ROI Speak
- 501c3 Nonprofits - Any nonprofit corporations that operate under a social initiative agenda and thus qualify for federal income tax exemption.
- Doing good while doing well - Operating a business driven by the dual goal of social responsibility/purpose/change (doing good) and profitability/financial sustainability (doing well).
- Donor Advised Fund - A private account managed by a third party that allows for charitable donations to be given.
- Double Bottom Line - The measurement of not only fiscal performance but also social impact for a given business.
- Early Stage Initiative - Any individual innovation or enterprise that through venture capital investments may become an organization or corporation capable of producing valuable goods or services.
- Fourth Sector - An emerging business paradigm that engages an entrepreneurial model to run social purpose businesses.
- Human Capital - Talent base of staff
- Hybrid Organization - An organization that generates both economic and social value by operating in both public and private domains.
- Impact - A measure of the change a social initiative or innovation has made in the market it intends to serve through delivery of its products or services.
- Innovation - “The act that endows resources with a new capacity to create wealth.” (Drucker, Peter. Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 1985)
- Intellectual Capital - The value of a staff knowledge-base for a particular enterprise.
- Mission - The overarching motivation and driving force behind operations for any legitimate organization or business.
- Mission-Driven - Motivated to serve a social purpose as an inherent part of an organization’s operating model.
- Project Incubation - A business support process that protects new entrepreneurial ventures and accelerates their growth by providing them with advanced resources and services.
- Product Development - The growth of a project into an established brand or product.
- Revenue Generating Potential - The capacity of a social purpose project or initiative to earn income through means other than grants or donations/charitable contributions.
- ROI - Return on: inspiration, idealism, ideas, innovation, incentive, ideology, insight, imagination, investment, information.
- Scale - Measurement of the reach and general size of a given business or organization.
- Scaling Innovation - Taking an early stage social initiative and through the use of an entrepreneurial business model developing it into a self-sustaining independent organization.
- Single Purpose Entity - A corporate body that was created for specific or temporary purpose.
- Sustainability - The ability of an organization to pay for its ongoing expenses through revenue generated by earned income strategies.
- Sweat Equity - Contributing time and effort to a project or organization.
- Thought Leadership - Providing innovative thinking about a particular topic in a way that motivates others to explore new ideas.
- Venture Philanthropy - Applying business models to achieving philanthropic goals.
