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New Life of the Publishing Project "Catalog "Social Entrepreneurship of Russia"
Vladimir Vainer
"A Magazine Within a Magazine" — that’s what you could call this block of material. The authors of the "Social Entrepreneurship in Russia" collected works, published since 2014, have moved their activity to a dedicated column in the Positive Changes Magazine in 2021. From now on, every issue will present case studies of social enterprises with a focus on the results of each project.
In this issue, we have compiled a list of businesses implementing social impact projects. The organizations are numerous, but not all of them match their activities with the emerging opportunities of Social Impact Bonds (SIB). Their format is defined by Decree of the Russian Government No.1491 of 21.11.2019 "On the Organization of Pilot Testing of Social Impact Projects by the Subjects of the Russian Federation in 2019–2024" and described in detail in the articles by Yuliya Vyatkina "The Long Game: Growth Points and Prospects of Social Impact Bonds in Russia" and Ivan Smekalin "The Social Investment Sandboxes: How Social Impact Bonds are Developing Globally".
In each case below, we find it important to show the reader that an environment for social investment is already actively developing in Russia, which may include not only large businesses, large corporations and entire regions of the Russian Federation, but also those agents that remain invisible on the social investment map of business publications, but actually represent the real foundation of this social investment and act on the cutting edge of social and economic development.
If this invisible "middle class" of social investors, on the one hand, and another frequently invisible class of the leaders of positive changes — social entrepreneurs, on the other hand, can get together and join efforts, understand and create a shared vision of the future, then the social entrepreneurship market will benefit from increased awareness and a surge of social investment using a variety of tools, including SIB.
Enjoy discovering a new, positive economic agenda for our country!
Vladimir Vainer
Director of Positive Changes Factory
Special Assembly
A Social Enterprise for Employment of People with Intellectual Disabilities
https://clck.ru/pWqZP
The Special Assembly Project provides a full range of hand-packing services for small and medium-sized businesses and assembling corporate gifts. The social enterprise employs more than 100 employees with special needs. They perform commercial orders and get paid regularly. The most successful participants are employed in various enterprises of the city, if they wish.
PROBLEM ADDRESSED
There are more than 3,000 people with mental disabilities in Moscow that would like to get a job but remain unemployed. The "Special Assembly" social enterprise was created specifically for the employment of people with intellectual disabilities. Most of them are very responsible people who want to do good for the society. They are ready to perform simple labor tasks following a given pattern for a long time.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS
Repeated winner of the Presidential Grants Fund, the Absolute-Help Foundation, the SAP UP Grand Prix, winner of the Russian Public Chamber’s competition "My Project for My Country".
FUNDS RAISED IN 2021
RUB 13.5 million
WHAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR
The social enterprise has reached the break-even point; the School of Employment, which trains and employs people with mental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the open labor market, was established; an original "inclusive employment" technology has been developed and implemented. The School of Employment operates all year round, training people with special needs on the basics of various professions (picker, courier, baker’s assistant, call center operator, cloakroom attendant). The school is open to the most successful employees of the "Special Assembly" social enterprise who have mastered the necessary work competencies and are socialized in the work team to the greatest extent.
DIRECT RESULTS FOR THE YEAR
30 people have been employed in the open labor market; 123 people worked at the "Special Assembly" social enterprise.
SOCIAL EFFECTS ACHIEVED OVER THE YEAR
All the project beneficiaries improved their financial situation. 87 % of parents had extra free time to spend on leisure and work. 75 % of project participants have developed strong social ties, and 95 % feel more successful. The result is an improved quality of life for all project beneficiaries.
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT
The company provides services including manual packaging, labeling, assembly, picking, quality control of commercial products for small and medium-sized businesses. The services are provided by people with disabilities, and in doing so they acquire work skills that allow them to find employment in the open labor market.
The New Friendly Town
An Innovative Program for Children with Special Needs and Abilities
https://clck.ru/pWr37
The Friendly Town is an inclusive camp project that socializes children and young adults with disabilities. Here children learn things beyond the school curriculum, things they cannot always learn at home, such as accepting themselves and others as bright individuals, being ready for challenges and changes in life, being able to listen and negotiate, accepting failures positively and striving for development. The project also features the Inclusive Gathering — an experience-sharing and training event for representatives of NGOs and educational institutions of the Perm Territory. The event brings together those eager to contribute to the development of an inclusive environment for children and youth.
PROBLEM ADDRESSED
Socialization of children with disabilities and the formation of an inclusive space
