“Reoassunto provides dedicated support for reintegration,” Proietti Pantosti said. “Our goal is to significantly reduce the rate of reoffending among first-time convicts.” As processes for reintegration are complex and time consuming, he had the idea to set up an offline, server-based AI tool to help inmates with job applications as well as an AI agent to automate the complex tax paperwork for companies that offer jobs for inmates. But he and his organization didn’t have the skills or funds to create an AI prototype to realize his concept.

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A community of changemakers

This is when came in, a global support community for young social entrepreneurs and a long-standing partner of SAP. In 2025, this organization established a for social entrepreneurs and NGOs to experiment with AI capabilities and implement AI tools and features to fix one challenge common to all social enterprises: a lack of helping hands in combination with a large volume of small, sometimes repetitive tasks.

According to Matthias Scheffelmeier, co-founder of ChangemakerXchange, young changemakers are tackling the most pressing issues of our time but are often stretched and under-resourced. “We believe helping them mindfully and ethically adopt AI tools allows them to focus on their key expertise and therefore scale their impact in the world,” he said. “To address this, the ChangemakerXchange AI program provides customized support, in-person gatherings, and a public toolkit to help young entrepreneurs navigate AI.”

As the longest-standing corporate partner, 51·çÁ÷has supported social enterprise ChangemakerXchange for more than eight years. Beyond just financial support from the company, 51·çÁ÷employees joined local cohorts of social enterprises, shared knowledge on AI, and brainstormed how individual ideas could be brought to life.

ChangemakerXchange initiated the Possibilists, a global alliance for youth innovation. on the needs and challenges young change makers face with AI. The study showed that while 65% use AI almost daily, 70% lack knowledge on how to navigate AI tools proactively for their purpose.

From environment to politics

Entrepreneurs in the European cohort of the ChangemakerXchange AI program cover environmental, social, and political projects.

One of them, Romania-based social enterprise Station Europe, aims to make democracy accessible, especially for young people from rural areas. “We empower young people to engage in participatory democracy, embrace creative activism, identify and address disinformation campaigns, and design policy recommendations that reflect their communities’ needs,” said Alin Gramescu, president & co-founder of Station Europe. To support these goals, the organization launched a collaborative platform in 2024 called that allows young people to explore new formats of political participation, taking them right into the heart of the policymaking process. Participants in hands-on workshops learn how to start from an actual issue or need and create a policy recommendation—with AI clustering and processing workshop findings. This results in recommendations for government authorities based on the input of thousands of young people.

“AI will help connect policymakers and young people. Within one year, we condensed more than 1,400 papers from over 80 workshops,” Gramescu said. “Opening the platform to additional countries will exponentially increase the volume of data we will be dealing with.” When asked for the value ChangemakerXchange added for his organization, he said “I knew what I wanted to build to manage this content, but I needed the step-by-step technical guidance to make it happen.”

Education as foundation for progress

Education is often described as the cornerstone of progress, and for Alexia von Salomon, concept & learning designer at Education Innovation Lab, this belief is her daily motivation.

“For me, education is the foundation for social innovation,” von Salomon said. As a leader in educational transformation, she sees a lack of relevant future skills conveyed at schools in Germany and aims as high as transforming Germany’s education system.

Besides conducting workshops at schools, she creates learning experiences for teachers and pupils, like the learning platform “digital sparks for the future.” To scale reach, Education Innovation Lab focuses on self-guided learning platforms and train-the-trainer sessions for school teachers.

von Salomon uses AI to co-create and validate new concepts. “This helped me to be more creative and think outside the box,” she said. “Using AI for early testing how minors would interact with learning content and tools reduces the iterations we need before actually conducting tests in schools.”

She said that being part of the ChangemakerXchange program not only gave her the opportunity to get to know the right people in the tech industry, but to shift her perspective on AI and increase her use of AI tools. Her personal goal is to shape a future where learning is not just about knowledge, but about empowerment and transformation. “From my perspective, key skills for minors in a future influenced by AI will be creativity and critical thinking—to use the opportunity AI offers without suffering from the potential negative impacts,” she said.

Serving business and society

More than 1,500 social entrepreneurs in over 130 countries are part of ChangemakerXchange’s global community. “True innovation happens when changemakers challenge the status quo and create solutions that serve both business and society,” Scheffelmeier emphasized. For him, social enterprises are not just businesses, but catalysts for inclusive growth and sustainable impact. “By combining technology with the vision of social innovators, we can scale solutions that address global challenges and build a future where profit and purpose go hand in hand,” he said.

