18.07.2017

Some of the ideas expressed may seem irrelevant for Russia, but, firstly, it is always interesting and useful to know how colleagues in other countries live, and secondly, even a strange idea can give an impetus to the birth of new ideas and effective projects.

1. Social supermarket

The idea is to set up a one-stop grocery store that sells products at the maximum discount. Such a supermarket would enable those in need to reduce their daily food expenses and improve their food structure.

2. Have you learned? Give the textbook to someone else!

Many students buy the necessary textbooks at their own expense. After the end of the semester, these books, as a rule, are no longer needed. Try to organize a free collection of such textbooks from various universities for subsequent resale in a special store to needy students. The cost of used textbooks is proposed to be set at such a level that sales cover the costs of collecting books and maintaining the store. In addition, for the implementation of the project you will need assistants - you can hire students, thus providing them with a part-time job.

3. Online shop

Another interesting idea is to start an online store selling handmade souvenirs, crafts, rugs, clothes and other items. Such an Internet platform would give many talented homeworkers the opportunity to establish distribution channels, generate a stable income and master the role of an entrepreneur.

4. Fair microfinance

Of course, the financial markets of Russia and foreign countries differ in many respects, and the very phrase “microloans” in our country has acquired, alas, a dubious reputation. However, an entrepreneur in the field of finance always has a choice: whether to be a conscientious and socially responsible creditor. The essence of the idea is to organize a special Internet platform through which anyone could borrow (at a small percentage) money for entrepreneurial startups. Kind of like a crowdfunding platform - only on a smaller scale. As a resource holder, you could take a small commission to maintain it.

5. Social cooking

If you love and know how to cook, then this business is for you. Try setting up something like a public canteen or café where needy or homeless people can eat. Costs can be reduced by volunteering and zero rent (if you can find one).

6. Stoves that do not smoke

In developing countries, where they cook mostly on open fires, most housewives suffer from some kind of heart disease due to the constant inhalation of smoke. The idea (I must say, already implemented in a number of countries) is to establish the production of inexpensive, but safe and efficient (in terms of efficiency) wood-burning stoves. They can be sold to people with normal incomes at the regular price, subsidizing lower social prices for those in need from the profit received. On our own behalf, we add that in Russia, kebabs are most often cooked on an open fire and the problem, of course, is not so acute. But! In the countries of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan), many people really cook food on simple street stoves. Therefore, the idea is quite applicable to our closest neighbors.

7. Innovative media

In a number of developing countries, the problem of illiteracy is still relevant, and therefore it is very difficult to convey important information to the general population (for example, on the fight against infections, on the basics of hygiene, etc.). An option is to organize the production (and sale at low prices) of, say, baby blankets, on which, in an accessible form, in the form of drawings, instructions for the proper care of children or other important information are applied. Surely, this idea can somehow be adapted in Russia. For example, to release T-shirts with some useful guidelines for teenagers.

8. Alternative energy

In many countries, electricity is expensive and inaccessible to the poor. How about low-cost alternative power generation? For example, from manure, agricultural waste and other biodegradable materials. The electricity generated in this way could be used to supply, for example, hospitals and schools. That is, we are talking about alternative energy on a small scale.

9. Social gadgets

The authors of the article propose to develop and produce "user-friendly" electronic gadgets, as written in the original, from "conflict-free" materials. Obviously, we are talking about materials produced without harm to the environment and without the exploitation of cheap (semi-slave) labor of people from developing countries. In addition, the authors propose to set prices for them below market prices. For Russia, the idea is pretty daring, but why not try it?

10. The beauty industry for the good of society

This, according to the authors of the article, is literally a "cool" idea. It consists in convincing cosmetics manufacturers to supply you with products at wholesale prices, and you will sell them through an online store, directing the profit to solving some social problems. By the way, we already have projects related to social cosmetics.

11. Digital market

Create a virtual online marketplace where sellers can buy products and goods directly from manufacturers, avoiding intermediary chains that “wind up” the final price. The idea is to provide ordinary buyers with access to vital products and goods at optimal, social prices.

