALLY
what it is most likely to be) but it is also the most common
legal form for a charitable organisation. There isn’t really RESPONSIBLE IF THE
a direct translation in British or American English but for
our purposes it’s the organisational structure you will need
VEREIN GETS INTO DEBT
if you are starting a nonprofit. You can just create a Verein OR LEGAL DIFFICULTIES
without having to go through the formalities of registering
it and making into an e.V. (registered Verein) but then as (UNLIKE A GBR).”
members you are liable personally for any debts or other
difficulties. Fine for a short term protest or small one-off
event but if you are thinking about doing something big-
ger or longer term it is probably worthwhile going through
WHY NOT?
the process of registering it, which is what the following
You can’t do it on your own… you need at least 7 other
is all about.
founding members who will do it with you.
WHY FORM A VEREIN? It’s bureaucratic. You need to create a “Satzung” which
has to fill quite a few criteria and pay a few visits to Äm-
As a member of a Verein, you are not personally ter and obviously do things like tax returns (all of which
responsible if the Verein gets into debt or legal difficulties becomes more complicated if you apply for the charitable
29
(unlike a GbR). status)
It is possible to register a Verein as “Gemeinnützig” Making money can’t be the main aim of the Verein… you
giving you charitable status and all of the donation-related are allowed to but this is more like a by-product of your
tax benefits that entails. actual activities and aims.
weeks before it is cleared (this is optimistic). donations. But if you don’t want to be dependent on dona-
tions, maybe it’s worth trying to think about other ways of
6. TAKE THE ABOVE DOCUMENTS, WITH THE REST OF monetising your idea and turning it into a social business.
THE VORSTAND, TO A NOTARY We hardly even knew there was such a thing back then,
(we went here: http://www.robe.org/arbeitsgebiete/no- let alone that there was support available for people who
tariat/). Again you will need the Satzung, Minutes from wanted to found one.
first meeting including names of all members present,
identity documents for all of the Vorstand).
PEP schenkt Dir Zeit für mehr
Wirkung.
Zur Lösung immer komplexerer gesellschaft-
licher Herausforderungen sind wir auf das
kreative Potenzial und den frischen Wind der
jungen Generation angewiesen sind.
PEP stärkt Sozialunternehmer in ihrer
gesellschaftlichen Wirkung und schafft neue
Perspektiven für ihr Engagement - denn
Weltverändern ist mehr als ein Hobby.
31
PEP Wirkungsschmiede - Zeit für die richtigen Fragen.
Unsere Peer-Community für Wirkungsbegeisterte: Eine Eventserie
mit Training, Coaching & kollegialer Beratung rund um die Wirkungs-,
Geschäfts- und Skalierungsmodelle Deines Projekts.
www.engagement-mit-perspektive.de
pep@ashoka.org
www.engagement-mit-perspektive.de
DIE GRÜNDUNG
EINER GBR –
DER UNKOMPLIZIERTE
START FÜR DEIN
SOZIALUNTERNEHMEN
WER EINE IDEE HAT UND GERNE EIN (SOZIAL)
UNTERNEHMEN STARTEN MÖCHTE, MUSS SEHR
SCHNELL DIE ERSTE WICHTIGE ENTSCHEIDUNG
TREFFEN: WELCHE GESCHÄFTSFORM MACHT
SINN? ES GIBT ZAHLREICHE, MÖGLICHE GE-
SCHÄFTSFORMEN, DIE FÜR DEIN UNTERNEH-
MEN RICHTIG SEIN KÖNNTEN. VON GBR ZU
GGMBH. IN DIESEM ARTIKEL DREHT SICH ALLES
UM DIE GBR.
33
Pass-Kopien aller Gesellschafter zum Gewerbeamt gehen
Wenn es sich um eine freiberufliche Tätigkeit handelt
(Welches Gewerbeamt für Dich zuständig ist, hängt von
reicht es, wenn man beim Finanzamt einfach eine Steu-
der Adresse Deines Unternehmens ab) und die GbR an-
ernummer für die GbR beantragt, dazu kann man dieses
melden. Die Anmeldung kostet 26 Euro pro Person.
Formular ausfüllen. In diesem Falle muss keine Gewerbe-
steuer gezahlt werden. In beiden Fällen sind die Gesell-
Bitte beachten, dass Du eigentlich nach der Anmel-
schafter einkommensteuerpflichtig.
dung beim Gewerbeamt einen Brief vom Finanzamt erhal-
ten solltest mit der Steuernummer oder ein Formular, womit
Du diese beantragen kannst- wir haben keines von beiden
erhalten- wurden wohl vergessen und nun müssen wir na-
türlich extra beim Finanzamt vorbei. Unserer Erfahrung
nach fängt man schnell mal an zu zittern, wenn es um
bürokratische Angelegenheiten geht, die Angst irgendei-
nes der tausenden Formulare zu vergessen begleitet wohl „UM ZUKÜNFTIGE
alle Gründer. Also kleiner Tipp: Wenn Du mal Panik hast,
ruf einfach kurz bei der IHK an, die sind äußerst hilfreich.
KONFLIKTE IM
Hier die Nummer: 030 31510-600 GRÜNDERTEAM ZU
Der Name einer GbR muss immer die Vor- und Fami- VERMEIDEN, SOLLTE DER
liennamen der Gesellschafter beinhalten. Man kann zu-
sätzlich auch noch einen Branchen- oder Phantasienamen
VERTRAG SO SPEZIFISCH
ergänzen. Am Ende des Namens steht dann GbR. Bei- UND DETAILLIERT WIE
spiel: Max Mustermann und Martina Plustermann GbR.
Dieser Name muss natürlich auch auf allen Geschäftsdo- MÖGLICH SEIN.”
kumenten stehen.
HOT SEAT MIT FRANZISKA
SCHAEFERMEYER,
INVESTMENT MANAGER
VON TENGELMANN
SOCIAL VENTURES
VOR EIN PAAR WOCHEN NAHMEN WI R AM IMPACT HUB THEMEPARK ZUM THEMA VENTURE
CAPITAL VOR STARTUPS TEIL UND LERNTEN FRANZISKA SCHAEFERMEYER KENNEN. FRANZISKA
IST INVESTMENT MANAGER BEI TENGELMANN VENTURES UND HAT DIE GRÜNDUNG EINES ZU-
SÄTZLICHEN FONDS FÜR DIE INVESTITION IN SOZIALUNTERNEHMEN BETREUT – TENGELMANN
SOCIAL VENTURES. IM “HOT SEAT” INTERVIEW ERZÄHLT SIE UNS WAS SIE SICH VON ANDE-
REN VCS WÜNSCHEN WÜRDE UND WAS SIE GRÜNDERN EMPFIEHLT, DIE DARÜBER NACHDEN-
KEN EINEN VC INS BOOT ZU HOLEN. ERFAHRE AUSSERDEM, WIE DU SELBER DIE MÖGLICHKEIT
HAST, IHR DEINE FRAGEN ZU STELLEN.
37
THE SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP
Sometimes you and your investor will disagree. The
art of an entrepreneur is to stand your ground. Remem-
ber, you know your company, your target audience, your
mission- stick to your guns and don’t be afraid to take a
risk, sometimes that’s where there’s the biggest pay off.
That said, stay rational even in the tough moments. Don’t
fall in love with an idea. Listen to others and don’t stand PRIVATE: Private investors might be a little more relaxed
your ground just to save face. Your investor can provide in terms of their return on investment (ROI) but often won’t
invaluable advice, don’t ignore it. have additional money kicking around for a follow-up
round. So if you need money quickly, they might not be
able to help you.
OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
Pro: Often they’re more flexible and if they’re strongly
SHOULD YOU GO WITH A FUND OR emotionally connected to your social mission, they might
A PRIVATE INVESTOR? put less emphasis on profit.
FUNDS: Funds raise money beforehand and then have a Con: They can’t bail you out should you run into unexpec-
pot of money with which to invest. ted financial troubles. A solution here might be to raise
more money than you think you’ll need initially, so that
Pro: Usually funds don’t spend all their money at once. you don’t get into the red zone after your initial cash burn
Meaning if you burn all your cash and still aren’t brea- and before you start making money.
king even, they can follow up with a second investment
to help carry you over. WHAT ABOUT AN EXIT?