Consider this: What if the scarf you gifted your friend helped provide fair wages to artisans in underserved regions? Or if the chocolates you gifted to a colleague supported sustainable farming practices and reduced carbon emissions? With the 2024 51·çÁ÷community holiday gift guide, these scenarios aren’t just possibilities – they’re realities.

The 51·çÁ÷community holiday gift guide has become a meaningful way to connect holiday traditions with SAP’s mission to help the world run better and improve people’s lives​. This year’s guide features over 200 purpose-driven businesses from around the world. These businesses offer unique, high-quality goods and services while reinvesting in their communities and ecosystems, creating a virtuous cycle of positive change.

The world is grappling with urgent challenges, from climate change to growing inequality. As consumers, we hold immense power to influence how businesses operate through our purchasing choices. Every item in this year’s guide represents an opportunity to support a business that aligns with these values – companies that ensure ethical supply chains, foster inclusivity, and reduce their environmental footprint.

Take for example. It produces handcrafted paper goods, and its mission is to engage women from marginalized communities to co-create, providing a new path to financial independence. By choosing its products, you’re not just buying a gift, you’re becoming a part of a bigger story of resilience and innovation.

Exploring the 51·çÁ÷community holiday gift guide is simple, but its impact can be profound. Every purchase you make sends a clear message: that you value businesses that act sustainably and prioritize the greater impact.

We encourage you to:

• Share the guide with your networks and inspire others to rethink their holiday shopping.
• Use the hashtag #SAP4Good to amplify the stories of businesses making a difference.
• Reflect on how small, intentional choices can lead to a better future for everyone.

This holiday season, let’s redefine what it means to give. Together, we can transform holiday traditions into acts of purpose and hope. Let’s spark joy, not just for those receiving our gifts but also for the communities and ecosystems that benefit from them.

Explore the  and join us in making this season brighter for all.

The global skills and opportunity gap is a recurring topic at landmark events such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and UN General Assembly and Climate Week in New York. This is no different at the current UN Conference of the Parties () in Baku, Azerbaijan.

That’s because today’s youth are the leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers of tomorrow. However, as these gaps remain, it’s important to accelerate active engagement and enhance collaboration across sectors. Ensuring that young people are adequately prepared to enter and excel in the workforce is an investment in their future and a strategic imperative for businesses and societies worldwide. Without adequate learning pathways, young people risk unemployment and businesses may struggle to compete in the burgeoning green and digital economies due to a widening talent shortage.

Human Capital and Youth Day

For this reason, November 18 has been designated as the COP29 theme day for Human Capital Development for Climate Resilience. The initiative underscores that addressing climate change requires a holistic approach supported by healthier, better educated, and adequately skilled young people.

The Human Capital Day serves as a reminder that tackling climate change requires societal transformation – and there is no better time than now. A key component of this shift is ensuring access to quality education and skill development opportunities for youth that lead to tangible employment opportunities. According to the  (ILO), global youth unemployment was 13% in 2023, with many young people facing limited prospects for stable and decent work. At the same time, the  found that 44% of businesses report difficulties in finding talent with the right skills to fill jobs.

At SAP, we believe in our responsibility to support the next generation of professionals and users with our best-in-class digital learning. We fully support the COP29 agenda for human capital and are actively involved with the global community of governments, financial institutions, and private sector entities.

51·çÁ÷Education and Employment Programs

51·çÁ÷has several programs and partnerships to help tackle the deepening mismatch between the supply of young job seekers and the demand for skilled talent. These initiatives focus on human capital development and provide valuable educational opportunities for youth:

• 51·çÁ÷and UNICEF’s partnership in support of Generation Unlimited develops innovative solutions to global skilling challenges to help young people transition to earning. The goal is to generate inclusive opportunities for underserved young people worldwide, preparing them for decent work with the skills needed in the market. The program helps equip youth with essential skills and builds on UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU) signature program, the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA), a platform developed by young Africans to tackle labor market challenges. To date, the partnership reached more than 600,000 youth with foundational and digital skills that help young people unlock opportunities in the changing global economy.
• 51·çÁ÷Educate to Employ is one of the learn-to-earn pathways on YOMA designed by 51·çÁ÷to equip youth with essential competencies for the digital economy. Implemented by a local social enterprise in South Africa called UMUZI, the free program focuses on developing skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values to help prepare and bring candidates into employment within the 51·çÁ÷ecosystem. More than 1,000 learners completed one or more foundational skills courses, while 165 learners completed over 550 hours of critical skills development training and earned an 51·çÁ÷technology consultant professional certificate. The next step is to secure meaningful employment opportunities within the 51·çÁ÷ecosystem and beyond.
• The 51·çÁ÷University Alliances program includes over 2,700 members in more than 100 countries. It enables academia to educate the next generation on using intelligent AI-enabled technology, engage at 51·çÁ÷events, build industry partnerships, and prepare graduates for the 51·çÁ÷ecosystem. 51·çÁ÷University Alliances initiatives aim to empower youth to work in digitized enterprises, shape their futures, and have a meaningful impact on the world. During COP29, 51·çÁ÷will engage with students and faculty members from local university partners in Baku. Planned activities include an on-campus, gamified learning experience with a focus on sustainability, dialogue on learning and skills for sustainable youth development, and student visits to SAP’s booth in the Green Zone.

