Many social enterprises are hybrids, in the sense of taking elements of commercial structure and placing a slant of mission in them, as if searching for some form of balance between the imperatives of the mission and financial requirements. On the face of it, there are many ways this is happening - perhaps too broad to attempt to describe in detail. Some position themselves as a for-profit entity with a charity or as a Benefit Corporation, B Corp, which legally commits them to higher standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It sends a message to investors that the venture is serious about the positive change it would bring while still generating returns.
Hybrid models turn out to be very versatile and help social enterprises appeal to a very broad range of investors-from impact-first investors to profit-first investors. Such models allow an enterprise to pursue both goals in harmony by clearly defining how the profits will be used and how the social impact will be measured.