Social Entrepreneurship Funding
Eligibility Criteria
E² supports public benefit organisations whose programmes have the potential to address the root causes of some of our nation's most acute social problems, namely poverty and joblessness. E² seeks to partner with high-impact organisations that are geared for growth and sustainability, and are actively pursuing transformative social change in South Africa through initiatives that are aimed at poverty alleviation and job creation.
E² will make investments using a rigorous assessment process. Applicants must meet at least three initial criteria in order to be considered for financial assistance from E²:
- Be registered as a public benefit organisation
- Be located and implement its initiatives in South Africa
- Be in the early stage of development - i.e. have been in existence for between one and four years.
Added to these, the following criteria will be applied in the selection of partner organisations:
- Innovation: The organisation must have devised creative ways to address entrenched social problems and to achieve social change. The organisation must be able to demonstrate how its approach is unique, and how that approach is an improvement on existing or past initiatives aimed at achieving the same objective.
- Entrepreneurial quality: The organisation must be able to demonstrate exceptional leadership and be driven to succeed.
- High measurable social impact: The organisation must be committed to delivering a high, measurable impact. There must be clear, discernable evidence of the organisation's impact in addressing one or more social imperatives, and in delivering quantifiable and verifiable results.
- Potential for growth / scalability: The organisation must be able to grow its initiative to scale - i.e. to expand its impact onto the national or the international stage, including, possibly, bringing about a change in public policy.
- Strategic alignment/ fit with E²: There must be cohesion between the values and objectives of E² and that of the organisation.
- Plan for long-term financial and operational sustainability: The organization must display a commitment, and devise and implement a strategy, to achieve sustainability (i.e. financial self-reliance) for its initiative.
- Direct involvement of the founder in the organisation: The founder of the organisation must be directly involved in the operational management and development of the organisation, and must show a clear commitment to the organisation's growth.
