The social business model can play a number of roles in support of sport for development initiatives. There are already many organisations in the sector embracing social business in their day-to-day work and long-term business strategy.
In Professor Muhammad Yunus’ opening speech at the 129th Session of the International Olympic Committee at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, he highlighted how social business could be used to unleash the sport sector’s potential for large-scale social transformation. Three critical opportunities come from integrating social business into the sport industry:
- Solving social and environmental problems in the sport industry
- Using sport to solve social and environmental problems in society
- Helping those who already use sport to solve problems to transition to self-sustainable business models
In his own words:
“I am amazed at the power of the sport for development sector. Thousands of organisations across the globe are working on the ground and dedicated to using sport as a tool to solve the most pressing issues of our societies. Today, most of them are using the traditional charity model: money is raised, spent, does a fantastic job, but does not come back. Imagine just how much social potential we could untap if fundraising was not an issue and all these fantastic organisations had a self-sustainable business model. Every dollar invested could be reused, over and over again.”
Examples of organisations successfully adopting the social business model within sport for development and peace include:
Klabu aims to build inclusive and safe sports clubs serving refugee communities in Africa. Klabu sells sports apparel and merchandise in Europe, using the revenues to fully subsidise sports programmes for displaced people lacking access to sports.
Third Half creates sports for development volunteer experiences for travelers who want to do good. By selling these experiences to individual and corporate groups, it generates funding to support community organisations delivering sports for youth development. The business model sustains the service while providing work opportunities.
Alive & Kicking manufactures durable, affordable soccer balls in Kenya and Zambia using local materials and labour. Sales in markets like Europe cross-subsidise distribution to disadvantaged children lacking proper equipment. This creates jobs while getting balls to those who need them.
Bearing Bike Works’ mission is to provide young people with the essential tools to build productive lives. They believe that every kid possesses the potential to succeed when equipped with the right skills, so they focus on nurturing technical expertise, soft skills, and character strengths through hands-on learning experiences, all while using bikes as a catalyst for personal growth and development.
Kick4Life is a social business in Lesotho that uses football to transform the lives of vulnerable youth. Their flagship Kick4Life Academy provides academic support, football coaching, and character development, empowering young people to access international university opportunities.They also focus on health education, life skills, and gender equality. Through their No.7 Restaurant and Hokahanya Inn, they offer employment opportunities. Their global consulting service, Kick4Life Assist, extends their impact beyond Lesotho, providing support to SDP organisations worldwide.
Image credit: Kick4Life