12. Accessible sport

The idea is to find (or manufacture) inexpensive exercise equipment as an alternative to expensive fitness club memberships. This would help many people to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

13. Educational travel company

The authors of the article propose to create something like a virtual educational travel club, in which people could share their impressions and recommendations on visiting other regions and countries and organizing travel. Moreover, membership in such a club can be paid (for a symbolic price). In our opinion, the idea for Runet is somewhat belated, since there are many absolutely free similar sites on the Internet. But perhaps in India (where the authors of this article are supposed to come from) there is a lack of information about other regions of the country. By the way, in a sense, this is also relevant for Russia, because, let's be honest, we don't know our country very well. Therefore, maybe this idea will help to come up with something similar for the Russian-speaking Internet.

14. Micro donations or "light" charities

In fact, we are talking about a kind of "tithe" for trading operations. Whether the business is ready for such large donations is a question, but there is certainly a sensible idea in the proposal. It consists in agreeing with commercial enterprises not on one-time (albeit large) donations, but on the fact that they will deduct for agreed purposes some (albeit small) part of any income. The meaning of such a partnership is that you receive from each business, albeit a small, but constant stream of money, by connecting which, you can provide constant and predictable funding for a certain charitable or social project. However, this idea, rather, relates to the field of charity. But let it be.

Everything you do will return a hundredfold, and especially good. Those who live by this law try to share the benefits, resources, and opportunities received. Therefore, not so long ago, a massive insight happened in the field of business - you can not only help people in difficult situations, but also make money on it. As they say, both you feel good, and we are not bad.

For those who first encountered this concept, it may seem that we are talking about making money on someone else's misfortune. But this is not the case: socially oriented entrepreneurship has, first of all, a charitable connotation, and secondly, it brings income.

The essence of social entrepreneurship is the independence of a benefactor from someone else's kindness, his independence and the ability to engage in humanitarian work, having his own financial base under his feet.

What is social entrepreneurship?

Social entrepreneurship is a type of business where the main idea is to solve social problems and help people. Unlike pure charity, the idea of ​​self-sufficiency and profitability of the project is important here. Researchers identify several features of social business, which make it possible to call it as such:

• social orientation (solving or alleviating people's problems);
• the novelty of the approach (since the old methods, usually proposed by the state, do not work, then new solutions must be sought);
• replicability (the ability to transfer experience to other entrepreneurs of the country and even the whole world);
• self-sufficiency (the ability to work without sponsorship);
• profitability (for the business to grow and its owner to eat, the project must bring in money).

This concept appeared not so long ago and has been actively used in the world for only three decades, but its beginnings can be traced back to the mists of time. In different countries, philanthropists periodically appeared, contributing elements of business to charity and vice versa. For example, we can recall Florence Nightingale, who founded a school of nurses on the British island in the 19th century and developed new standards for their work.

Social entrepreneurship in Russia began to "hatch" at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, but then there was a revolution and its development stopped in anticipation of a better time. In recent decades, social business has been gaining momentum more and more, and in the last year it has become especially popular. We can say that it is now experiencing a real boom in the entrepreneurial environment.

Types of social entrepreneurship

It is possible to distinguish the following types of social entrepreneurship in terms of target orientation:

• improvement of the ecological situation;
• helping people in difficult times;
• employment of disabled people;
• useful leisure;
• child development;
• rehabilitation after psychological and physical trauma.

Social Entrepreneurship Ideas

There are a lot of ideas for social entrepreneurship, and some of them are quite unexpected. This niche is so new that it allows for endless experimentation. The main thing is not to flirt and do not forget about the key component - the benefits for people. Here we will look at the most common and already tested ideas in the business.