(Obviously this isn’t an ide- “ONCE IN TALKS Generally speaking, the goal
al situation, usually they’ll of most investors is to have an
expect to see proof of con- WITH AN INVESTOR, exit. With social entrepreneurs-
cept before they’re ready to
invest again. It’s hard to get
BE PREPARED TO GET hip this can get a little compli-
cated, as it’s not always clear
money without showing that NAKED.” where the industry is. In many
the concept works- meaning cases, the first round investor
you’re making actual sales will expect to get out by selling
and even better, that your making repeated sales, which their shares to another strategic investor or through a ma-
indicates customer satisfaction.) nager buyback. (i.e. the social businesses management
will buy out the investor.) In other cases you might want to
THE TR UTH ABOUT IMPACT INVESTING
Con: Because a fund is essentially a big piggy bank full structure the deal as a loan rather than equity.
of different people’s money, they have pressure from the
outside to get that money back. What does it mean? It’s WHERE DOES IMPACT MEASUREMENT
means they’re generally stricter because they have inves- FIT INTO ALL THIS?
tors pushing them and need to deliver. If you’re interested In many cases, social impact is beyond quantitative
in going this route, the Social Venture Fund or Bonventure measurement. This can be hard to show your investor,
might be good places to look. but you have to try. Don’t exclude numbers (investors love
that stuff!) but do include the qualitative picture. Make this
as accessible, emotional and short as possible. Tell the
story in pictures and quotes and leave the novels to J.K.
Rowling.
“YOU’LL NEED A BUSINESS PLAN. EVEN
BETTER, YOU’VE DONE A PILOT AND CAN SHOW
SOMETHING “REAL” AND NOT JUST A CONCEPT.”
8. Find the right fit. Here it’s all about the chemistry. Don’t
settle for the first suitor that comes your way, make sure the
DNA aligns and it’s a good match.
10 THINGS YOU NEED
TO KNOW BEFORE YOU
START CROWDFUNDING
THIS ARTICLE IS A SUMMARY OF AN EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSION THAT WAS HELD AT IMPACT
HUB BERLIN. ON THE PANEL WERE CO-FOUNDER OF TOLLABOX, OLIVER BESTE, BASTIAN
NEUMANN FROM FAIRNOPOLY, HARALD SCHOTTENLOHER OF FUNDEDBYME, KONRAD LAU-
TEN FROM INDIEGOGO AND CO-FOUNDER OF ORGINAL UNVERPACKT, MILENA LEBOWSKI.
THINKING ABOUT STARTING A CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN? BEFORE YOU DO, READ THIS
GUIDE TO AVOID THE COMMON PITFALLS OF CROWDFUNDING.
CHECK IF CROWDFUNDING IS EVEN RIGHT FOR YOU. Don’t underestimate the cost of crowdfunding, both in terms of
human and financial resources. You never get money for free. Crowdfunding is a lot of work and expect to invest con-
siderable time and money into creating a successful campaign. Also, don’t use crowdfunding as a last resort. If you’re
in a high-risk industry or if you’re running out of cash and haven’t been able to get investors or people you know to
support your project, don’t try to squeeze your last pennies out of the crowd.
Don’t assume the work is over once you’ve kicked off your
campaign.
GET LEGAL.
Once you’ve decided on the platform, pay attention to
CONSIDER THE NITTY-GRITTY. the deal. This is especially critical for crowdinvesting whe-
On that note, who’s going to respond to all the inco- re you might be liable for paying money back in the fu-
ming mails and calls? How will you handle critical ques- ture. What are the terms? What percent does the platform
tions about your business model or project? In this case take? When do you get the money? Don’t let yourself be
time really is money and you need to be able to manage in for a nasty surprise down the road. Do your research
things immediately as they come up. now and save yourself a lot of pain down the road.
LEARN FROM OTHERS. GET EARLY ADOPTERS.
Take time to check out other successful campaigns and Get your friends and people you know to invest
see what worked well for them. Watch their videos, pay right away. Once others see that people are investing,
attention to the script and let yourself get inspired. But also they’re likely to jump on board. (This goes back to the
be realistic about what you can achieve with your resour- issue of establishing trust- people will trust a campaign
ces. Adapt ideas in a way that fits your budget and your that seems to be doing well.) Another big point here is
target group. And remember, it’s easier to raise money that investors are likely to go on the site early on and
41
for an idea that touches a lot of people. Think about your judge a campaign based on first performance. If they
messaging and how you can make your story relevant to see the campaign is performing well, they’ll be more
as many people as possible. likely to invest since it gives the impression that this is
something the public/community really wants and is
interested in.
BE ANNOYING.
Be prepared to remind people again and again that
they want to support you. Don’t feel bad. It may feel like
you’re spamming but often people forget that they wanted “PEOPLE WILL GIVE IF
to make a donation, so keep asking. At least 7 times.
THEY LIKE THE PRODUCT,
BUILD TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY. LIKE YOU, AND BELIEVE
People will give if they like the product, like you, IN THE IDEA BEHIND IT.”
and believe in the idea behind it. Being transparent and
building trust with the crowd is critical for a successful
campaign. People are less likely to give their money to
GET CREATIVE WITH
something that seems sketchy. How will you spend the YOUR REWARDS.
money? Who are you? This relates to the point above on Don’t have a fancy product or big budget for your
being communicative and engaging with your community rewards? Invite “big givers” to a home-cooked dinner.
during the campaign. It’s important that you’re open and Offer something one-of-a-kind that fits your mission
present during the campaign so that people trust you and or service. Also remember that the rewards can be
your project. Here the press can be both a friend and purchased after you crowdfund, so though you don’t
foe. Getting positive press can boost your credibility and need this initial capital, you’ll need to factor that in in
draw attention to what you’ve already accomplished. On terms of what you hope to earn.
the other hand, the press might jump on your weak points
and can also have a damaging effect on your reputation.
INTERVIEW MIT WALDEMAR
ZEILER: “FREI DENKEN
KANN MAN BESSER,
WENN MAN WENIGER
VERPFLICHTUNGEN UND
ABHÄNGIGKEITEN HAT.”
IN DIESEM INTERVIEW DREHT SICH ALLES UM WALDEMAR ZEILER, SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR,
GRÜNDER VON EINHORN UND ENTREPRENEUR’S PLEDGE. WALDEMAR UND SEIN TEAM ENT-
WICKELN ETWA S, WAS WIR ALLE BRAUCHEN, ETWAS WAS LEBEN RETTEN KANN, ETWAS ZUM
ANFASSEN, EIN NATÜRLICHES PRODUKT. FINDE SELBST RAUS, WORUM ES SICH BEI EINHORN
HANDELT…
DU HAST VORHER KLASSISCHE START-UPS Fast überall fand ich eine direkte Verbindung zu den
GEGRÜNDET, UNTER ANDEREM MIT ROCKET größten bestehenden gesellschaftlichen und ökologi-
INTERNET & TEAM EUROPE. WAS HAT DICH schen Herausforderungen unserer Zeit. Da hat mich
DAZU INSPIRIERT EIN SOZIALUNTERNEHMEN mein Ehrgeiz gepackt und als Unternehmer wollte ich
ZU GRÜNDEN? selbst herausfinden, ob man heutzutage überhaupt ein
Ich habe mir 6 Monate Auszeit genommen nach- großes Unternehmen bauen kann, dass sowohl fair als
dem ich das Ruder für meine letzte Gründung Digitale auch nachhaltig mit allen Stakeholdern umgeht.
Seiten nach 3,5 Jahren Aufbauarbeit übergeben hat- Dass man das heutzutage Sozialunternehmen oder
te. Für mich war das eine extreme Erfahrung, einfach Social Entrepreneurship nennt, spricht schon Bände
INTERVIEW: FRANZI SKA SC HAEFER MEY ER
mal ohne Plan in den Tag hineinzuleben und nach ca. über den Zustand unserer Gesellschaft.
