Why The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation & The Patterson Foundation Are Investing in Social Enterprise for Nonprofit Impact

In this episode of the Nonprofit Thrivability Podcast, host Read Corley speaks with Michael Corley, Consultant with The Patterson Foundation, and Meher Shulman, Associate Director of the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, to explore how both foundations are working with No Margin, No Mission to strengthen nonprofit sustainability. The conversation focuses on how No Margin, No Mission supports nonprofit organizations through the Patterson Foundation’s Margin & Mission Ignition program and the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation’s Social Enterprise Accelerator. Together, they discuss how social enterprise ventures, earned income strategies, and nonprofit-run businesses are helping organizations diversify revenue, build resilience, and approach mission delivery with an entrepreneurial mindset.Timestamps 00:00 – Introducing Michael Corley and Meher Shulman03:20 – Why earned income became a priority for the Patterson Foundation06:08 – How the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation partnered with No Margin, No Mission09:06 – Early outcomes and examples from the Social Enterprise Accelerator11:05 – Why relationships are critical to sustaining social enterprise work14:24 – Collaboration versus competition inside nonprofit cohorts16:51 – Reflections from the all-cohort learning session19:54 – How foundations leverage entrepreneurial success to strengthen nonprofits22:20 – The broader benefits of earned income beyond revenue24:15 – What strengthening the nonprofit sector truly meansLinks to Learn More Greater Hartford Gives Foundation WebsiteWant to hear more? Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or visit us Beyond The Blog!Join The Journey