Encinitas part of national assessment of for-benefit economy

Encinitas has been selected as a flagship site for the Fourth Sector Mapping Initiative. This national research project aims to help policymakers better understand how to support and grow a for-benefit economy.

At national, state and local levels, a rapidly growing “fourth sector” at the intersection of the three traditional sectors—public, private, and nonprofit—has been gaining increased attention among policymakers and economic developers. The diverse “for-benefit” enterprises that make up the fourth sector all leverage market-based approaches and private capital to solve social, environmental, and economic challenges.

Encinitas For-Benefit will deploy the Fourth Sector Mapping Initiative survey in Encinitas to gather information on the local for-benefit ecosystem. This includes the barriers for-benefit organizations face, their social, environmental, and economic impacts, and the services and structures that support them.

Encinitas For-Benefit is a community-led initiative to create a for-benefit city, where the purpose of business is social, environmental, and economic benefit for all. In the summer and fall of 2015, Encinitas For-Benefit held a series of community meetings to raise awareness about for-benefit economic development. These organizing efforts celebrating the city’s tradition of for-benefit business practices resulted in Encinitas’ selection as a research site for the Fourth Sector Mapping Initiative. The assessment will provide baseline data for a multisector action plan to grow the for-benefit economy being developed by the Encinitas For-Benefit Council.

The Fourth Sector Mapping Initiative is a joint project of the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy and Fourth Sector Networks. The project will develop a public research database of for-benefit organizations and fourth sector support organizations in the U.S. to provide insights into the growth, activities, models, and trends in the fourth sector.

Encinitas For-Benefit, a program of Engage Encinitas, formed out of a series of community meetings that began in July 2015. These gatherings were spurred by interest from the White House in piloting place-based for-benefit economic development initiatives around the country. The objective of Encinitas For-Benefit is to develop a supportive ecosystem in which for-benefit enterprises can flourish, thereby accelerating the transition to a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economy.

To learn how you can support the local for-benefit movement, visit www.encinitasforbenefit.org.

Submitted press release