1-2 Monaten konnte ich dann tatsächlich abschalten.
Erst dann war es mir möglich, mal neue Gedanken WAS KANNST DU UNS ÜBER EINHORN
abseits der Berliner Start-up-Welt, zu spinnen. Backpa- VERRATEN?
cking durch Mittel- & Südamerika führt dich an vielen Seit dem letzten Wochenende ist das Produkt offizi-
Plantagen vorbei und man kriegt einen Einblick in die ell bekanntgegeben auf unserer neuen Webseite www.
Anbauweise vieler Rohstoffe für Lebensmittel, die man einhorn.my. Einfach den kurzen Teaser anschauen:
in unseren Supermärkten kaufen kann. Wenn man die Wir begeben uns mit einhorn auf eine Reise, um
Arbeitsbedingungen und den Umgang mit der Natur ein faires und nachhaltiges Kondom Stück für Stück
hautnah erlebt, hat das wenig mit den romantischen möglich zu machen und zu beweisen, dass man auch
Fernsehspots für Kaffee oder Schokolade in Deutsch- mit fairstainable Produkten globalen und nachhaltigen
land gemein. Ich fing an weitere Produkte meines täg- Erfolg haben kann. Im Januar startet unsere Crowdfun-
lichen Gebrauchs, vom Essen über Kleidung bis hin ding-Kampagne auf Startnext, die den Startschuss für
zu Kondomen, nach Nachhaltigkeit zu hinterfragen. die Produktion von einhorn ermöglicht.
zu gründen. Das Risiko ist es nicht wert, nicht nur ein
Unternehmen an die Wand zu fahren, sondern auch
eine gute Freundschaft. Außerdem muss man schon
wahnsinnig Glück haben, dass ein Freund zufällig die
richtigen Skills mitbringt für eine bestimmte Idee und
sich bewusst ist, was unternehmerisches Risiko bedeutet.
- Frei denken kann man besser, wenn man weniger
Verpflichtungen und Abhängigkeiten in seinem Leben
schafft. Hohe Lebenserhaltungskosten und viele Projek-
te fördern die Abhängigkeit von einem „sicheren“ Job
oder anderen Erwerbsquellen und verschleiern den
Blick auf wirklich disruptive Modelle. Diese zu finden,
erfordert auch mal längere kreative Phasen ohne Ein-
kommen und mit dem monatlichen Kostendruck einer
fetten Wohnung und eines Porsche lässt sich das nicht
lange aushalten. Monatelang nur mit einem Rucksack
zu reisen ist definitiv ein gutes Training dafür.
IN JEDEM SEKTOR GIBT ES AUFS UND ABS. WAS IST EIN BEISPIEL FÜR EIN ERFOLGREI-
WAS WAR BIS JETZT DEIN PERSÖNLICH CHES SOZIALUNTERNEHMEN UND WARUM?
GRÖSSTER ERFOLG? Grundsätzlich lege ich hier dieselbe Messlatte an,
Ehrlich gesagt, bin ich am dankbarsten für die tol- wie für normale Unternehmen. Wenn ein Unterneh-
len & spannenden Menschen in men so schnell wachsen kann wie
meinem Umfeld. Es ist schon ein Google, Facebook, Airbnb, Uber,
Privileg überall auf der Welt und
vor allem in Berlin Menschen zu
„MIT SO Rocket Internet & co., dabei global
denkt und die Marktführerschaft an- 43
seinen Freunden zählen zu dür- VIELEN UNTER- strebt, dann spricht man von Erfolg.
fen, die einen auf unterschied- Leider findet man dieses Denken im
lichste und teilweise verrückte Art SCHIEDLICHEN Social Entrepreneurship-Bereich sehr
und Weise persönlich bereichern.
Diesen KPI kann ich jedem emp-
MENSCHEN ÜBER selten. Mit dem Entrepreneur’s Pled-
ge (www.entrepreneurspledge.org)
fehlen ;) DIE EIGENE haben wir deswegen eine Initiative
gegründet um erfolgreiche Grün-
BITTE TEILE AUCH DIE 5 TOP GESCHÄFTSIDEE der für Social Entrepreneurship zu
LEARNINGS MIT UNS – WAS
WÜRDEST DU ANDEREN EMP-
SPRECHEN, WIE begeistern und gemeinsam Social
Entrepreneurship aus der Nische auf
FEHLEN, WOVON ABRATEN? ES NUR GEHT. ” die Weltwirtschaftsbühne zu bringen.
- Mit so vielen unterschiedli- Ein mögliches Vorbild ist Wholefoods
chen Menschen über die eigene Markets aus den USA.
Geschäftsidee sprechen, wie es nur geht. Der Input für
die Idee übersteigt bei weitem das Risiko, dass die WAS MACHT DICH ZUM CHANGER?
Idee geklaut wird. Bisher gar nichts. Es wird zu viel darüber geredet,
- Abgleich der Interessen von möglichen Investoren wie man die Welt verbessern kann. Ich hoffe in ein
mit den eigenen. Oft genug verfällt man der Versu- paar Jahren eine unternehmerische Antwort geben zu
chung, das Geld der erstbesten Investoren anzuneh- können: mit messbarem Umsatz und Impact meines
men. Hier verhält es sich wie in einer Ehe. Heiraten Unternehmens sowie zahlreichen Ausgründungen aus
geht super schnell, klappt es allerdings nicht, ist die dem Entrepreneur’s Pledge.
Scheidung für beide Seiten mühsam und kräftezehrend.
- Ich kann nicht empfehlen mit sehr guten Freunden
EIN HAMBURGER
KLEINUNTERNEHMER
MIT GEWISSEN
EIN ARTIKEL VON MARTEN RÖBEL ZUM THE-
MA: FERNAB VON PROFIT-ORIENTIERUNG. Kommode in zwei Teile zu zerlegen. Hinter der Kommode
DAS UMZUGSUNTERNEHMEN HUUS-TU- HUUS auf dem Boden glänzt es durch eine dicke Staubschicht.
ZEIGT, DASS GAR NICHT IMMER „SOCIAL Es klackert, als Luetjens sich nach unten beugt und die
ENTREPRENEURSHIP“ DRAUFSTEHEN MUSS, bunten Murmeln aus dem Staub heraus sammelt. Scher-
DAMIT SOZIALES DENKEN DRIN STECKT. ben klirren. Oh, hier is’ mal auch ein Glas zerdeppert.
Was dann alles so zum Vorschein kommt, ne?“
Vera Luetjens organisiert den Umzug für ihre 92-jährige
Mutter. Diese wohnte bisher alleine in einer Zwei-Zim-
mer-Wohnung im zweiten Stock, in einem Haus ohne
Fahrstuhl im Hamburger Norden. Anfang September ging
es nicht mehr – sie zog ins Pflegeheim. Ein Mitarbeiter
des Heims empfahl Luetjens das Umzugsunternehmen Hu-
us-tu-Huus.
45
Das war der Ansatzpunkt für mich zu gucken: Was gibt es lich ein unschöner Anlass ist, ins Pflegeheim zu ziehen,
in dem Bereich noch?“, sagt Aldinger-Rudloff. oder ins betreute Wohnen. Und das ist auch so meine
So entstand die Idee. Er reduzierte seine Arbeit bei der Motivation das zu machen.“
Krankenkasse auf eine halbe Stelle und gründete ein
Umzugsunternehmen speziell für Senioren. „Da kann ich LUETJENS LOB
mein Wissen als Pflegeberater einbringen und auf der an- Der Umzug ist geschafft. Vera Luetjens ist zufrieden.
deren Seite auch den Umzug gestalten.“ „Nun hab ich aber auch ein Lob bekommen von dem
Wenn die Kunden das möchten, organisiert Aldinger-Rud- Chef – ich hätte sehr gut vorbereitet.“ Sie lächelt und
loff fast alles: Er packt Umzugskisten ein und aus, mon- wird ein bisschen rot – über das Lob freut sie sich.
tiert die Einrichtungen, entrümpelt und renoviert die alte Und wenn sie das nächste Mal umzieht? „Ja ich bin
Wohnung. Außerdem übernimmt er alle Formalitäten, wie ja auch Seniorin, ich bin 68, ich bin ja noch keine
Ummeldung, Adressänderung und Nachsendeauftrag. 92, aber, letztendlich bin ich eine Seniorin. Ich werde
wahrscheinlich wieder auf Herrn Aldinger zurückkom-
men.”
