The Essential Offline Resources for Social Innovators You Need to Know About

Learning is a continuous journey, and this holds especially true for those who are determined to become social entrepreneurs. In addition to the best social innovation online courses we have shared with you, there are numerous offline social innovation opportunities available around the world as well. You can choose one that fits you and gain a more comprehensive understanding and skill set by interacting and engaging with people face-to-face in a classroom setting.

1. Ashoka: Ashoka is a global organization that supports social entrepreneurs and offers several training programs, including the “Ashoka Support Network” for experienced business leaders, the “Ashoka Globalizer” for scaling up social impact, and the “Ashoka ChangemakerXchange” for young social innovators.
2. The Schwab Foundation: The Schwab Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports social entrepreneurs through its “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” awards and its “Social Entrepreneurs Community” program, which provides training, mentoring, and networking opportunities.
3. The Skoll Foundation: The Skoll Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports social entrepreneurs through its “Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship” and its “Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship” at the University of Oxford, which offers courses and programs for social innovators.
4. The Acumen Academy: The Acumen Academy is a non-profit organization that provides online and offline training programs for social entrepreneurs, including the “Acumen Fellows” program, which offers a year-long course in social entrepreneurship.
5. IDEO: IDEO is a design and innovation firm that offers a range of training programs for social innovators. Their programs focus on design thinking, innovation, and leadership.
6. The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE): SSE offers courses, workshops, and training programs for social entrepreneurs, including the SSE Fellowship, the SSE Scale-Up Program, and the SSE Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme.
7. Startingbloc. offers information about its leadership programs, impact entrepreneurship programs, and other initiatives, as well as resources for social innovators, such as immersive training institutes, leadership retreats, and online courses. Startingbloc’s programs are designed to help individuals develop the skills, knowledge, and networks they need to drive social change and create sustainable solutions to global challenges.
8. The DO School is a global organization powered by a community of purposeful doers, innovators, and experts from 100+ countries. Through their unique methodology, they offer a range of programs and workshops for social innovators, to turn co-created ideas into action, equip people to lead and build a movement and create real change.
9. The Social Innovation Academy (SINA) in Uganda is an inspiring organization that empowers disadvantaged youth, including former orphans, street children, and refugees, to become social entrepreneurs and job creators. Through its programs, SINA teaches participants to view challenges as opportunities for innovation and solution-building. To learn more about SINA and gain a deeper understanding of its impact, you can refer to personal experiences shared in this post.
10. 5% Design Action. It is a Taiwanese design firm that specializes in social impact design, and they offer workshops and training sessions for individuals and organizations interested in learning more about social impact design. These workshops are conducted offline and are designed to help participants learn how to use design to create positive social change in their communities.
11. Amani Institute. They offer Social Innovation Management program that focuses on practical learning, training with experts in the field, unlocking your potential, and preparing for the career you truly desire. You have the option to choose the program location in Kenya, Brazil, or India. This program is open to individuals who have full-time jobs or run their own ventures, allowing them to participate without sacrificing their work commitments.
12. The Center for Social Impact Strategy (CSIS). They offer a flagship Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy, which is a nine-month program that includes both online and offline components. Additionally, they offer a number of shorter in-person courses and workshops, as well as custom programs for organizations. Their programs cover topics such as social entrepreneurship, social innovation, impact investing, and more.

There are numerous resources and initiatives available locally and globally to support social innovation and entrepreneurship. Starting with local resources can be a great way to begin your journey and then expand your impact to a broader audience by participating in global training. Have you engaged with any of these resources? Or do you know of any other valuable resources that you would like to share? Please feel free to comment below.

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