FTTSA National Coordinator, Jennifer Seif returned yesterday from the Alcoa Foundation, International Social Venture/Enterprise Forum in Wingspread, USA. The first-of-its-kind forum included contributions from internationally recognised leaders, funders and NGOs in the field of social venture enterprise.

The Alcoa Foundation initiated the forum, the first step in a three-phase initiative, as an opportunity for leaders in the field to share their experiences and stimulate a truly international dialogue on the fast-emerging topic of social enterprise.

"NGOs face a stark new reality: The need for their services is increasing at a time when available funds from traditional sources are decreasing," says Velma Monteiro-Tribble, senior program officer at Alcoa Foundation. "This initiative is designed to begin to expose and provide NGOs the opportunity to hear how [the forum] might be one way for them to sustain the needed services they provide in their communities."

The initiative allowed participants the previously unavailable opportunity to share lessons learned and to gain a clear picture of the state of the sector internationally. "The forum provided an invaluable chance to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing organisations like ours," says Seif. "More importantly, it provided a global context and allowed us to learn from the many innovative responses other stakeholders around the world have developed."

Seif says she is certain that the forum has sparked discussion that will continue to provide much needed insight into what makes social enterprises work in the current global climate.