EIN UMZUGSUNTERNEHMER, Weil es so entspannt ist mit ihm. Das meiste wird sie
DER SICH ZEIT NIMMT wieder selber erledigen, die Kisten packen, herumräu-
Doch für drei Viertel seiner Kunden macht Aldinger-Rud- men und beim Umzug ruhelos von Raum zu Raum wan-
loff gar nicht mehr als das, was auch ein normales Um- dern. Alles solange es noch geht. Ansonsten – kann
zugsunternehmen anbietet. Die Menschen haben einen das ja auch der Herr Aldinger machen.
Partner oder Kinder, die sich um alles andere kümmern.
Trotzdem hat Aldinger-Rudloff mehr Anfragen, also er an- Der Autor Marten Röbel schreibt über Geschichten,
nehmen kann. Die Leute empfehlen ihn gerne weiter. Wo- bei denen er das Große im Kleinen findet. Dieser Arti-
ran liegt das? Vera Luetjens hat Erfahrung mit Umzügen: kel erschien ursprünglich in der taz.
Zehn- oder elfmal wechselte sie in den letzten Jahrzehnten
die Wohnung. Jetzt zum ersten Mal mit Huus-tu-Huus. „Mir
ist nur aufgefallen, das war so stressfrei. Meine eigenen
NETWORKING
FOR DUMMIES –
WHY TO DO IT AND
HOW TO DO IT
IT’S BEEN A LONG DAY. YOU’RE TIRED AND HUNGRY AND YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF
SOMETHING SUPER IMPORTANT WHEN YOU REALIZED THE TIME AND RUSHED OFF TO THE
EVENT YOU’D RSVP’D TO WEEKS AGO.
And now, there you are. Beer or Bionade in hand, wander up to you. You’ve got to get out there and grab it.
business cards tucked in your pocket and ready to start
making connections. Right? Well, not necessarily. Unless How can we expect to maximize our impact if ever-
you’re one of the lucky ones for whom working a room yone is working in their separate bubbles? How can we
comes naturally, networking can be an awkward and un- foster innovation if we’re all blinded by organizational
THE TR UTH ABOUT IMPACT INVESTING
comfortable chore and if you are reading this, you’re pro- tunnel vision? There are lots of fancy ways we could ta-
bably the type of person who will be tempted to slip out ckle these problems, but the simplest solution would be
the back and return to your trusty computer. Well, don’t! to start building a strong network that opens the door to
(Unless of course the event is REALLY boring – you have collaboration and shared learning. The people you meet
to know which battles to fight to win the war.) It could be might not only be able to help you, but they will also push
a HUGE lost potential. Networking isn’t just about sto- you forward. Have an idea? Get some feedback. They
cking up on business cards for your personal collection, might challenge you or they might offer up new ideas.
it’s an opportunity for real knowledge exchange and a When done effectively, networking can be one of the most
springboard for collaboration, which is likely to boost valuable investments of your time.
your organization’s impact and effectiveness in some way
or other. Maybe you can also help others to do the same Which is why we’ve rounded up some of our favorite
and ratchet up your karma points. Whatever happens, tips to help you be a networking extraordinaire, regard-
the golden rule applies 99% of the time: help comes from less of whether you’re looking for a job or a strategic
where you least expect it. And it won’t necessarily just partner.
1. VOLUNTEER AT THE EVENT. Be respectful of everyone’s time and keep moving after
If you have the problem of feeling a little lost at these 5 – 10 minutes. This will also help you make sure you
events, this might be a perfect solution for you. By volun- get to talk to as many people as possible. Struggle to
teering, you’ll have a clear role and purpose – plus you’ll make the break? To avoid awkwardness, at a appro-
be given lots of opportunities to talk to people without you priate moment, just offer them your business card and
even having to make the first step. suggest you organize a follow-up meeting to talk in
more detail. Whether you do or not will be indication
2. SHOW UP EARLY – of what both of you believe you can get out of it, but at
sometimes the best moments are those quiet moments be- least that’s an issue for another day.
fore the storm hits. If there are a few of you in the room,
you’ll be “forced” to engage with one another. Plus the- 8. GO BEYOND YOUR COMMUNITY.
re’s a good chance the organizers/speakers will be there You never know WHO might be relevant or provide
early – this gives you a chance to hit them up in peace an interesting contact. Plus the people outside of your
and quiet before they’re surrounded by swarms of people immediate field or network might give you a much nee-
wanting to get an intro. ded dose of fresh perspective regarding your project
or problem. If you’re stuck, they might be able to help
3. DON’T PITCH RIGHT OFF THE BAT. you the most.
When you do get talking to somebody, ask easy questions
and then LISTEN. Figure out their needs. Networking is a 9. MAKE THE FOLLOWUP MEANINGFUL.
two-way street – think about how you can help them. If Send a bit of info or something that gives your mail a
you’ve expressed genuine interest, they’ll be more likely real added value for the other person. This way you
to do the same. go beyond the “nice to meet you last night” mail and
make it clear you have something real to offer.
4. SMILE. Nuff said.
10. MAINTAIN YOUR NETWORK AND THE CONTACTS
5. SET A GOAL. IN IT. 47
Before the event, set a target number for how many peop- Networking isn’t something you do once and then tick
le you’re going to try and chat with. Not every person will off your list. It’s something that should be incorporated
lead to a valuable long-term contact, but over time, you’ll into your work practices. Making the first contact is the
get used to chatting with different people and who knows first step, maintaining that contact and nurturing it into
who might turn up next to you. That said, remember you a fruitful exchange requires some ongoing work and
don’t need to talk to everyone. If you have access to the commitment.
list of attendants, identify a few people beforehand and
seek them out. 11. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, PRACTICE!
Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it will
6. WITH THAT IN MIND, get. We’ve been learning the ropes over the last few
GO IN WITH A CLEAR PURPOSE months and we still might not always practice what we
and idea of WHAT you want. Have a few questions in preach, (I might have skipped an event to finish this
mind, for example, “what ideas do you have for me?” article), but hey – everyone’s gotta start somewhere.
or “do you know anyone I should talk to?” Also prepare
responses to similar questions that might be asked of you. If you’re itching to put these tips to the test, The Chan-
Some of the most commonly asked questions are “how ger is hosting monthly Hangouts in Berlin, Hambrug
can I help you?” or “what are you looking for?” If you and Munich. Check out the meetup group and stay in-
have a clear, articulate answer on how someone can help formed. Join us for casual drinks, chats, and of course,
you, you’re more likely to get something out of it that you some top-notch networking. See you there!
really want and need.
7. MOVE ON.
For your own sake, and the sake of your talking partner
and everyone else, don’t latch on for an entire evening.
MARKETING ON
A LOW BUDGET
SO, YOU’VE LANDED THE JOB OF YOUR DREAMS! YOU’VE STARTED AT A NON-PROFIT OR-
GANISATION THAT SUPPORTS A CAUSE YOU PASSIONATELY BELIEVE IN. THERE’S JUST ONE
PRO BLEM: YOU NEED TO FIND A WHOLE LOT MORE PEOPLE TO SHARE YOUR PASSION IF
YOU WANT TO MAKE EFFECTIVE CHANGE, AND YOU NEED TO DO IT ON A SHOESTRING
BUDGET. IT’S AN ALL TOO COMMON PROBLEM ACROSS THE WHOLE SECTOR: HOW DO YOU
GET A GREAT DEAL DONE ON A VERY SMALL BUDGET? SADLY, MARKETING YOUR ORGANISA-
TION OR CAUSE IS NO EXCEPTION.