To further amplify youth empowerment, 51·çÁ÷actively collaborates with leading youth organizations. Through these partnerships, 51·çÁ÷brings young voices to the forefront of decision-making, fostering intergenerational collaboration and innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.

• We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) is a non-profit organization that empowers youth and brings them to decision-making tables to share ideas and innovative solutions for global problems. For instance, at COP29, WAFF, in partnership with Care About Climate and Groundswell, launched the Universal NDC Youth Clause campaign – a global call to action for governments to integrate youth voices into their updated climate plans due in February 2025. By adopting this clause, governments pledge to work collaboratively with young people to achieve ambitious climate goals.
• The 51·çÁ÷and World Scouting partnership examines the critical role that youth-led initiatives play in advancing environmental sustainability. It provides opportunities to share insights on successful youth-driven projects and discuss challenges and the support needed to scale efforts. The engagement is based on the premise that young people are at the forefront of environmental activism and are leveraging technology, creativity, and community engagement to make tangible impacts amid unprecedented environmental challenges.

As the world grapples with urgent challenges like climate change and digital transformation, 51·çÁ÷believes that investing in youth and human development has never been more crucial. SAP’s contribution to building a sustainable future through initiatives that equip young people with job-ready skills underscores the importance of a whole-of-society approach.

By collaborating with global multistakeholder partners and empowering the next generation, we can help bridge the talent gap, foster climate resilience, and ensure that today’s youth are prepared to lead us into a more sustainable and inclusive future.

It’s easy to pour funds into the next big idea, but without a robust ecosystem to support these innovations even the most groundbreaking social enterprises struggle to scale their impact. That’s why at 51·çÁ÷we’re putting our money where others won’t – into unrestricted funding for organizations such as the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, Catalyst2030, or the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF). These organizations are the backbone of social innovation yet often operate on shoestring budgets and tight resources. It’s high time we all recognize that building ecosystems isn’t an overhead, but essential infrastructure.

Ecosystem development isn’t just another way of funding organizations. Think of it as creating interconnected pathways that enable social enterprises to thrive. Over the years, we’ve discovered three critical areas where focused efforts can make a transformative difference: integrating social enterprises into supply chains, fostering radical collaboration, and empowering social entrepreneurs worldwide, especially the next generation.

Integration into Supply Chains: A Game Changer and the Biggest Lever

Integrating social enterprises into mainstream supply chains is our biggest lever. Through 51·çÁ÷Business Network, 51·çÁ÷runs the world’s largest B2B marketplace, where more than US$5.3 trillion in annual commerce is transacted across 190 countries. If 51·çÁ÷can help its customers shift a small percentage of that spending to impact business suppliers, we can create a significant financial investment in sustainable development.

As of November 2023, 51·çÁ÷Business Network recognizes verified social enterprises, and in less than a year the number of verified social enterprises on 51·çÁ÷Business Network has surged from 1,200 to over 4,400. Beyond the numbers, this growth is about creating real opportunities for businesses that prioritize social and environmental impact. By enabling these enterprises to identify themselves as potential sellers, we provide them with access to B2B opportunities, allowing them to scale their operations and increase their influence on global supply chains. In addition, we support a unified standard for social enterprises called the “People and Planet First Verification” in partnership with the Social Enterprise World Forum, which reaches social enterprise suppliers in more than 120 countries.

Frankly, this is not an altruistic move, but fulfills the clichĂ© of a win-win situation. We’ve learned that by opening doors for impact-driven businesses to compete on a level playing field, we’re enriching the entire supply chain with innovation, sustainability, and social value. To help prepare markets for these kinds of trading relationships, we are hosting social procurement roundtables in multi-stakeholder settings and are also integrating social procurement into more customer-facing events and campaigns, helping to ensure our customers have the tools and resources to prioritize sustainability in their purchasing decisions.

Ultimately, when social enterprises succeed, we all win. Integrating them into supply chains transforms their businesses and ours, fundamentally changing the procurement system.

