18 november 2009, Amsterdam

The rise of social enterprise in Europe : a critical role for venture philanthropy

Social enterprise is a growing phenomenon throughout Europe and has been widely touted as a potentially important element in sustainable solutions to poverty and deprivation.
With a businesslike operation and a social purpose, it seems a natural partner for venture philanthropy. But what exactly is it and what can it achieve? What are the constraints to its development? How can venture philanthropy funds help social enterprises develop and have a lasting impact?
The conference will address these and other key questions, with panel sessions exploring the growth and potential of social enterprises, measuring their social impact and scaling up.
The afternoon session of the one-day conference will feature a workshop on starting a venture philanthropy fund and a number of roundtables on topics which include: the role of social enterprises in tackling environmental issues, supporting early-stage entrepreneurs and the use of debt and equity as investment tools for venture philanthropy.

A detailed program and all the information about EVPA annual conference, the event gathering some 350 personalities of venture philanthropy from all over the world, are on: www.evpa.eu.com/amsterdam09