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SROI (Social Return on Investment)

The measure of an investment's ability to produce social value in a community or broader society. An attempt to monetize social value in order to help investors assess potential investments based on returns outside of traditional financial measures....
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SWOT Analysis

An acronym for a common approach to marketing and strategic planning that emphasizes comparisons between companies and/or products and services to find “holes” or positions in the market that represent more successful market opportunities as well as threats that should...
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Sarbanes-Oxley

The common term for the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002. This set of laws significantly changed accounting and audit standards for public companies in order to improve the accuracy of financial disclosures and protect investors...
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Scenario Planning

Scenario planning is a common technique used in government, academia, and businesses in a variety of industries to identify new opportunities. Scenario planning is a special kind of brainstorming that structures assumptions and a perspective of the future (the scenario)...
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Self-Regulating System

A complex system that regulates it’s own performance by so that it never gets too far off-balance and can bring itself back into homeostasis....
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Sensitivity Analysis

A procedure in budgeting that uses incremental adjustments to parameters (such as price and sales) to test the effects on growth or company performance. Sensitivity analysis can help companies determine which parameters have the most effect on revenues. Though useful,...
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Service Ecology

A system of interactions and actors that, together, create a sustainable and successful service or experience. Service Ecologies often include several companies or organizations that specialize in delivering one part of the total service. These may or may not be...
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Service Economy

An economy which places increased value on delivery and receipt of services for economic benefit and growth than the acquisition and consumption of products and materials. This shift away from an economy of products can place greater emphasis on relationships...
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Shareholder Activism

The process of dialogue with company executives and filing shareholder resolutions generates investor pressure on corporate executives, garners media attention (which adds even more pressure on corporations to improve their behavior), and educates the public on often-ignored social, environmental, and...
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Slow Money

A concept under development by Woody Tasch, Chairman of Investors’ Circle. Inspired by the mission of the Slow Food Movement, Tasch considers that “fast” money investments (such as venture capital) is expected to return a profit quickly but is rarely...
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Smart Growth

Consciously-planned community growth that creates a higher quality of life for all stakeholders. Smart growth requires a collaboration of perspectives, disciplines, and stakeholders. These principles can also be applied to organizations in the pursuit of growth that creates a better...
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Social Accountability 8000

A workplace standard and verification system, created by the human rights organization Social Accountability International (SAI), for assuring just and decent working conditions throughout a supply chain. More information: www.sa-intl.org...
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Social Entrepreneurship

The act of creating, organizing and managing an income-earning venture to serve an explicit social purpose. The primary mission of a socially entrepreneurial organization is to create value that benefits the health and well-being of individuals, society, or the natural...
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Social Marketing

The positioning and segmenting of consumers by socially-driven concerns and the development of strategies and solutions that will meet their needs and desires while advancing their social agenda. Products and services which satisfy or appeal to these consumers are often...
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Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)

Making investments with an eye towards social, environmental and financial returns. Investors and funds that “screen” companies that violate environmental, social, or other values (across a wide variety of issues, such as: worker's rights, child labor, minority hiring practices, gender...
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Sole Proprietorship

An unincorporated business that is owned by one individual. The simplest form of business organization to start and maintain. About 76% of all businesses in the USA are sole proprietorships....
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Sprouts

A selection of consumers defined by the Roper ASW Green Gauge Report as consumers undecided about environmental issues when it comes to buying and using products and services. In 2007, these customers represent 26% of the total American consumer population...
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Stakeholders

Individuals or organizations with an interest in the success or failure of a project or entity. Potential stakeholders in a company may include customers, clients, employees, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, partners, creditors, stockholders (shareholders), communities, government courts and departments (city,...
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Steady-state Economy

An economic theory, put forth by Herman Daly in response to geophysicist M. K. Hubbert’s predictions of the limits of the fossil fuel supply, which regards the notion of economic growth in a finite world as inherently unsustainable. Instead, we...
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Stewardship

Responsible caretaking; based on the premise that we do not own resources but only manage them, and are responsible to future generations for their condition. Making decisions regarding the care of our environment with the goal of passing healthy ecosystems...
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