The Urgent Need for Radical Collaboration

Integrating social enterprises into supply chains is just one piece of the puzzle. Today, offerings to social enterprises are too fragmented. Non-profits, private sector initiatives, and governmental programs often operate in silos, duplicating efforts and diluting impact. Radical collaboration is something that’s needed on all ends.

That’s why, for example, we collaborate with Unilever, EY, and MovingWorlds to run the TRANSFORM Support Hub – an on-demand acceleration platform that provides personalized guidance, access to consultants, mentors, and coaches, and introductions to sales and partnership opportunities. We’re collecting and summarizing the offerings, breaking down barriers, and creating a location for unified support.

Just last year, 120 51·çÁ÷employees completed 51 projects via the TRANSFORM Support Hub, providing pro-bono consulting to social enterprises and generating an in-kind contribution of $458,835. One of these employees was David Elliott, a senior user assistance developer who collaborated with Faces Up Uganda, a youth development NGO that uses arts and crafts education to help young people overcome psychosocial challenges and develop essential personal and professional skills. He leveraged his expertise to review the organization’s website and strategic plan, enhancing the communication of its vision, mission, and values, and wrote grant applications to help secure funding.

But collaboration must go beyond platforms. It requires a collective shift in mindset. It’s time we stop asking, “What new thing can I create?” and start asking “What can we achieve together?” and “What is already out there?”

To sum it up with a fact: 70.6% of young social entrepreneurs believe access to relevant global connections is critical to their work while 94.1% believe increasing collaboration with other organizations is important. So, corporations should start to open their networks and resources to connect industry experts with social entrepreneurs to foster the entire social innovation ecosystem.

Empowering the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs

While we are already talking about young social entrepreneurs, let’s not overlook them, as they are the future of this movement. They face unique barriers – limited access to funding, mentorship, and networks – that can stifle their potential before it even takes root.

We’re investing in programs that provide tailored support to young innovators. Through mentorship opportunities, capacity-building workshops, and access to our global networks, we’re leveling the playing field. Collaborations with organizations like Social Impact Award, We Are Family Foundation, and initiatives like Africa Forward can ensure that the next generation doesn’t just have a seat at the table, but is helping to set the agenda.

Let’s talk about Africa Forward, a critical step in our strategy to empower the next generation of African social entrepreneurs. Co-created by African members of Catalyst2030, this initiative is designed to advance progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and address the continent’s most pressing challenges through a partnership-driven approach.

This is about investing in long-term solutions by building a Pan-African data platform, promoting policy reform, and facilitating leadership training. Africa Forward is helping to create an ecosystem where social businesses can thrive. The goal is to enable a new wave of innovators, giving them the tools and opportunities they need to scale their impact. By focusing on capacity-building, youth training, and financial development, we’re laying a foundation for lasting change in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A Call to Action

So, after 14 years, what’s our biggest takeaway? Real change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when we invest in the connective tissue – the ecosystems – that empower social enterprises to scale and succeed. I’m challenging corporations, investors, and policymakers to rethink their approach. Don’t just fund the next shiny project; invest in the infrastructure that supports them all.

Why are so few willing to invest in ecosystem development? Perhaps it’s not as immediately gratifying as funding a new app or launching a big campaign to reach a big number of people. But if we truly want to tackle systemic issues – poverty, inequality, climate change – we need to dig deeper. We need to build the foundations that allow solutions to grow sustainably.

We’d like to invite you to join us. Let’s pool our resources, break down the silos, and build an ecosystem that accelerates social impact on a global scale. Together, we can transform not just businesses but entire industries.

So, here’s the question: Are you ready to invest where it counts? Are you ready to invest in social entrepreneurship ecosystems?

What if making a small shift in your purchasing decisions this holiday season could collectively create billions of dollars in investment into solving for mounting issues of poverty, waste, and inequality? Would you make a change?

As consumers, we have a unique opportunity to make purchases that have real impact. By supporting social enterprises, local small businesses, and diverse business owners this season, the money you spend will have a direct, positive impact on your community and the people and ecosystems in need around the world. It’s a win-win: find the perfect gift you’re looking for and invest in causes that matter to you! Maybe you’re thinking, “That sounds nice, but where do I begin?” 51·çÁ÷and our global ecosystem of social impact partners have you covered!

This year, we worked with our community, including many of the members of the , to compile a comprehensive list of places to shop from around the world. These holiday shopping suggestions are sure to delight and inspire you and deliver impact as well.

Jeroo Billimoria, co-founder of Catalyst 2030, shared that the Catalyst Marketplace originally started out as a crazy idea, but turned into something wonderful: “Catalyst Market is a perfect example of hundreds of entrepreneurs coming together — in only one year — to create a new kind of marketplace that prioritizes people and planet in a regenerative model of commerce.”