Non-profit organisations face unique challenges when use. It’s important to play it smart and stay lean in your
it comes to marketing. They may lack staff with specific ex- marketing efforts, and this means identifying efficient, low
pertise or skills, have difficulties estimating human resour- resource and/or time commitment ways to communica-
MAR KETING ON A LOW B UDGET
ces due to reliance on volunteer labour, have inconsistent te with your target audience, community and supporters.
funding sources, or want to concentrate on their main fo- To do this you need to make a realistic and conservative
cus and not on marketing. There are also ethical, privacy assessment of the resources you have available and how
and security considerations that need to be taken into ac- much you can achieve with them, but also be creative in
count, depending on the organisation’s field of work. how you put the resources you do have to work. For ex-
However, marketing is crucial to develop support net- ample, how do you make the best use of a volunteer who
works of donors and volunteers, to raise awareness of im- has only 1 or 2 hours a week to contribute?
portant issues, to campaign for change and find support
for petitions or crowdfunding endeavours, and to provide The aim of this article is to give you a quick overview
feedback to the community. of how you can approach developing a strategy that suits
There’s no easy way to achieve all of these aims, but your organisation’s needs and resources for marketing on
there are relatively clever and effective methods you can a low budget.
STEP ONE: STEP TWO:
IDENTIFY YOUR MAIN MESSAGE FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
AND POINT OF INTEREST ONLINE AND OFFLINE
Marketing is all about communication and outreach. Now it’s time to think about what audience you
Before you can attract anyone else to your cause, you want to reach with your marketing efforts. You should
need to be very clear in your own mind on what the goals consider what sorts of people are likely to be interes-
of your organisation are. You should be able to express ted in your work. You should also think about what
this in three sentences or less: you want people to do after hearing your marketing
message: Do you want them to volunteer their time,
1. What is the problem or current situation that needs donate money, sign petitions or raise awareness by en-
changing? gaging with their networks? It can help to write a short
2. What is the solution you are proposing? paragraph describing one or two “ideal” supporters
3. What do you need from your listener to achieve that that you would like to reach. That way you can have
goal? them in mind when you are developing your marketing
content.
It’s also important to refine your understanding of why
people would be interested in your work. You may feel Once you are clear about your audience, spend some
passionate about the issue, but others may lack the proper time researching how you can find them online and
context to see its importance. offline. Social media is a great option, but it’s easy to
get lost on big platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Once you are clear on these ideas, it’s easier to stay “on
49
message” in all your marketing attempts. It’s important to Research the demographics of different social networks
regularly repeat a clear, consistent and simple message if and pick one or two to focus your efforts on. For ex-
you want to cut through all the “noise” of the mainstream ample, if you have a lot of photos to share, you might
and social media. It also helps you avoid wasting time consider Pinterest or Instagram as viable alternatives to
communicating ideas that aren’t relevant for your cause. It Facebook – and pick Instagram if your audience was
might help to write these key ideas down and have them younger, Pinterest for a slightly older crowd.
visible in your office where staff can see it while drafting
newsletter, social media posts or press releases. It’s also worthwhile to find blog or forum sites that are
relevant to your field and approach the site owner to
see if you can publish an article about your organisa-
tion or form a partnership in some other way in order
to communicate with their audience. Their readership
may be quite small and niche, but if they are highly
focused it’s well worth your time. For example, if you
run campaigns that focus on getting local people en-
gaged in cleaning up parks and gardens, engaging
with websites that cater to an audience of local people
into outdoor activities, such as a running group, is a
great place to start.
REGULARLY.“
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melanie Thewlis is a co-founder of Little Web Giants,
an online marketing and web development consultancy
based in Berlin and Melbourne. She has a diverse range
of professional experience working with not for profit or-
ganisations, including Friends of the Earth, UK Tar Sands
Network, Stiftung Bürgermut, Humboldt University, Stadt-
bienen e.V. and Melbourne Montessori School. Melanie
provides regular free of charge consulting sessions to the
non-profit sector at Betterplace Stammtisch and Social Me-
dia Sprechstunde events.
INTERVIEW WITH
ANNAMARIA OLSSON,
CO-FOUNDER OF GIVE
SOMETHING BACK TO
BERLIN: “IT’S REALLY
CRUCIAL TO HANG IN
THERE, WAIT AND CREATE
YOUR MOMENT.”
INTERVIEW: ANNAMAR IA OLSSON
WITH GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO BERLIN (GSBTB) TURNING ONE YEAR OLD ON THURSDAY,
WE THOUGHT NOW WAS THE PERFECT TIME TO CATCH UP WITH GSBTB’S FOUNDER, ANNA-
MARIA OLSSON. THE IDEA BEHIND GSBTB IS SIMPLE, “TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE
CITY WE LOVE AND THE NEIGHBOURHOODS WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING.” IN
THE INTERVIEW, ANNAMARIA TELLS US WHY WOMEN SHOULDN’T BE AFRAID TO GET ANGRY,
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING FUN – EVEN WHEN TACKLING SERIOUS ISSUES – AND HOW
SHE DECIDED TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF GENTRIFICATION
IN BERLIN.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR STAR-
TING GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO BERLIN?
Living in Berlin since 2008, and Neukölln since
2010, it was impossible not to feel the city’s rapid ch-
ange and the following discussion about gentrification.
Working as a journalist, I was covering the develop-
ment of the creative scene, the (back then) booming
start up scene and also the ”normal” Berlin politics
with all its social problems and challenges of being
”poor but sexy”. Evenings I was, like most expats, out
drinking, dining and dancing with my cosmopolitan
friends. In the newspapers, there were daily reports on
the post euro-crisis impact on young people’s lives all
over Europe, often making them seek opportunity else-
where and taking the chance that the EU offered them
with free mobility. A few pages later there were stories
on post-crisis money looking for a safe harbour in pro-
perty, as well as reports on the frightening develop-
ment of xenophobic and nationalistic ideas spreading
across Europe, making people look with suspicion at Seeing this group of new Berliners solely as a prob-
old and new neighbours. lem, did not make sense in so many ways. How could
young, well-educated, highly-skilled people with expe-
Somehow all those things seem to be connected on riences from all over the world be seen as a problem?
a micro-scale in our own Berlin neighbourhoods. The And if, hypothetically, they actually were the problem,
53
new influx of people and the gentrification debate shouldn’t they then be a part of the solution? With Give
seem to make worlds drift apart Something Back To Berlin we wanted
and there were even posters with
”Touristen raus! ”, ”Spaniards go
“TO GIVE to create a tool for being a part of
the “solution”. The idea was extre-
home!” or ”Hipsters not welco- SOMETHING mely simple. On a small scale, it was
me!”. For many people, at least about suggesting us new Berliners to
on an idea level, Berlin is a utopia BACK TO THE CITY share our skills for a few hours with a
where people can come together
to create new ideas, cultures and
WE LOVE AND local initiative or a social organizati-
on. To give something back to the city
ways of living. It now seemed to THE NEIGHBOUR- we love and the neighbourhoods we
be the opposite. People started were in the process of changing.
working against each other, loo- HOODS WE WERE
king for people to blame rather
than solutions for the new situation
IN THE PROCESS At the same time, it was a small
attempt to make the ”old Berliners”
and the new Europe. On a more OF CHANGING.” know us better. Berlin and its many
individual level, after being in an creative scenes have a unique and
environment among European strong culture of sharing and colla-
and international migrants, it was also obvious that borating. As a way of urban integration, we wanted
a lot of newcomers could feel a bit lost and alienated to “export” some of that to our neighbourhoods to
in their new ”Heimat”. Some of them had lived in the hopefully contribute to a more “positive” side of gen-
city for years and were indeed planning to stay but still trification. On a larger scale, it was about connecting
didn’t have so many natural connections to society and different scenes in the city and strengthening the over-
their own neighbourhoods. Other newcomers wanted all social cohesion. Empowering the city and neigh-
to get under the skin of their new city and country im- borhoods through making different worlds meet and
mediately. But how? making them work together for social causes.
ON THAT NOTE, AFTER YOUR FIRST YEAR,
YOU STARTED GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO WHAT ARE THREE LEARNINGS YOU WOULD
BERLIN A YEAR AGO, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PASS ON TO ASPIRING SOCIAL ENTREPRE-
BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? NEURS?