• Ecological packaging. It takes up to two hundred years for an ordinary plastic bag to decompose. And remember how many bags of kefir, juice, frozen vegetables and sausages we carry every day in the trash (again) bag! All of these packaged mountains will grace our planet for decades if we don't stop. The manufacturers of eco-packaging also thought the same, deciding to use fundamentally different materials for this purpose. Basically nothing new - most sustainable packaging is made up of paper and cardboard. They decompose in just two years - much faster than polyethylene. So far, not all products have learned to pack environmentally - for example, a replacement for plastic bottles has not yet been found. However, this is a breakthrough.
• Recyclable plastic. Humanity annually consumes a huge amount of plastic products - bags, bottles, cans, films, boxes, etc. This problem concerns not only environmental pollution, but also the total consumption of resources. After all, while we are throwing tons of bottles at the landfill, enterprises use the same amount of material for the production of new ones. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Plastic waste can be used to make new packaging, brush nap, building materials and much more.
• Rural tourism. This entertainment is quite popular today among the inhabitants of megalopolises. Many townspeople have already forgotten what an ordinary cow looks like and on which trees potatoes grow. For them, going to a remote village is a whole adventure. They are even willing to pay to help a rural grandmother dig a vegetable garden, milk goats and collect eggs in a chicken coop. Fresh air and occupational therapy have a beneficial effect on the psyche, at the same time, such tourism contributes to the development of villages where it is common.
• Educational computer games for children. Children love to play on various gadgets, and the field of game development is quite lucrative. So why not combine business with pleasure? In the form of a game, you can learn languages ​​and school subjects, master the ten-finger set. Computer games can also be used to conduct social learning by simulating the behavior of characters so that children acquire useful social interaction skills.
• Children's development center or kindergarten. Another type of social business that helps children develop their abilities. By the way, such a center can be combined with a private kindergarten, thereby helping parents free up time for work. Not everyone can arrange a child in the kindergarten on time because of the long queues, and the quality of childcare there is not so hot. In many cases, a private kindergarten for 10-15 children is preferable - it is easier for educators to keep track of fewer kids, such kindergartens are better equipped, higher requirements are imposed on the staff, and the development program always keeps pace with the times. True, there is more payment, but it's worth it.
• Healthy lifestyle club. Many people dream of becoming slim, beautiful, eating right, running in the morning, and hiking in the summer. But doing it alone is boring. So why not create an organization in which participants for a certain amount of money will be united into groups, consulted, motivated, and held classes?
• Crowdfunding (collective project financing). On the Internet, you can find platforms where business financing is carried out on a "line by line" principle. Those who want to realize their idea represent it on the page, and those who are interested - put into the account as much as they can afford. This is how good and useful startups rise to their feet. It is noteworthy that most of them concern culture, art, journalism, cinema and the same social entrepreneurship.
• Training, retraining and employment of people who find themselves in a difficult life situation. Many categories of our fellow citizens fall under this concept - people who have recently been released from prisons, single mothers, women who have experienced domestic violence, those who are undergoing the process of rehabilitation after getting rid of drug and alcohol addiction, disabled people. It is difficult for them to find work. For them, you can open training courses for simple professions and open a company, which recruits exclusively people with a difficult fate. Benefits for an entrepreneur? Those who got a second chance, for the most part, are diligent and diligent, hold on tightly to the workplace and do not require a large salary.
• Dating club for single people: After 30 years, it's harder to meet and fall in love. But everyone wants warmth and love, regardless of age - at 40 or at 70. Therefore, any organization that helps representatives of the older generation find each other will be in demand. It can be a search agency for a soul mate, a hobby club, “quick dates”, and dances for those who are a little over 20.

As you can see, you can do good for your own benefit. It's nice that the social component in entrepreneurship is becoming more and more, many businessmen are pouring in during philanthropy. Even "ordinary" firms do not stand aside - some donate part of their income to charity, others make discounts on their products for the poor, and still others hold charity events. It's good when good deeds are popular: this is exactly the case when being fashionable is necessary and even necessary.

Finalists of the competition receive an interest-free loan to develop their social business. The loan amount is up to 10 million rubles for an operating business and up to 500 thousand rubles for a start-up business.
Projects supported by the foundation

2. Competition of projects "Direct investments in social entrepreneurship"
Finalists receive investments of up to 50 million rubles for a period of up to 10 years.

3. Contest "More than a Buy"
The finalists of the competition get access to retail chains to increase the scale of sales of their products.

4. Competition of the Foundation "Towards Change"
The Foundation "Towards Change" adopted from foreign colleagues the best traditions and methods of searching for enthusiastic and intelligent people who have developed innovative solutions to problems in the field of childhood and are ready to put them into practice.

All finalists will take part in the Incubator professional development program, which includes:

Help from mentors - successful entrepreneurs and top managers;
- assistance from the community of social entrepreneurs - finalists of the competition of previous years;
- recognition and promotion - assistance in the development of finalists' projects through media support;
- initial funding - the finalists receive a grant of 1.2 million rubles per year.

5. SAP-UP
SAP UP competition was founded by SAP CIS in 2015. The main goal of the Competition is to create an environment for expert and financial support of social startups by the business community.

