Welcome to SECC

A little bit about the Social Enterprise Council of Canada

In the winter of 2007 a small group of social enterprise thought-leaders from across Canada met for a three-day retreat to explore the future of social enterprise in Canada. What emerged was an unincorporated entity named the Social Enterprise Council of Canada, SECC. Those founding members defined SECC as “an alliance of social enterprise leaders who leverage their networks, knowledge and experience in order to build a strong and enabling environment for social enterprise.”

That was over 18 years ago!!! We have accomplished so much in that time!

SECC adopted the following six ‘pillars’ as the foundational components of a supportive ecosystem back then, and still hold these pillars as the core of our being. (Click here for a full description of each of these pillars)

  • Expand Market Opportunities
  • Promote and Demonstrate the Impact
  • Create a Supportive Regulatory Framework
  • Enhance Enterprise Skills
  • Ensure Access to Capital and Investment
  • Animate Networks and Engagement

In 2014 the SECC incorporated as a federal non-profit corporation, in order to create greater capacity for social enterprise practitioners, supporters, intermediaries, funders and thinkers to engage in building the social enterprise sector. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we used to convene the Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise every 2 years while helping to animate and support the implementation of the six ecosystem building “pillars” through partnership and collaboration with many other valued actors  across the country. Notably, SECC will focus our efforts on the first three of these pillars buy promoting social procurement, measuring and capturing the impact of social enterprises in Canada, and working with governments at all levels and other policy makers to ensure that Social Enterprise can and will flourish.

A good resource that was created by Buy Social Canada with advise from the Social Enterprise Council of Canada and is “The Guide to Social Enterprise”. Released in September 2024, this valuable resource can be downloaded at this link: the Guide to Social Enterprise.

SECC Social Enterprise Definition

Social enterprises are businesses that sell goods or services in the market place, they have a social, cultural and/or environmental purpose and they reinvest the majority of their profits or surplus to maximize their social mission.

SECC Vision
A connected and influential Social Enterprise field is leading the way to a transformed, sustainable, equitable economy.
SECC Mission
We convene, advocate with & for, and align the social enterprise field in Canada so we can be more connected and influential.
SECC Strategic Goals
Our strategic goal is to ensure social enterprises have a supportive ecosystem that: · Enhances Their Business Skills · Assures Access To Capital · Creates Market Opportunities · Recognizes Their Impact · Provides Supportive Legislation And Regulations