Civic Wealth Creation
Related Case Studies
How do multiple, various stakeholders contribute to success in creating civic wealth? These cases offer a good basis for discussion of whether and how different types of wealth – economic, social, communal – are being created.
Ikea Belgium Welcome Home Project: From Ad Hoc to Deep Social Impact
IKEA launched the Welcome Home project in Belgium to make a meaningful impact by supporting single-parent families. Originating from a cross-departmental brainstorming session, the program initially focused on donating funds and furniture to shelters. As the project developed, IKEA employees began volunteering their time and expertise during work hours helping with home setups and small renovations for single-parent families – which fostered a stronger sense of involvement. As the initiative grew, IKEA collaborated with various social welfare organizations and collectively they worked toward policy changes to create a fairer and more supportive environment for single-parent families. The case discusses challenges including overcoming skepticism from nonprofits, maintaining employee volunteer participation, and navigating cultural and value differences between corporate and nonprofit organizations.
This case presents the story of My Sister’s Place (MSP) – a center providing drop in and wrap around services for women experiencing trauma and/or mental health issues in London, Ontario in Canada. The case introduces students to the issues associated with establishing and running a sustainable social enterprise with a particular emphasis on funding. Specifically, it exposes the difficulties that social enterprise and funding managers face as they seek to deliver social value in a financially sustainable way.
In particular, the case illustrates the challenges encountered by the protagonists, Kristy Bell (MSP manager), and Wendy Sanderson (MSP funding manager), in managing the expenses and costs of running MSP as well as sourcing funds on an ongoing basis. The case contextualizes the decisions managers of social enterprises have to make as they choose and implement appropriate funding models.
Contact us to discover more civic wealth creation projects and to share your own case studies with us – we are eager to learn from your experiences and insights.