Within the framework of the Competition, SAP supports the best practices of social entrepreneurship in Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. By attracting representatives of the Russian commercial sector, government, education and public structures to participate in the competition, SAP helps to form a community that contributes to the promotion and development of social entrepreneurship as a separate segment of the country's economy.

Prize winners will win a certificate for an educational trip to Europe.

6. Social Impact Award
Social Impact Award is a European competition for aspiring social entrepreneurs under 35 years old, in which Russia participates for the fourth year in a row. Organizer in Russia - Impact HUB Moscow.

The three best projects will receive a scholarship of 120,000 rubles each and a trip to a conference in Europe, which will bring together the best Social Impact Award projects from 20 countries.

7. All-Russian accelerator of social initiatives - RAISE
RAISE is a mass educational program with a competitive component that initiates and supports student projects aimed at solving social problems. The accelerator is the entry point for students into socially oriented activities. The competition is attended by 64 regions, 215 universities, 5,000 participants. Finalists receive an international internship opportunity.

8. All-Russian competition of student and school teams "Preactum"
Preaktum is a program for the development of project, practice-oriented and entrepreneurial activities among young people, focused on creating a unified ecosystem of entrepreneurship, initiated by the Rybakov Foundation.

72 regions, 252 educational institutions, 6,400 participants participate in the program. Finalists receive grant support of up to 1 million rubles for the implementation of their project. The grant fund is 20 million rubles. Organizer - Rybakov Foundation.

Social
business

What is social entrepreneurship and what is the life of the people who do it

We have mastered the concepts of "business" and "charity" - but many are familiar with social business conventionally. It is often confused with charity, and the owners of such a business are accused of wanting to make money on vulnerable segments of the population. What is social entrepreneurship and who are these people who are ready to work with almost no profit, and often get into their own wallet?

For help in preparing the material, we would like to thank the Towards Change Foundation and their social entrepreneurs.

The Towards Change Foundation was established in 2012. He helps social entrepreneurs to implement innovative ideas aimed at improving the quality of life of Russian children. The Foundation brings together the efforts of business, the non-profit sector and civil society to teach project authors the basics of doing business, give the best projects start-up capital, provide startups with information support and unite social entrepreneurs into a community of like-minded people. The best projects are selected annually on a competitive basis. In its work, the foundation uses the methods and technologies of the international charitable organization Reach for Change, which operates in 17 countries and helps transform social and entrepreneurial ideas into real help to children around the world.

Social entrepreneurship still existed in tsarist Russia. At the end of the 19th century, organizations helping the homeless, the poor and orphans were called "industrious houses." These institutions solved several problems at once: they provided assistance to those in need, trained them and employed them. And most importantly, they made it possible to earn money, and not to beg.

"Houses of industriousness" were male, female, children's, and confessional. Staying in them was voluntary, in contrast to their predecessors - workhouses, founded by the decree of Catherine II and which are, in fact, a labor camp for vagabonds, petty thieves and beggars. "Workhouses" were part of the penal system and were involved in the re-education of criminals and other marginalized people.

But the "houses of industriousness" were already a social project, whose main mission was to help those in need. Almost all industrious houses were supported by government grants, private donations, or contributions from trustees. By 1917, there were several hundred such establishments in Russia, but after the revolution they were closed. The revival of "houses" began only in the 2000s, but their activities are still not legally established. And social entrepreneurship is not popular either - less than 1% of Russian businessmen (and mainly women) are engaged in it. If in the XX century "houses of industriousness" fought with the main problems of society - poverty, unemployment and crime, today business is limited to local assistance to individual social groups. Social entrepreneurs are developing farming, helping people with disabilities and graduates of orphanages, reviving handicrafts and tourism.

Social entrepreneurship is a business aimed at solving various social problems: helping people with disabilities, employment of vulnerable groups of citizens, education, ecology, health and much more.

A social business is usually started by those who have personally encountered some problems and decided to independently change the situation for the better.

