Knowra Social innovation Social innovation Social innovation is a new or improved approach that meets social needs or changes social relationships. It can involve new services, practices, organizations, or policies.
Social entrepreneurship : The pursuit of social goals through entrepreneurial approaches and organizations. Social entrepreneurs often develop and organize innovations addressing unmet social needs.
Microfinance : Financial services, especially small loans, designed for people and businesses excluded from conventional banking. It is a widely studied approach to expanding financial access among underserved groups.
Social change : A significant alteration over time in social structures, relationships, norms, or institutions. Social innovation is one possible route to broader changes in society.
Joseph Schumpeter : An Austrian-born economist known for theories of entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic change. His account of innovation and entrepreneurship influenced later efforts to define social innovation.
Co-production : The joint design or delivery of public services by professionals and the people who use them. It makes service users partners in creating and refining social innovations.
Social prescribing : A healthcare practice that connects people to community activities and services addressing social needs. It extends support beyond clinical treatment by linking health care with community resources.
Social enterprise : An organization that uses commercial activity to pursue social or environmental goals. It is an organizational form, while social innovation can occur inside or outside enterprises.
Peter Drucker : A management thinker whose work examined innovation, entrepreneurship, and the role of organizations. His writing helped connect systematic innovation with social and nonprofit organizations.
Design thinking : An iterative approach to problem solving that emphasizes understanding users, generating ideas, and testing prototypes. Its user-focused methods can turn social needs into testable service ideas.
Community land trust : A nonprofit organization that holds land for community benefit and limits the resale price of housing on it. It offers a community-led model for keeping housing affordable over time.
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