Preliminary communication
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN CROATIA AS A METHOD OF FINANCING NOT-PROFIT YOUTH ORGANISATIONS
Stana Odak Krasić
orcid.org/0000-0003-0165-7381
; Veleučilište VERN', Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ivanka Šaravanja
; Zagrebačka banka, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Although one may say that all entrepreneurs through their activities contribute to society, social entrepreneurs conduct their activities exclusively to support the work of organisations founded to resolve critical social issues and for social betterment. Social entrepreneurship, which integrates the creation of economic and social value, enables organisations such as not-profit associations, cooperatives, foundations and similar entities to operate in a financially sustainable way. Nonetheless, social entrepreneurship is still poorly developed in Croatia so that, for example, the number of social enterprises is not known. The aim of this paper is to investigate and show to what extent not-profit associations involved in youth issues in Croatia are familiar with social entrepreneurship, use the approach or plan to in order to ensure their financial sustainability. The research methodology applied was the survey method (e survey). The survey was sent to 68 email addresses of associations on the list of the national peak organisation of youth – Croatian Youth Network. 34 associations completed the survey. Our research confirmed the initial hypothesis: social entrepreneurship in Croatia is not well enough represented in the work of associations involved with youth given that more than 90% of respondents stated they had not founded a social enterprise. Neither is the role social enterprises in achieving financial sustainability for associations yet recognised – 27% of respondents gave the financial contribution of associations barely a pass mark, while 3% of associations consider it an inadeqauate benefit. Associations consider that the greatest contribution from forming such an enterprise the strengthening of the recognition of their work.
Keywords
entrepreneurship; social entrepreneurship; social enterprises; not-profit associations; youth
Hrčak ID:
149534
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2015.
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