“Once, babies were born in our families. Wonderful, long-awaited smiling toddlers. At some point, we noticed that our children were not hearing. Then there was a period of running around the doctors and as a result, the specialist said "sensorineural hearing loss, grade 4, apply for disability, the child needs to put on devices." At that time, there were no parental organizations that could support us, tell us that we are not alone, that there are mothers who have already gone this way, that our children will be able to speak perfectly and even hear well. We are parents ourselves, we know that it is very difficult. And many parents in remote cities or in small villages do not have access to rehabilitation at all, there are very few specialists there, and I really want to support them in this. "

Zoya and Alla came up with and began to develop the project "I Hear You" when they realized that there is no postoperative rehabilitation system for children with hearing impairments in the country. Hearing impaired young children undergo an expensive operation - cochlear implantation, which in itself does not restore the ability to distinguish between speech and speak: a person hears sounds, but they are monotonous noise for him. At the same time, 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents who are unprepared and do not have information about recovery. In addition, in many cities, opportunities for rehabilitation are limited. In the capitals, this is easier, but here comes another factor, the financial one. In St. Petersburg, one 40-minute lesson with professionals costs about 2000 rubles, very few parents can afford it.

For such parents, within the framework of the project "I hear you" in a specially created group "Vkontakte", Zoya and Alla post educational videos. Parents of children with cochlear implants and leading specialists in the field of hearing and speech rehabilitation in an accessible way tell how to deal with a child for a year after the operation. Many videos involve children with implants and their parents, clearly demonstrating what to do and how to do it.

The project received a lot of positive feedback not only from parents, but also from world-class specialists. At the international conference on cochlear implantation in Dubai in April 2018, it was approved by experts from the USA, Austria, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

In addition, in September 2016, Zoya and Alla initiated the creation of a program allowing children with hearing impairments to hear a guide's speech at the State Hermitage Museum. And recently, they began to shoot video fairy tales for children in sign language, available to everyone.

We understood that we would not make money at the beginning of our journey. But we deliberately chose him, deciding that we were working for a reputation. It's been three years now, and everything we do for the parents of hearing impaired children is free. We think it's great to produce free, accessible content, and take money for it where it is. For example, from cochlear implant companies that, in principle, should support their customers.

Alla Mallabiu, head of the project "I hear you" (St. Petersburg)

Alla and Zoya managed to find financial partners for their projects. They record videos for them with a presentation of new accessories and products and tell parents what this can come in handy at school and how to prepare a child for it in general after cochlear implantation. The plans for the future include the creation of a rehabilitation center, the opening of a bakery and a center for employment of people with hearing impairments.

Children's centers "Light City" (St. Petersburg)

“People are kind, they want to help. They just don't know how, ”says Nadezhda Samoilova, another winner of the competition organized by the Towards Change Foundation. And he adds that it is necessary to instill this culture of helping others from school, to acquaint children with charitable and non-profit organizations, to tell why they are needed.

Nadezhda is a mother of a child with severe cerebral palsy, a mother of many children. When her daughter was 2.5 years old, children's correctional institutions refused to accept her, citing the severity of the disease.

“Since I have a daughter with a disability, I realized that there are no such institutions and there is nowhere to put the children to after they turn 2-3 years old. They are simply not accepted into state houses, all the more so in private ones. Because they are afraid. Yes, we have state educational standards: how to work with a child with visual impairments, motor, intellectual, speech impairments - each group has its own program. The problem is that each of these programs assumes that the rest of the functions are preserved in the child. But if a child with autism comes to us, then most likely he will have mental disorders, motor - motor, and speech. That is, it does not fit any of the state programs. Or, for example, my daughter. She has cerebral palsy - she does not move, she is visually impaired and does not speak. It also doesn't fit any of those programs. Because it cannot be said that it lacks one function. She has multiple impairments. And it is with such children that it is difficult to work. "

In 2016, after winning the competition, Nadezhda received her first grant and opened an inclusive kindergarten in St. Petersburg, where children with complex developmental problems are admitted: autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and others. Today Nadezhda is in charge of the work of two centers. In addition to teachers, specialized specialists work there: speech therapists, defectologists, psychologists, physiotherapists, massage therapists. The centers have the most modern rehabilitation equipment, and an individual approach is applied to each child: its own schedule of classes and procedures. Children not only communicate, play, and study, as in a regular garden, but also receive highly qualified assistance.

“Our children are 40%, or even 70% - it depends on how many years they come to us - ahead in the development of those children who study at home or in state kindergartens. Now we are able to do this thanks to an individual approach. We are very attentive to every movement of the child, every breath. If a child is paralyzed, he cannot speak, then by breathing, by the heartbeat, by the palms - whether we sweat or not, by the eyes we understand whether there is interest or not, and from this we go. "

Nadezhda Samoilova,

Nadezhda and her centers managed to get out of the financial crisis, but they still can't make money in order, for example, to buy professional instruments for music therapy sessions.

