Looking for online Social Enterprises

The Social Economy Centre at OISE/UofT is conducting a study to identify organizations which meet the broad criteria applied to social economy enterprises (social mission, member focus, voluntary participation, civic engagement etc.) and that carry out the majority of their work online.

Researchers are seeking online co-operatives, social enterprises, community development initiatives, nonprofit member oriented associations, including civil society organizations that have their base in Ontario or that originate in Canada. All such organizations are asked to contact Sherida Ryan sryan@oise.utoronto.ca

Libro Financial Group Receives Award

Libro Financial Group was named the London, Ontario Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year March 21 in the large business category. The financial services company recently changed its name from St. Willibrord Credit Union.

"Libro had a great year in 2006," says president and CEO Jack Smit, who was on hand to accept the award. "We changed our name, made a record profit of $8.8 million, returned a record $4.6 million to customer-owners, got our second Owner Satisfaction Score of 9/10 and launched our Community Builder grant program. Our success is due to engagement on a number of levels - with owners, the community and especially staff. This award is the icing on the cake!" www.libro.ca

Rotman MBAs Win Not-For-Profit Case Competition

Annual event held in Washington, D.C.
Mar 20/07
by Ken McGuffin

For the second consecutive year, a team of MBA students from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management have won an international case competition at the George Washington University School of Business.

The Rotman team, consisting of first-year MBA student Sarah Stern and second-year MBA students Abhijit Rawal, Hala Kosyura and Ellie Avishai, defeated teams from 20 other business schools to take the first place prize.

The annual competition, held the weekend of March 17 in Washington, D.C., focuses on finding business solutions for a not-for profit agency. This year's case focused on the AARP, which is trying to determine whether it should expand its services to include the 25 to 34 age group. The Rotman team proposed a solution based on a savings initiative that targeted families. Further details regarding the competition are available online at: www.gwu.edu/~casecomp/index.htm.

The team was supported by the Rotman School's AIC Institute for Corporate Citizenship, which aims to help current and future business leaders integrate corporate citizenship into business strategy and practices, and the Rotman School's MBA program services office.

In recent years, Rotman MBA students have become increasingly interested in corporate social responsibility and issues facing not-for-profit organizations. In November 2006, Roman Net Impact hosted the first-ever Corporate Social Responsibility Case Competition for students at Canadian business schools. On March 21, the Annual Leadership in Social Change Career Fair & Conference will be held at the Rotman School. This spring, Rotman NeXus, a non-profit management consulting service established to help non-profit organizations and social enterprises, will begin its third year of operation. It is staffed and operated by Rotman MBA students.

http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/print/070320-3019.htm