Social entrepreneurs consistently say the support they need most is not primarily money, it is mentorship and genuine access to markets and networks that government and corporate partners are positioned to provide but often default to funding alone instead. Simply giving money without this accompanying access and guidance addresses only part of what a social enterprise genuinely needs to grow.
Social entrepreneurship combines a genuine social mission with commercial viability, and building both successfully requires support that goes beyond capital alone, capital is necessary but rarely sufficient on its own.
Mentorship addresses decisions that funding alone cannot resolve
Early-stage social entrepreneurs consistently cite mentorship as more valuable than is often assumed, since experienced guidance on decisions around pricing, positioning, partnerships and balancing social mission with commercial sustainability is not something a funding cheque by itself provides.
Market access matters as much as capital for social enterprises
Government and corporate partners are positioned to open market access and share networks in ways an individual social entrepreneur, working alone, generally cannot replicate, and this kind of access frequently matters more to a social enterprise’s growth than an equivalent amount of additional funding would.
Balancing social mission and commercial viability requires deliberate support
Social entrepreneurs face a genuine tension between mission and commercial sustainability that a purely commercial founder does not have to navigate in the same way, and support programmes that specifically address this balance, rather than treating social enterprises identically to conventional businesses, tend to be more useful.
What partners default to providing is not always what is most needed
Funding is easier for government and corporate partners to provide at scale than sustained mentorship or genuine network access, which is partly why funding remains the default support offered even though social entrepreneurs themselves consistently say it is not the most valuable thing they could receive.
Support aimed specifically at enterprises with a social purpose is administered through the Department of Small Business Development.
Frequently asked questions
Do social entrepreneurs say funding is the support they need most?
Generally not as the primary need. Mentorship and genuine access to markets and networks are consistently cited as more valuable, even though funding remains the more commonly offered form of support.
Why does mentorship matter so much for social entrepreneurs specifically?
Because early-stage decisions around pricing, positioning and balancing social mission with commercial sustainability benefit from experienced guidance that a funding cheque alone does not provide.
Why can government and corporate partners provide something an individual entrepreneur cannot?
Because they are positioned to open market access and share established networks in ways an individual social entrepreneur working alone generally cannot replicate on their own.
Is balancing social mission with commercial viability a challenge unique to social entrepreneurs?
Largely yes, or at least a more pronounced version of a tension conventional founders face, which is why support tailored specifically to this balance tends to be more useful than treating social enterprises identically to conventional businesses.
Why does funding remain the default form of support if it is not what is most needed?
Because funding is easier to provide at scale than sustained mentorship or genuine network access, which partly explains the gap between what partners default to offering and what social entrepreneurs say they actually need most.
Originally published in June 2017. Updated September 2026 to focus on the recurring support themes across these conversations rather than the original individual profiles.