“I have a social organization, I have never counted on profit and still do not count on it. And I still invest my money, if there is not enough for rent, not enough for a salary, I take my daughter's pension and add 10-20 thousand. Because people worked, worked, and for me it's just my business, I wanted - I do it. And not because I earn some money. And, of course, I have to pay others to fulfill my dream. We live by the leftover principle. If we have 5 thousand extra, I think: the children have broken their house, we need to buy a new one for them. In winter, we had problems with heating, so we had to buy new batteries. Well, we tightened our belts and bought these batteries for 30 thousand. That's how we live"."

Nadezhda says that she was faced with a misunderstanding of potential benefactors. When they found out that parents of children with disabilities pay to attend children's centers, they immediately refused to help.

“They say, how can you take money from these people? Of course, we will not help you then, because you are deceivers and profit from someone else's grief. I have set the minimum prices - in the amount of the pension of a child with a disability in St. Petersburg. It turned out about 30 thousand rubles a month. This is the maximum amount. And the costs are much higher. I just think that parents shouldn't pay much. But how could I explain to the donors that the parents pay only one third, and I need to look for two thirds somewhere? "

Nadezhda Samoilova, head of children's centers "Light City" (St. Petersburg)

Misunderstanding at all levels is a common misfortune of social business in Russia. There is no law on social entrepreneurship in the country and there is no clear idea of ​​what to consider as such. Meanwhile, there are more and more types and forms of social business, but there are no tax benefits and preferences for such projects. The State Duma was supposed to adopt a federal law "On Social Entrepreneurship" in December 2017, but this has not happened yet. So far, there are only amendments to other laws that have only an indirect relationship to the social sphere.

“I always thought I was a social entrepreneur. But when I read the laws, I realized that no. Because a social entrepreneur is one who employs a certain percentage of people with disabilities or socially unprotected groups of the population. This is a completely different interpretation. As a result, we cannot enjoy preferences. It would be nice if, when writing laws and by-laws, the target group was asked: what do you want? what needs do you have? This dialogue between the authorities and the one for whom these laws are being written is very important. "

Nadezhda Samoilova, head of children's centers "Light City" (St. Petersburg)

However, those who give work to people with disabilities and have, for example, the right to free rent of premises, are also accused of profiting from someone else's grief. Even social entrepreneurs themselves think so.

“If we consider social business, then it is in its pure form the exploitation of disabled people. If I now start collecting plastic bottles and say that disabled people work for me, I give them jobs, what is social here? At the same time, I have tax preferences. And what is my social mission? Teach this disabled person to sort out boxes or plastic jars? Some mothers will be glad that my child is at least attached, at least sits in some place. But I, as a merchant, simply exploit them. We have a bakery in St. Petersburg where people with disabilities work, they bake bread, pies, they are paid 1 ruble and 20 kopecks for each bun, and the pie is sold for 25 rubles. Is this social business? I wouldn't say. Social business is support at the state level. There should be 4 parties involved in social business: the state, the municipality, the disabled as a consumer of services and the organization - the provider of these services. "

Mikhail Saparov is also a graduate of the Towards Change Foundation. Now he is in charge of the project "Adaptive sports", teaches children with disabilities rock climbing.

“I wanted to show: people, you can, you can try yourself in a new role. Some are afraid of water, some cannot or do not like to run, but almost everyone can crawl. Yes, not every disabled person can crawl, but he can learn. And I started from this. Of course, expressed pathologies cannot be corrected with ten sessions, but many motor skills can be developed without resorting to medical intervention. I had a girl with cerebral palsy, who previously could not go down and up stairs, jump and run without support. After three months of regular training, she went on walking excursions designed for healthy people, and six months later, for the first time in her life, she was able to climb the children's slide, which she had dreamed of since childhood. "

- Mikhail Saparov, author of the project "Adaptive Sports"

Once, Mikhail, like many of his wards, also began to live anew. 22 years ago, he was hit by a train and lost an arm. The profession - Mikhail worked as a refrigeration equipment fitter - became useless. Eight years ago, his wife Olga invited him to go to rock climbing training - people with problems of the musculoskeletal system were invited. Mikhail was skeptical about the idea, but went to class. Since then, he began to regularly visit the climbing wall and after 2 months of training, overcame a four-meter wall. A year later, Mikhail was offered to compete at the first world paraclimbing championship - this is the name of adaptive climbing for people with disabilities. He went and won two gold medals at once.