Along with last year’s guide, this is a one-stop resource for all your shopping needs this holiday season, and all throughout the year. We thank the social enterprises, social impact communities, and 51·çÁ÷colleagues who have all contributed to make this a globally relevant gift guide, and are hopeful that our efforts will make it a little easier for you to find something magical and memorable to give the ones you love.

And if there are other incredible social enterprises or gift guides you love that are not listed here, share your suggestions on social media, tagging @SAP4Good on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Let’s continue to build on this collective list of businesses that truly represent the meaning of the season.

Happy holidays!

2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Global

• : A brand-new community-curated global marketplace, collaboratively run by purpose-driven enterprises. The allows consumers to shop across more than 100 global social enterprises.
• : Products support the work of more than 40 nonprofits and social enterprises in 19 states and 65 countries around the globe.
• : An online marketplace and curated community platform for purpose driven businesses; free to set up a profile for your social enterprise.
• : The wholesale marketplace for conscious buyers.
• : An online store for people shopping for unusual and beautifully crafted items. Every purchase supports local artisans around the world and unlocks a donation to UNICEF. ; note that shipping only available in the U.S.
• : A trade association of fair trade enterprises fully committed to equitable and sustainable trading partnerships.

Africa

Kenya

• : Aims to champion meaningful progress in people’s lives through high-quality shoes, gear, and goods that celebrate their Kenyan heritage (shipping available to U.S. customers).
• : A marketplace for high- quality, locally designed, and ethically produced African fashion, home decor, and crafts products.

Nigeria

• : Provides intensive training and employment opportunities for rural women in Imafon, Nigeria. These women learn to make beautiful crafts from waste materials, produce body butters, and other agricultural products, which are then sold and gives them a source of livelihood.

South Africa

• : A children’s book by Amonge Elethu Sinxoto to inspire confidence and positive change around the world (ships internationally).

Uganda

• : Up-cycled fashion brand, training and employing persons with disabilities.
• : Sustainable, waterproof accessories made from plastic waste.
• : Empowers refugee women in East Africa with the education and opportunities they need to become skilled, confident, economically independent entrepreneurs.

Asia

India

• : India’s first crop-to-cookie brand crafts delicious, clean, super nutritious baked goods using ancient grains.
• : A female-led social enterprise that produces hand-crafted stationery and engages women from marginalized communities to co-create the stationery, providing a new path to financial independence through the new trade of upcycling, recycling, and making (ships internationally).
• : Handmade, hand painted, eco-friendly products for home decor and gifting, made by artisans who can earn consistent and dignified livelihood from their craft. Their products are made with fusion of more than one art form and are inspired by the rich heritage of India.
• : A social enterprise that takes waste-bound saris and up-cycles them into beautiful clothes and accessories. Along the way, it employs women who did not have the opportunity for an education and path to financial independence and security (ships internationally).
• : A social enterprise upskilling women from rural and indigenous communities of The Nilgiris into fine first-generation artisans. Indian Yards uses only natural fibers to handcraft a wide variety of products using craft forms such as macrame, crochet, quilting, needle work, embroidery, and more.
• : Works directly with artisans, empowering them and their communities with a sustainable livelihood. Available in multiple countries outside of India.
• : A social enterprise that works with artists across more than 70 styles of traditional arts and crafts to create live online workshops, masterclasses, and DIY kits, and also retails beautiful art handmade by these master artists. Their work creates sustainable new livelihoods for traditional and folk artists and provides experiences and products to consumers.
• : A purpose-driven brand that focuses on revival of dying craft clusters across India with the aim to connect consumers and global businesses with the rare crafts of India. Resham Dor aims to empower the Indian artisans and create a sustainable life for them.
• : A sustainable brand for home decor and gifting products. Backed by a large network of women artisans, Sirohi is on a mission to create income opportunities for women from marginalized populations in India with existing craft skills (ships internationally).
• : A social enterprise dedicated to preserving heritage craftsmanship by adapting the heritage handcrafting process, artisanal skills, and know-how to create new products suited for contemporary homes and living.
• : Endeavors to give form to discarded paper through hand spinning, weaving, and handcrafting, amalgamating the traditional skills and knowledge with contemporary appeal (ships internationally).
• : A social enterprise that produces biodegradable disposable dinnerware through community-owned micro-enterprises spread across Northeast India. The tableware provides quality, green alternatives while helping to generate sustainable livelihoods amongst rural women and youth, locally.
• : A designed and curated collection of contemporary terracotta crafts from heritage pottery clusters of India, with a vision to bring the indigenous pottery crafts into the main stream.
• : A curated subscription or one-time purchase box filled with ecoconscious products. To Verth, it matters how these products are made and who they empower.

