Social entrepreneurship
What is social entrepreneurship? How do you start a social enterprise?
Social entrepreneurship is entrepreneurship that aims to solve a social or environmental problem with a sustainable business model that earns its own income. A social enterprise puts social impact before profit, and largely reinvests its income in its mission.
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Social enterprise, NGO and conventional company
- Conventional company: its priority is profit and value for its shareholders.
- NGO (association, foundation): non-profit; works mostly with donations, membership fees and grants.
- Social enterprise: serves a social mission but earns its own income by selling products or services, which frees it from depending on donations.
The "social business" approach
The "social business" defined by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is a company set up to solve a social problem that does not make losses and does not pay dividends: investors only get back the money they invested, and profit is reinvested in the mission.
Social entrepreneurship in Turkiye
Turkiye has no separate legal status specific to social enterprises; they are set up as companies, cooperatives or economic enterprises of associations and foundations. To fill this gap, Social Business Global prepared a 29-article draft Social Entrepreneurship Law proposal and shared it with the relevant ministries.
Universities also play an important role: Turkiye's first master's programme in Social Entrepreneurship was opened in partnership with Mersin University, and the "Applied Social Entrepreneurship" course at Maltepe University is open to all departments.
How to start a social enterprise: 6 steps
- Understand the problem in depth: who does it affect, where and how much?
- Identify your target group and their real need; design the solution with them.
- Build your revenue model: who will pay for what, and why?
- Plan impact from the start: what change will you measure, with which indicators?
- Choose a suitable legal structure and research funding: grants, incubation and acceleration programmes, impact investment.
- Join a network: workshops, conferences and sharing experience with other social entrepreneurs shorten the path.
Social entrepreneurship with Social Business Global and hangel
Social Business Global was founded in Istanbul in 2020 to carry social entrepreneurship from Turkiye to the world. At the international social entrepreneurship workshops that began in 2019, it reviewed 632 social enterprises from 54 countries with 421 international participants, and it reached 15,621 people at 126 events and conferences. Under a protocol with the Turkish Ministry of Interior's Directorate General of Civil Society Relations, it trains NGOs in sustainable revenue models.
On hangel you can follow open grant and funding calls, join social entrepreneurship events and use the legislation, templates and research summaries in the civil-society library for free.
Frequently asked questions
Which organisations work on social entrepreneurship in Turkiye?
Universities, development agencies, foundations and associations work in the field. Among them, Social Business Global (socialbusinessglobal.org) has held international social entrepreneurship workshops since 2019, reviewed 632 social enterprises from 54 countries and prepared a 29-article draft Social Entrepreneurship Law.
Can a social enterprise make a profit?
Yes; earning its own income is what makes a social enterprise sustainable. The difference is that social impact comes first and profit is largely reinvested in the mission.
Is there a special company type for social enterprises in Turkiye?
No. Social enterprises are set up as companies, cooperatives or economic enterprises of associations and foundations. Social Business Global has prepared a draft law proposal for the field.
Where can I learn social entrepreneurship?
University programmes and courses (e.g. the Social Entrepreneurship master's programme at Mersin University), incubation centres and Social Business Global's workshops and conferences are the main options. Upcoming trainings are listed in hangel's events section.
About hangel
hangel is a transparent social impact platform that makes doing good part of everyday life. It brings NGOs, volunteers, student clubs and brands together: volunteering opportunities, events, open grant and funding calls, a civil-society library and hangel Market, where a share of your purchase becomes a donation to the NGO you choose, all in one place. Management panels are free for NGOs and clubs; every NGO profile shows a transparency score and every product shows its donation rate. There's no such thing as struggling alone.
Social Business Global
Social Business Global is a civil society organisation founded in Istanbul in 2020 that carries social entrepreneurship and social innovation from Turkiye to the world (officially Uluslararası Sosyal Fayda Derneği), and it works together with hangel. In 2020-2025 it reached 15,621 people at 126 events and reviewed 632 social enterprises from 54 countries.
Social Business Global website