Communicating with people who overcome themselves every day and expand the boundaries of their capabilities, Mikhail realized that adaptive climbing is an effective way of rehabilitation. This sport evenly develops all muscle groups, improves motor capabilities, and increases vitality. And for people who don't even walk, to rise to a height of three meters is akin to flying into space. They have new goals, confidence in themselves and their strengths, horizons expand. Since then, Mikhail graduated from the magistracy of the Novosibirsk State University. Lesgaft, specializing in “trainer of adaptive physical education,” and now teaches children and adults to conquer the peaks of the climbing wall, but first of all, according to him, he teaches them to think that their legs and arms can work.

It is possible to make money and at the same time solve social problems. Rehabilitation, training, and employment of people with disabilities are examples of areas of work for social entrepreneurs. In Russia, this type of business is still in its infancy, but there are already successful examples. Especially for DISLIFE, Everland specialists prepared an overview of 6 business projects that have already changed and continue to change the lives of people, including those with disabilities.

BuySocial

Founders of the project: Lyubov Ermolaeva, Alina Zubareva

Year of foundation: 2016

BuySocial is a social online store. Any purchase at BuySocial.me means helping people in need, contributing to nature conservation or developing cultural projects.

Everland infographics

All producers are Russian social entrepreneurs and charitable organizations. They provide jobs for people with disabilities or elderly people in the outback. This is an opportunity to earn money and feel needed doing what you love. Some manufacturers donate their profits to charity, helping people with serious illnesses, children from orphanages, girls who have suffered from violence, grandparents from nursing homes.

BuySocial's mission is to unite buyers who care about how and why the goods are made, and sellers who, along with the quality of the goods, care about their contribution to the development of society and the preservation of the environment. The project is trying to solve the problem of poverty and usefulness to society.

Lyubov Ermolaeva: “If you decide to start an activity in the field of social entrepreneurship, I advise you to start trying a little! Make prototypes and go to show people - potential buyers of your product or service, constantly testing your hypotheses in practice. Find support from like-minded people - inside and outside your team. Share your ideas and you will be attracted to people who share your values, perhaps become partners or clients. You may have an idea for a social entrepreneurship project that no one else has done. Do not be afraid of this, sometimes ideas work that at first seem completely unrealistic! And at the same time, do not fall too much in love with your idea, check whether other people really need it - your clients and beneficiaries. Be prepared for the fact that you will often have to balance between business and social contributions. Go for it! "

You can learn more about the project at.

Everland

Founders of the project: Elena Martynova, Igor Novikov

Year of foundation: 2016

Everland's mission is to help professionals with disabilities in professional self-realization.

Everland infographics

Everland was created on an interest-free loan of 4.5 million rubles from the impact investor Boris Zhilin. In less than 2 years, the founders of the project invested another 5 million rubles from their own funds. Today the project is making money, and the entrepreneurial part is paying off. The social component - pumping specialists and the work of curators - is not yet available. The project employs people with different types of disabilities from different regions of Russia and even the CIS countries.

The first interviews in Everland were held on August 31, 2016 at Impact Hub Moscow.

Elena Martynova: “If you decide to start activities in the field of social entrepreneurship, you need to build a business plan, evaluate the project carefully, try to outline areas of risk and areas of opportunity. If there are already working initiatives in other regions, it is better to negotiate a franchise and use their experience, this will shorten the time, reduce financial risks, and be more efficient. If the approach is innovative and no one works like that, try to understand first why? Could it be a dead end road? If, after all, there is faith in the hypothesis, then turn on and work until the result ”.

Igor Novikov: “When implementing it, it is important to see and keep a balance in both components - the effectiveness of solving a social problem and the quality of a service or product for the end client. We must remember that it will not be easy, and do not despair if it is difficult. This is a difficult area, labor-intensive, requiring full dedication, but it gives a result and meaning. In it you will definitely be able to feel like a creator ”.

Learn more about Everland's work on the project.