Indonesia

• : an emerging brand of eco-sustainable fashion that takes advantage of the abundance of waste materials. By doing so, Rubysh has successfully recovered hundreds of kilograms of waste to turn into pieces of jewelry.
• : health and beauty products with zero chemicals and support to local rose farmers.

Malaysia

• : Works with over 200 artisans to make gifts, apparel, and merchandise with hand-dyed textiles and eco-friendly materials (ships internationally).
• : Celebrating craftsmanship and advocating conscious consumption, Earth Heir serves traditional artisans in underserved communities by supporting them with market access and education in ethical business operations.
• : A women-led conscious jewelry brand that educates, employs, and empowers refugee children and youth, Fugeelah is deeply devoted to quality and dedicates itself to thoughtful sourcing, fair wages for the female artisans with whom they co-creates collections, as well as give-back initiatives that truly have an impact.

Nepal

• : A social enterprise dedicated to preserving traditional Nepali arts and crafts while improving the economic conditions of disadvantaged and marginalized producers – primarily women – through sustainable development.

Philippines

• : A pioneering UN-recognized Filipino social enterprise that produces a line of sustainable, green, biodegradable, and non-toxic home and personal care products.
• : A livelihood project-turned-social enterprise that specializes in making ecofriendly charcoal made from coconut waste, called the Eco-Uling. It aims to end poverty, save the environment, and empower people in their own little ways.

Thailand

• : A social enterprise that offers customizable and unique products, handmade by marginalized women with locally sourced materials, as an alternative to traditional corporate gifts.

Australia & New Zealand

• Ä€kina: A social enterprise that offer a range of consulting and business development services to support businesses in creating positive impact.
• Ä€kina has created a list of .
• : Australia’s first national directory of Certified Social Enterprises. The linked list has been filtered down to social enterprises offering giftable items, but the filter can be removed to search for other services.

Europe

Austria

• : An online baking school and coffee shop concept for seniors baking cakes and teaching baking classes to earn additional money to supplement their minimum pension and avoid old-age isolation. In-studio, live online, and on-demand courses available.

France

• : Fair and circular football brand.

Germany

• : With the first charity bag label in Germany, every purchase enables a vulnerable child in Africa to attend school for one year. The bags are created by two women from Hamburg from fine leather returns and surpluses from designer houses.
• : Standing for design that changes society, the label produces sustainably and fairly in Hamburg with socially disadvantaged people as well as with refugees who have only recently come to Germany. Both are united by their enormous craftsmanship beyond certificates and diplomas.
• : The founders of Conflictfood travel to the trouble spots of this world, looking for specialties typical of the country and deal with local farmers: honest, directly, and fair. They strengthen economic structures, fight the root causes of flight, and create peaceful perspectives. Enjoy culinary treasures from all over the world through Conflictfood.
• : A social startup from Munich where senior citizens bake delicious granny cakes. Its goal is to make life more worth living! Senior citizens pursue a meaningful activity and become part of a community, avoiding loneliness and isolation while pursuing their passion for baking.
• : Fair Ethiopian coffee with profits going directly to farmers and cutting the middleman (ships to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).
• : Coffee and tea with social impact directly 100% transparent from the producers. Ohana builds a bridge between family-run coffee and tea farms and socially responsible companies. With purchase prices well above the world market and sustainable partnerships, the company supports farmers and at the same time ensure long-term high quality for customers. Ohana plants a tree for every kilogram of coffee or tea that binds CO2, contributing to biodiversity and creating jobs.
• : A social beer brand from Berlin-Kreuzberg. Every bottle of Quartiermeister support the work of social and cultural projects in the neighbourhood. Every beer is a donation. The company distributes all of its profits where the beer is sold. Consumption becomes a good deed. Quartiermeister has been campaigning for a fair economy for the good of all since 2010.
• : Glass bottles with beautiful designs to discourage plastic waste from bottled water consumption, with profits going to water charities.
• : Founded in 2014, Stadtbienen e.V. takes care of a species-appropriate habitat for honey and wild bees in the city. Inspired by the natural approach of the Mellifera association, a bee house was developed that allows beekeeping even on your own balcony. Support the work with the eco-fair gift box.
• : In large concert halls and at festivals, there is often a certain distance between artist and audience. It is completely different with sofa concerts. With these, a completely new musical experience is created. Experience the music up close and real with friends in your own home – or zoom call.
• : Online chocolate shop focused on socialecological fairness, quality, and craftsmanship.
• : Since 2013, Ăśber den Tellerrand has contributed to the integration and social participation of refugees in society. The company creates spaces that enable encounter and exchange at eye level and promotes friendships between people with and without a refugee experience. In these diverse encounter activities, mutual prejudices are broken down, openness and respect are promoted, and language skills and cultural knowledge are passed on.