Getting so many people involved! We could ne- - Trust your “Bauchgefühl” and have patience. If
ver have imagined that the interest would be so big! you’re a real changer you (hopefully) know your the-
Every day we get amazing sign-ups from people co- me/what you’re talking about and have a feeling in
ming from all over the world and in our first year we’ve which directions things are (and should) be going. But
had over 300 official sign-ups for people volunteering not everybody has. It can take a lot of time and patien-
for the around 40 tasks/projects that we’ve offered so ce to establish your idea and convince people about
far. That makes 7.5 sign-ups per offered spot. Those your cause if you’re dealing with complex issues. As a
numbers are also just the official website-sign ups, not real changer, you are often a bit “before” the mainstre-
counting in the unofficial synergy ones coming through am with your ideas, analysis and solutions for things.
It’s really crucial to
hang in there, wait
“ DON’T TRY TO BE THE SUPERHUMAN and create your
EVERY ENDEAVOR HAS ITS UPS AND – Let people help you! Don’t try to be the superhuman
DOWNS, WAS THERE EVER A LOW POINT? needing to know and do everything – because you
Yes. After a couple of months online, our team of can’t and shouldn’t! There are people you know, so
three had worked crazy hard trying to meet demands use your network! Most people want to help and are
without noticing that we grew far too big to be able flattered when they can help out a good cause! Build
to catch up. We wanted to channel all the people and a small storm trooper community around you that both
the energy that was there but kind of forgot ourselves. believes in the cause/product and that can help make
As a result, a team member landed in the emergency it grow!
room due to stress related causes. During that time, we
really asked ourselves if it was all really worth it, even - Have fun! You’re most probably dealing with quite
INTERVIEW: ANNAMAR IA OLSSON
though it released so much great energy and engage- serious issues, but that doesn’t have to mean that either
ment. Stress had made us prioritize wrongly, keeping you or your target group want to be or are “serious”
us in a constant loop of doing, doing, doing- instead 24/7. Remember to have fun and then people, hel-
we should have sat down and really got an overview pers ,and in the end money, will come. What you are
of the situation in order to make the right decisions. selling in the end is “positive” ideas for a “negative”
Like looking for proper funding… That, for instance, social problem – but then the “fun” part needs to be
we didn’t look for more people to join the team at that there! Be upset about the problem and serious about
point just doesn’t make sense when we look back at solving it, but have fun while creating the solutions
it today… (and enjoying life in general)!
Phot o cr ed it : K a lle K u i k k ani e m i
WHERE DO YOU SEE GIVE SOMETHING BACK YOU WORK A LOT WITH THE REFUGEE
TO BERLIN GOING IN THE FUTURE? WHAT COMMUNITY IN BERLIN, WHAT HAS THE
ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE NEXT YEAR? COMMUNITY’S RESPONSE BEEN TO YOU
The first year with GSBTB was really just the start AND YOUR PROJECTS?
because, until now, we did all this more or less com- The interest has been SO big from our people’s
pletely without funding! With sustainable funding, we side! I don’t know if it’s because we are migrants our-
will be able to really kick-off with all the potential that selves as well (even though from a very different sort)
is already there. We can further develop everything or simply because the question is currently so import-
to become the broad platform for urban participation ant in the EU and rest of the world. Today we have
and social engagement that we have potential to be. four of our own weekly refugee projects running; one
In addition to locking down sustainable funding, our language project, one cooking project, one computer
priority for the next year is to broaden our offers so project and one music collaboration! A lot of new
we can meet demands and serve interests – so that the bonds have developed between different groups and
positive potential for the city doesn’t get lost. Today we people, we are going to continue developing these in
have to turn down a lot of people who sign up becau- 2014-2015.
se we can’t keep up with finding suitable projects for
everyone – that feels so weird! We also want to focus WHAT MAKES YOU THE CHANGER?
on developing our own collaborative volunteering pro- I believe in inspiring people with ones actions and
jects to ensure that the unique and creative potential of giving people courage and tools for doing and not just
the newcomers really comes to fruition. Furthermore, talking. I think we did that quite well with GSBTB. But I
we want to get started with some of the many ideas also believe in being angry! Many women are afraid
that we have on the table together with companies and of being angry due to fear of being seen as aggressi-
players in the creative sector in order to develop pro- ve. But anger can be good if you are angry at society
jects that really make the different Berlin worlds meet, and not at yourself! It can take you a long way if you
learn and share together! get some good tools and channel it the right way! I’m
a strong plädoyer of women being more angry, haha.
5 STUDIENGÄNGE FÜR
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
IN DEUTSCHLAND –
DIE UNI ÜBERSICHT
WENN DU THE CHANGER ÖFTER BESUCHST, DANN WEISST DU SICHERLICH, DASS WIR IM-
MER WIEDER INFORMELLE LERNMÖGLICHKEITEN ZUM THEMA SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
ANBIETEN. VON NETZWERKEVENTS ÜBER GRÜNDERCOACHINGS ZU ONLINE KURSEN, IST
FÜR JEDEN- VOM ABSOLUTEN NEULING ZUM SOCIAL BUSINESS MANAGER MIT JAHRELAN-
GER ERFAHRUNG- WAS DABEI.
In diesem Artikel fokussieren wir uns auf die formellen sen angesiedelt. Neben Forschung, Publikation und Lehre
Studiengänge der deutschen Universitäten und Hoch- bietet das Center for Sustainability Management auch ein
schulen, die sich dem Thema Social Entrepreneurship Master Programm an.
widmen. Dies ist bestimmt noch keine vollständige Liste.
Wir werden weiter daran arbeiten. Falls Du ein passen- MBA SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT IM FERNSTUDIUM
des Programm kennst, sag einfach Bescheid! Email an: Seit der Gründung 2003 ist das berufsbegleitende
be@thechanger.org Weiterbildungsprogramm Sustainability Management
FÜNF STUD IENGÄNGE F ÜR SOCI AL ENTREPRENEURS
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP.”
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
AKADEMIE IN MÜNCHEN
Die Social Entrepreneurship Akademie wurde 2010
als Netzwerk-Organisation der vier Münchner Hochschu-
len gegründet. Mit ihren drei Säulen bietet die Akademie
derzeit in der Lehre ein Qualifizierungs-programm an, för- „DIE SOCIAL ENTRE-
dert gezielt soziale Gründungsprojekte und treibt den Auf-
bau eines breiten Netzwerks zur Verankerung von Social
PRENEURSHIP AKADE-
Entrepreneurship in unserer Gesellschaft voran. MIE WURDE 2010 ALS
Die Zusammenarbeit mit den vier Münchner Hochschu- NETZWERK-ORGANISA-
len eröffnet exzellente Möglichkeiten in der Bildung und
Forschung. Nicht ohne Grund liegt daher ein Schwerpunkt
TION DER VIER MÜNCH-
der Social Entrepreneurship Akademie in diesem Bereich. NER HOCHSCHULEN GE-
Das Lehrprogramm baut auf dem umfangreichen Wissen
auf, das an den Hochschulen selbst vorhanden ist. GRÜNDET.”
Seit 2011 bieten sie mit dem Zertifikat „Gesellschaftli-
che Innovationen“ (ZGI) Privatpersonen eine studien- bzw.
berufsbegleitende Ausbildung im Umfang von über zwei
Jahren. Der ZGI:kompakt ist ein zweitägiger Intensivkurs BACHELOR MANAGEMENT
für alle, die sich intensiv und interaktiv dem Thema annä-
hern möchten.
SOZIALE INNOVATIONEN,
Zusätzlich gibt es jedes Jahr eine einwöchige Global HOCHSCHULE MÜNCHEN 59
Entrepreneurship Summer School, bei der die Teilnehmer
nachhaltige Konzepte für gesellschaftliche Herausforde- Die Hochschule München ist Bayerns größte Hochschu-
rungen entwickeln. le für angewandte Wissenschaften und die zweitgrößte
Außerdem bietet die Social Entrepreneurship Akade- Deutschlands. Im Herzen einer der großen europäischen
mie regelmässige Workshops und Blockseminare zu ver- High-Tech- und Wirtschaftsmetropolen ist sie der konse-
schiedenen Themenbereichen – wie Social Innovation, quenten Ausrichtung auf die Praxis verpflichtet – in der
Social Entrepreneurship oder Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften Forschung, der Lehre und in der Weiterbildung.
