Research summary

Research summary

  • January 2004 — ongoing 

The project has created a performance diagnostic and strategic management analysis toolkit for social enterprises called Balance.

Balance provides a fast and simple way to analyse social enterprises, which we define as trading charities, social businesses, and co-operative and mutuals.

It helps assess capabilities across a number of themes, including:

  • marketing
  • income diversification
  • governance
  • multi-bottom line
  • learning
  • internal activities
  • visioning 

The analysis of organisational capabilities helps to identify gaps and support development. 

Balance is a questionnaire based self-assessment tool that will help generate an action plan. 

As a performance diagnostic, Balance relies on opinions rather than hard data or evidence. Balance asks a series of questions based on these principles:

  • What level of capability does your organisation have?
  • Where does time and effort get spent?
  • What activities are prioritised over others?
  • How balanced is your organisation?

The questionnaire can be completed in under an hour.

How to get access

Users must log in with a secure username and password to use Balance. 

New users can register by emailing [email protected].

Visit the Balance website

Sign up or sign in to the diagnostic tool.

Research outputs

Articles

Funders

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