Greece

• : High-quality bags and backpacks from broken refugee rubber boats (ships within Europe).

Ireland

• : An online charity shop that ships internationally.

Netherlands

• : Clothes and other textile products made from secondhand textiles and created by newcomers to the Netherlands (ships internationally at additional cost).
• by Social Enterprise NL: Buy Social Market is the simplest way to buy with impact; all products and services are offered by sustainable and inclusive companies. Check out its for gift ideas.

Slovakia

• : Laptop sleeves and slow fashion accessories, all made ethically and from upcycled materials (ships internationally).

U.K.

• : An initiative aimed at helping social enterprises thrive online, elevating the work of social enterprises that are supporting economic opportunities for marginalized communities.
• : A social enterprise that employs women, particularly mothers, from the Rohingya refugee community in India to create one-of-a-kind, multi-purpose baby blankets, which are hand-stitched from reclaimed and ethically-sourced cotton.
• : The UK’s membership body for social enterprises leads the world’s largest network of businesses with a social purpose who together are helping to create a fairer economy and a more sustainable future for everyone.
• : Brings together businesses that are a force for good all under one virtual roof.

Middle East

Lebanon

• : An organization producing the finest quality handmade artisanal products and maximizing employment opportunities for female artisans (ships internationally).

Turkey

• : Unique eco-friendly creative building kit that enables children to transform everyday objects into unique toys (ships within the EU).

North America

Canada

• : Indigenous owned business committed to nature and values the interdependency between all living things. Aurora Heat designs and hand creates sustainable, new-to-market products made from natural fur (ships within Canada and the U.S.)
• : Indigenous artists share stories of resilience through authentic art, culture, and fashion to empower the next generation (ships internationally).
• : Indigenous owned, eco-friendly collections of women’s wear and home decor textiles (ships internationally).

U.S.

• : Coffee grown in Ethiopia, with all proceeds going back to scholarships and education programs for refugees of Sudan in the region the coffee is grown.
• : Corporate gifting that is engaging, measurable, and meaningful.
• : Offers 15 flavors of fair-trade, non-GMO whole and ground coffee beans with specialty and seasonal flavors through a delivery and subscription service (ships to the U.S. and Canada).
• : A social enterprise offering ethically and sustainably sourced, durable, reusable bags that inspire people to reduce, reuse, recycle and re-imagine the world we live in (ships internationally).
• : Personal care products that are fancy and free of harsh chemicals.
• : Philadelphia-based manufacturing startup on a mission to construct stylish, sustainably sourced fashion. They aspire to support women from disenfranchised groups, especially those who are formerly incarcerated, in leading self-sufficient lives by creating fair wage employment opportunities.
• : A place to shop for meaningful gifts, jewelry, and housewares. All of the merchandise was created by participants in Art with a Heart’s workforce development program, and by committed volunteers. Sale proceeds are shared between Art with a Heart and the artist or community partner.
• : Stunning 3D portrait art made with synthetic hair you can feel and 2D reproductions and accessories from the mind of critically acclaimed visual artist Tyler Clark.
• : Remarkable and handmade wall statements for a thoughtful home, Kazi alleviates poverty in Africa through job creation.
• : Empowering artisan families in the Phillipines to overcome poverty by reimagining time-honored local craft for the global marketplace.
• : Artisanal manufacturer of moisture-rich personal care products, especially formulated for highly textured hair and dry skin (ships internationally).
• : An online baking shop that ships nationwide, products include custom cakes, cake jars, and celebration boxes.
• : A mission-driven jewelry company that puts people and products at its forefront as a social enterprise. Rebel Nell use profits to support programs that promote mental well-being, financial training, career education, and other wrap-around programs.
• : A lifestyle brand specializing in thoughtfully made goods, Rochelle Porter combines passion for patterns with a commitment to responsible manufacturing.
• : A low-carb baking mix company that offers sugar free and gluten free dessert baking mixes. The range of products consist of sugar and gluten free cake mixes, frosting mixes, and sprinkles.
• : With moccasins for children, TPMOCS gives back to Native American communities through employment opportunities and resources.
• : Empowering small farming families in Ghana to bring 100% pure cold-pressed moringa oil to conscious consumers worldwide.
• : Supporting the financial security of women coffee farmers (ships internationally).
• : Partners with NGOs around the world that employ women from disadvantaged communities and pay them fair wages to create beautiful and unique cloth bags from fabric scraps.
• : Each Yellow Leaf hammock is handwoven by the expert craftswomen of the Mlabri Tribe in the hills of Northern Thailand. Across three weaving communities, Yellow Leaf Hammocks works to create jobs for mothers and build a foundation for positive community transformation (ships internationally).