– an.
Der Studiengang Management Soziale Innovationen
qualifiziert Fachkräfte, die soziale Innovationen anregen,
begleiten, beteiligungsorientiert steuern und evaluieren
können. Er vermittelt grundlegendes Fachwissen, um In-
novationspotenziale ermitteln und einschätzen zu können.
Es werden praxisnahe Handlungsstrategien erprobt, um
die Diffusion neuer Lösungsansätze innerhalb bestehen-
der oder zu gründender Organisationen zu forcieren.
Schwerpunkte der wissenschaftlichen Methodenausbil-
dung bilden die empirische Sozial- und Zukunftsforschung,
Kommunikationswissenschaften, Soziologie, strategisches
Management, Wissensorganisation, Social Entrepreneurs-
hip, Organisations- und Gemeinwesenentwicklung.
EIN BUSINESS, DAS
ERST DANN ERFOLGREICH
IST, WENN WENIGER
GEKAUFT WIRD
RIND. HUHN. SCHWEIN. Abendessen, wahrscheinlich. tarier oft versuchen). Er möchte die Fleischesser selbst zur
In Deutschland liegt der Pro-Kopf-Verbrauch von Fleisch Erkenntnis bringen, dass weniger eben mehr sein kann.
bei durchschnittlich 60,2 kg im Jahr. Jedes Jahr isst der
Durchschnittsdeutsche mehr als sein Durchschnittskörper- Wie kommt man also am Besten an den Fleischesser?
gewicht in Fleisch. (Fleischatlas 2013) Es ist kein Geheim- In dem man ihm leckeres Fleisch verkauft. Logisch, oder?
nis, dass wir Deutschen Fleisch lieben. Aber denkt man Wie bringt man aber den Fleischesser gleichzeitig dazu,
EIN BUSINESS, D AS ERST D ANN ER FOLGR EI CH I ST, WENN WENIGER GEKAUFT WIRD
beim Genuss wirklich darüber nach, was man da isst? weniger Fleisch zu essen? Dennis’ Strategie: Man packt
Oder was für eine wahnsinnige Industrie dahinter steckt? das Bild des Tiers auf die Verpackung. Und zwar nicht nur
ein generisches Bild von irgendeinem Tier aus der indus-
Schon alleine, dass in jedem tausendsten Schlachthof triellen Haltung, sondern eben genau von dem Tier, das
täglich 25 000 Schweine geschlachtet werden. Aber gut, in Fleischform vor einem auf dem Teller liegt. Ein Tier, das
das soll eigentlich nicht Thema dieses Artikels sein. Heute ein glückliches Leben auf einem “echten” Bio Bauernhof
möchten wir lediglich über ein einziges Schwein reden. in der Nähe verbringen durfte. Somit ist das Fleisch zwar
Und zwar Schwein 160. teurer, als bei Massenproduktion, aber dafür viel, viel le-
ckerer. Und das Tier auf unserem Teller hat ein Gesicht. So
Für den letzten Artikel in unserer Serie mit Ben & Jerry’s werden wir dazu angeregt zweimal darüber nachzuden-
über Sozialunternehmen, die mit Essen Gutes tun, wollten ken, ob wir wirklich die billige Supermarktwurst kaufen
wir was ganz Besonderes machen. Wir wollten uns einem oder nicht doch lieber zur bekannten, glücklichen Biosau
Thema annähern, das uns am Herzen liegt (wir sind hier von Meine Kleine Farm greifen. Wir essen somit weniger
bei The Changer letztendlich alle überzeugte Fleischesser, Fleisch, aber dafür sicherlich bewusster.
werden uns aber zunehmend darüber im Klaren, dass das
mit dem täglichen Salami Brot nicht mehr lange gut gehen Uns hat es aber nicht gereicht, die Bilder von den Tie-
kann). Und wenn wir sagen “annähern”, meinen wir das ren zu sehen. Wir wollten das Schwein persönlich ken-
auch wortwörtlich. Wir wollten nicht einfach darüber le- nenlernen. Also verabredeten wir uns mit Laura Kübke
sen oder mit den relevanten Personen telefonieren. Wir (Vize-Schwein) und Dennis beim Gutshof Hirschhaue am
wollten hin. Wir wollten uns das selber anschauen. Also Rande vom Berlin.
haben wir uns auf die Schweinesuche gemacht.
Dort hatten wir Gelegenheit auch Bauer Henrick Staar
Das Team von Meine Kleine Farm war natürlich der persönlich kennenzulernen, der genauso zufrieden und
perfekte Begleiter dafür. Wer das Konzept nicht kennt, der begeistert von seinem Job ist, wie Dennis und Laura und es
wird staunen. Meine Kleine Farm, gegründet vor 4 Jahren beinahe schaffte, sogar uns Städter davon zu überzeugen
von Dennis Buchmann als Teil seines Masterstudiums, hat selbst Schweinebauern zu werden. Glaubt uns: In einem
es sich zum Ziel gesetzt, uns alle zu weniger Wurstkon- so idyllischen Bauernhof würde eigentlich fast jeder arbei-
sum zu animieren. Ihm war es aber klar, dass man Fleisch ten wollen. Hirsche und Schweine schnüffeln und sprin-
doch niemandem verbieten kann (wie es die Grünen ver- gen über riesige Felder und Äcker. Hirsche? Ja, Hirsche.
suchten) und predigen wollte er auch nicht (wie es Vege- Das Ungewöhnliche ist, dass sich diese Bauernfamilie auf
Wildtierhaltung spezialisiert, d.h. die Schweine sind auch
„SIE SETZEN SICH FÜR
WENIGER FLEISCHKONSUM
EIN, INDEM SIE FLEISCH
VERKAUFEN.”
61
„IHM WAR ES ABER KLAR,
DASS MAN FLEISCH
DOCH NIEMANDEM
VERBIETEN KANN
(WIE ES DIE GRÜNEN
VERSUCHTEN) UND
PREDIGEN WOLLTE ER
AUCH NICHT (WIE ES
VEGETARIER OFT
VERSUCHEN). ER MÖCHTE
DIE FLEISCHESSER SELBST
ZUR ERKENNTNIS
EIN BUSINESS, D AS ERST D ANN ER FOLGR EI CH I ST, WENN WENIGER GEKAUFT WIRD
1. CHRISTINA, DU BIST EINER DER WENIGEN üben. Und herausfinden, wer und was ich bin, ohne
GRÜNDER, DIE IHR ERFOLGREICHES SOCIAL diese meine zweite Haut, „meine“ Organisation.
BUSINESS VERLASSEN HABEN. WAS WAR Außerdem heißt sie: ROCK YOUR LIFE!. Und das
DEINE MOTIVATION? sollte auch oder sogar besonders für ihre Gründer gel-
Weitergehen! Weiterwachsen! Erkunden! Entde- ten. Und sein Leben rockt man, so zumindest meine Er-
cken! Einen scheinbar sicheren, im Sinne von über- fahrung, am meisten, wenn man immer wieder Neues
schaubaren Rahmen verlassen, zugunsten von Un- wagt. Anfang, Aufbau, Abschied, Neubeginn, all das
bekanntem, in den Augen vieler „Unsicherem”. Plus sind eben Teile des Lebens, das gerockt werden will.
Raum für Neues in der Organisation zu machen, die
ich einmal ins Leben gerufen hatte. Und: Loslassen
„ICH ENTSCHEIDE MICH JEDEN TAG AUFS NEUE FÜRS
WACH-SEIN UND DAFÜR, MEINE WAHRHEIT IN JEDEM
MOMENT AUSZUDRÜCKEN.”