"Mom is working"

Founder of the project: Olesya Kashaeva

Year of foundation: 2012

“Mom Works” is a project that helps young mothers to get an education, find a job at home or open their own business. The network of free coworking spaces "Mama Works" is a space where moms can work peacefully while a teacher is working with their children.

Everland infographics

The mission of the project is to solve the problems of material well-being among young mothers by providing them with the opportunity to receive income during parental leave, improving the standard of living of young families and providing women with opportunities for self-realization, professional development and earning income without interrupting parenting.

Photo courtesy of the project.

Olesya Kashaeva: “We help young mothers to overcome such difficulties as planning their time, fear of moving away from the child due to employment or absence on work issues, combining parenting with the performance of official duties”.

You can find out more about "Mom Works" at.

Charity Shop

Founder of the project: Daria Alekseeva

Year of foundation: 2014

Charity Shop is a social business that brings funds for the implementation of programs of the Second Wind Charitable Foundation. In the stores of the project, you can buy things of famous brands, donated by the townspeople, and with the proceeds, the fund is engaged in the processing of things in poor condition, employs people from socially unprotected groups and gives out clothes to the poor, including people with disabilities. The Charity Shop's job is to financially support these programs.

Everland infographics

The mission of the Charity Shop is to use unnecessary resources (clothes boring for the previous owners) to generate benefits - new jobs, recycled materials, helping people in a crisis situation.

Photo courtesy of the project

Daria Alekseeva: “If you decide to start an activity in the field of social entrepreneurship, treat your business as a commercial one. If your business model doesn't fit and you earn less than you spend, it's not the high social burden that is to blame, but poor management. Think about what, in addition to the environmental or social component, makes you really needed and competitive. "

Walk in the Dark Museum

Founder of the project: Elena Stakheeva

Year of foundation: 2016

"Walk in the Dark" is an unusual museum, the exposition of which is immersed in absolute darkness! In the "Walk in the Dark" museum, people learn a lot about themselves, as all senses, except sight, are seriously tested. The project influences the perception of the life of people with disabilities by healthy people.

Everland infographics

The mission of the Walk in the Dark Museum is to give people a new experience and acquaintance with the world of blind people.

Elena Stakheeva: “If you decide to start an activity in the field of social entrepreneurship, you need to understand what drives you in the first place - the desire to create something new, build theories, take risks, assemble a team and manage it, solve the problems of all participants in the process, or do good? If the first one, start boldly, do not waste time, big victories await you and a lot of interesting things on the way. If you mostly just want to do good, I recommend getting a job in one of the existing projects and being useful there. "

Photo courtesy of the project.

You can order a walk in the dark on the project.

Opportunity to develop your own project

If you yourself want to become a successful social entrepreneur, you have the opportunity to take part in the all-Russian competition program of Rosbank and Impact Hub Moscow - “START ANOTHER” for projects that help people with disabilities.

Finalists will enter a part-time incubation program, where they will work on the development of their project together with experienced experts. Authors of the most successful projects will receive a travel grant to study in France (1st place), 200,000 rubles (2nd place) and 150,000 rubles (3rd place).

Photo courtesy of the organizer of the competition

Ilya Polyakov, Chairman of the Board of Rosbank: “Social entrepreneurs often focus on one model of income - paid services for beneficiaries, in particular, people with disabilities. Since a significant part of the target audience is practically insolvent, the social entrepreneur does not understand how to cover the costs, how to build pricing and work stably. A sustainable financial model is a set of many elements: the ability to work in a team, build a marketing strategy, enter into profitable partnerships, inspire, resolve legal issues, and more. This is what the participants in START A DIFFERENT will learn.

Ekaterina Khaletskaya, co-founder and director of Impact Hub Moscow: “The development program“ START ANYWHERE ”, which is organized by Rosbank with the participation of Impact Hub Moscow, is a new format for Russia: firstly, it was developed specifically for those social entrepreneurs who employ people with disabilities or improve their quality of life in other ways. Secondly, it includes training for selected participants and awards for the three winners (grants and a trip to France to exchange experiences). Thirdly, the program is practical: participants will test income models with the support of a mentor who will help set goals and go towards them. Rosbank employees are involved in the project "START ANYWHERE" as consultants and well-known experts in social entrepreneurship in the country. Applications for participation are accepted until July 16 ".

Read more about the competition at.