Social Work and Social Entrepreneurship: Opportunities for Synergy and Social Change

Abstract

Today's world faces unprecedented complexities. Governments, businesses, and nonprofits have far to go in solving these problems. The economic recession of 2007 exposed a significant decline in public and private support for social services (Pitt- Catsouphes & Berzin, 2015) and the need for social workers to facilitate new ways of addressing the complex, interwoven problems of poverty, racism, social inequity, and discrimination. Now more than ever, social workers need to understand how social services can utilize new strategies with new solutions to address these issues (Berzin, 2012). ). Shuman & Fuller (2005) coined the phrase “revolution will not be funded,” indicating that nonprofits all over the country must devise new incomegenerating strategies to empower disadvantaged groups. Although the media reports that the U.S. economy has rebounded, foundations and governments still expect social service nonprofits to leverage new forms of revenue to fulfill their missions. There is also some uncertainty about how nonprofits will be funded long term as local, state, and federal government dollars dry up. In addition, some claim that social service organizations develop complex programs that do not match the interests of funders (Foster, Kim, & Christensen, 2009).