2. IN JEDEM SEKTOR GIBT ES AUF UND ABS. 4. ES GIBT HEISSE DISKUSSIONEN ZUM THE-
WAS WAR BIS JETZT DEIN GRÖSSTER ERFOLG? MA “GELD VERDIENEN IM SOZIALEN SEK-
Dass wir es geschafft haben, mit einer zunächst TOR”. WAS IST DEINE MEINUNG DAZU?
kleinen und einfachen Ideen über die Jahre Tausende Wenn wir in „diesem Sektor“ lernen, mit Geld
von Menschen zu begeistern und zu mobilisieren und ebenso liebevoll umzugehen, wie mit der Sache
ihnen damit einen Platz in dem Ganzen zu eröffnen, und den Stakeholdern, denen wir uns mit unserer
in dem sie, jeder auf seine Art, ROCK YOUR LIFE! zu Arbeit widmen, dann können wir wirklich große
dem machen, was es ist. Wirkung entfalten. Wenn nicht, bleiben wir im Man-
gel, am Existenzminimum – und beim Lamentieren.
3. B ITTE TEILE DEINE 5 TOP LEARNINGS IM Die Entscheidung liegt bei uns – und der Schlüssel im
BEZUG AUF GRÜNDUNG MIT UNS. WAS Überwinden unserer negativen Bewertungen und Ein-
WÜRDEST DU ANDEREN EMPFEHLEN, WO- stellungen gegenüber Geld und Kapital.
VON ABRATEN? Wir können lernen, die Logik und
1. Hört den Zweiflern und Kriti- die Kraft des Kapitals und seiner Ver-
kern zu – aber eigne dir ihre Mei- „HÖRT DEN mehrung dafür zu nutzen, noch mehr
nung nicht an. Lerne bloß daraus,
wo du vielleicht noch besser wer-
ZWEIFLERN UND Gutes in der Welt zu bewegen – und
dabei stets dafür sorgen, dass wir
den kannst und willst, und wo du KRITIKERN ZU – selbst die Fülle auf allen Ebenen ver-
klar sagen kannst: Das ist für mich körpern und leben. „Das System“ ist
so nicht wahr, danke für Ihre Mei- ABER EIGNE DIR nur so lange unser Gegner, solange 65
nung, tschüß. Wir machen dann
mal weiter, anstatt zu zweifeln
IHRE MEINUNG wir daran festhalten. Wir können uns
auch entscheiden, hierin Energie zu
und zu kritisieren. NICHT AN.” entfesseln und zu entfalten, und zwar
2. Werdet Euch klar darüber, auch und gerade in Form von Geld.
welche Ressourcen und Expertise Ihr nicht in Eurem
Team abdeckt und sucht sie Euch über Partner, Berater 5. ALS LETZTE FRAGE, WAS MACHT DICH
und Unterstützer von außen. Menschen LIEBEN es, sich ZUM CHANGER?
mit dem einzubringen, worin sie richtig gut sind, wenn Weil ich alles, was ich mache, bewusst und aus
es für „eine gute Sache“ ist. meiner tiefsten Wahrheit und Wahrhaftigkeit heraus
3. Sorge für ein sowohl fachlich als auch persönlich mache. Alles andere wäre Verrat an mir selbst und
diverses Gründungsteam. meiner Rolle in der Welt, wäre Bequemlichkeit, Angst,
4. Eure Grundwerte und Eure Vision im Gründungs- Anpassung, Müdigkeit. Ich entscheide mich jeden Tag
team müssen übereinstimmen. Werdet Euch als Erstes aufs Neue fürs Wach-Sein und dafür, meine Wahrheit
an dieser Stelle glasklar. Die Vision wird sich verän- in jedem Moment auszudrücken.
dern. Sprecht mindestens einmal im Jahr darüber und
aktualisiert sie. Ich stelle mir vor, dass unsere Welt recht anders aus-
5. Fragt Euch alle paar Wochen selbst und gegen- sähe, würden alle Menschen diesem inneren Kompass
seitig: haben wir Freude an unserer Arbeit? Falls nicht: folgen. Und ich wünsche es mir und uns sehr.
ändert, was Ihr ändern müsst, damit es wieder so wird.
Seid ehrlich. Macht Euch klar, wer was gern UND gut
macht und sucht Euch im Zweifel neue Leute, die ge-
nau das lieben, was Ihr nicht liebt. Wenn Euch die
Arbeit auf Dauer keine Freude macht, hört damit auf
und spielt woanders weiter.
5 PITCHING TIPPS FÜR
SOZIALUNTERNEHMER,
FUNDRAISER UND
CAMPAIGNER
GESCHICHTE. MAN SOLL Dir” anfangen Dir den “Hard-Sell” zu geben und
die Folien auspacken. Bei einer “offiziellen” Pitch
VERSTEHEN, WAS DICH Situation, beim Investor z.B oder beim potenziel-
len Spender ist es gut, wenn man das Ganze et-
BEWEGT.” was natürlich rüberbringen kann. Gerne Sachen
auswendig lernen, aber so oft üben, dass es nicht
mehr so automatisiert klingt. Und stelle Dir vor – auch
wenn Du vorne auf der Bühne vor 500 Menschen stehst
– dass Du ein Gespräch mit nur einer Person führst. So
kommt man weg von einer steifen Präsentationsform und
wird zu einer Person, der man gerne zuhört.
KAUFT DIR
KEINER AB.”
ONE YEAR AS A
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR –
DOS AND DON’TS
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT’S BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE WE LAUNCHED THE CHANGER. IT’S BEEN
A WILD RIDE, BUT WE’RE STILL STANDING. AND MAN, HAVE WE LEARNT SOME STUFF. SO
NOW WE WE’D LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE THINGS WITH YOU, SINCE SO MAN Y OF
YOU OF HAVE KINDLY SHARED YOUR LEARNINGS WITH US.
DO START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE (Having said that, although we were in love with Word-
Press for most of this year at some point we had a major
We originally had a LOT more planned for our site falling out – when things started to get complicated bet-
than what we ended up launching with. It was supposed ween us – and we are probably breaking up pretty soon.
to be an all-singing, all-dancing ruby-on-rails community WordPress isn’t marriage material, especially if you want
platform with login, open-source database, web crawler, some more advanced functionalities, but it does make for
etc., etc. When our co-founder developer decided to lea- a great passionate and carefree fling).
ve us after two short weeks (money was an issue but we’ll
come to that later), we switched to WordPress and scaled
back our vision because we realised we would now have DO YOUR RESEARCH
to pay freelance wages. We were gutted. But in hindsight
it was actually one of the best things that ever happe- Especially if you are building up a social enterprise, you
ned to us. It actually meant we were much quicker and should absolutely know your market, understand their
more agile. Without much invest, were able to establish needs and not make assumptions. It can be easy for peo-
a proof of concept and gain momentum that we definitely ple from the business sector to assume that they have all
wouldn’t have had if we had waited another 6 months to of the answers and to want to plan and execute social bu-
get a site, which might have turned out buggy and proba- sinesses in the same way that they have done other forms
bly wouldn’t have been what we wanted anyway. of business, but that is a mistake. Social businesses are
ONE YEAR AS A SO CIAL ENTREPRENEUR
69
find out why. Others might have already failed where – UPJ CSR Network plus Annual Conference
you think you can succeed, learn from those mistakes. If – Impact Hub in Berlin and Munich
you still think you can do it, then prove those naysayers
wrong. Once you have something to show, people will be Not sure where to start? Check out our Networking for
very encouraging. But the established Changers out there Dummies article on page 46.
can be a tough crowd to start with.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE
THE VALUE OF A STRONG TEAM
In the beginning, everyone told us we were crazy to
be starting a business with friends. When they found out
we also lived together, they nearly lost it. One year down
the line, we’re still living together, drinking together and
working together.
COOL
IDEAS
SOCIETY
COOL
IDEAS
SOCIETY
CHANGER
YOUR SOCIAL IMPACT CAREER. MADE EASIER.
JOBS. EVENTS. NEWS.
Find your dream job in the social sector, access information for
your social project or business and recruit top talent for your
team. THE CHANGER is your resource for effective social change.
www.thechanger.org