Our Story

SERA CV aims to position the organization as a “rural Catalyst” that provides leadership and promotes socio-economic development to communities throughout central Ontario. SERA CV’s emphasis is on the use of social enterprise ventures, in particular, to build and support rural community development. Through SERA CV projects, a Rural Alliance of member groups and communities is intended to grow and develop into a sector association that will support and leverage rural social enterprise research and community development work conducted by others in the community economic development sector.

Today. SERA is a non-profit organization with an arrangement of resources, information, support and pioneering ideas to help social entrepreneurs make progressive social change through rural community economic development strategies. Through a network of like minded organizations, entrepreneurs, academics, business and government officials, SERA will work as a rural catalyst to engage, educate and support entrepreneurs in rural communities by enabling collaboration and innovation.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to promote and support social enterprises by assisting entrepreneurs through knowledge-sharing, access to resources and venture development while we establish a collaborative rural alliance for the purpose of encouraging social innovation.

OUR VISION

…turning ideas into opportunities

OUR PRINCIPLES

Social Justice – Seek economic solutions to create progressive social change. Capacity Building – Seek innovative responses that enhance community life. Empowerment – Seek community-based approaches to address rural needs.

What is Social Enterprise?

Businesses designed to create change through social means.

Social mission driven organizations which apply market-based strategies to achieve a social purpose. The movement includes both non-profits that use business models to pursue their mission and for-profits whose primary purposes are social. Their aim is to accomplish targets that are social and/or environmental as well as, financial (unrestricted, renewal income): is often referred to as the triple bottom line. Many commercial businesses would consider themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are distinctive because their social or environmental purpose remains central to their operation.

What We Do

Engage and excite communities about social enterprises and their positive contributions.
Facilitate workshops, webinars and a resource library, where people can start to turn their ideas into a workable plan of action.
Support social entrepreneurs through consultation and linking them to prospective funders for grants, investments and small-interest loans as well as business mentors to share their expertise.
Assist with developing market surveys, business plans, and other business start-up necessities.
Provide access to relevant research data and information necessary to social enterprises.
Network and partner with local social enterprises, organizations and community leaders to foster a cooperative linkage of knowledge, support and advocacy around social enterprises.

OUR FUNDERS

We could not do the work we do without the support from our funders:

South Lake Community Futures Development Corporation