South & Central America

Guatemala

• : A social impact business located in the community surrounding the Guatemala City garbage dump, mi eelo is a 100% women-run team, utilizing honest, handmade processes, and recycled materials to create high-quality products (ships to the U.S. and Canada).
• : Home decor that explores synergies between designers and artisans, and empowers rural communities to rescue their cultural techniques, mitigate migration and preserve culture (ships internationally).
• : Conscious skincare with Mayan wisdom, that is both kind to your skin and the earth (ships internationally).
• : A cooperative of female Mayan backstrap loom weavers across Guatemala, Trama Textiles works directly with 100 women from 17 weaving communities across five regions to offer textile products as well as weaving classes at the Trama office in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (ships internationally).

Mexico

• : Contributes to artisans’ wellbeing, the development of small businesses, and preservation of traditional crafting techniques through fair trade by providing secure incomes and community.

What if we could attribute a portion of that spend to organizations that are delivering quality goods and services alongside positive economic, social, and environmental impact? If you knew where to look would you change the way you spend for good?

51·çÁ÷has spent more than a decade building capacity for and working alongside social businesses. In 2020 our commitment to the sector reached new heights by embracing the power of our own spend to accelerate these organizations’ positive global impact. With our social procurement initiative 5 & 5 by ’25, we have committed to a shift of five percent in addressable procurement spend with social enterprises and diverse businesses by 2025. With the help of our incredible partners, buying social is something everyone can do. And together, our proven buying power is even more influential than any one company can be alone.

Individual purchasing decisions around the holidays, or any time through the year, play an important role in supporting social enterprises to continue their work in their respective communities. Whether an organization employs people from marginalized groups, like , or discovers new and creative ways to reduce waste streams, like — and everything in between! — your support makes a difference.

Our money has a greater impact when spent with a business that is centered around a higher purpose.

To help you on your journey to buy social this holiday season, we have compiled a list of social enterprises and social gifting guides from around the world – there is something for everyone here. While this is not an exhaustive collection of all the wonderful social enterprises where you can make purchases, here are a few places to start.

Social media is another great place to find businesses making an impact via searching hashtags like #buysocial, #sustainableliving, and #ecofriendly.

This list also provides some inspiration from businesses doing incredible work, many of which are part of the 51·çÁ÷ecosystem.

If any social enterprises or gift guides you love are not listed here, tag @SAP4Good on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Let’s build a collective list of businesses to support that truly represent the meaning of the holiday spirit.

Global Reach

• products support the work of over 40 nonprofits and social enterprises in 19 states and 65 countries around the globe—in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, North America, & Europe.
• : An online marketplace and curated community platform for purpose driven businesses. Free to set up a profile for your social enterprise.
• For the U.S., Canada, and the UK, our partner UNICEF has created a , where every hand-crafted artisanal gift purchased send lifesaving supplies to children.

Africa

Kenya

• began by creating canvas bags using leftover tent fabric. They are driven by the Swahili proverb “Haraka haraka haina baraka”, meaning “hurry, hurry has no blessing” or more directly “haste makes waste”. Today, bags are made from local, sustainable materials, and are sewn by people, not machines.
• makes art from foam flip flops collected from Kenyan beaches. Ocean Sole removes trash from the oceans, coastlines and makes art to support marine conservation, whilst creating employment opportunities in high-impact areas.

South Africa

• creates contemporary woven goods from tradition weaving methods. At Mungo, they center people, their livelihoods, and their vision at the heart of what they do.

Tanzania

• provides training and employment opportunities for over 120 people with disabilities in the Iringa region of Tanzania. It also aims to change negative attitudes towards people with disabilities in the local society. Products include home dĂ©cor and accessories.
• is a collection of artisan home dĂ©cor pieces and accessories made by local women. WomenCraft’s mission is to bring women together in the rural, post-conflict area from the tri-border region of Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania to create economic opportunity.
• is a marketplace that provide artisans from across Tanzania with a premium marketplace that they would not normally have access to, and connects artisans to technology and business networks.

Uganda

• is a clothing and accessory line that focuses on the environment by using recycled fabrics and creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Zambia

• employs local craftswomen and makes beautiful jewelry from snare wire that is recovered from poaching traps. Each purchase supports local conservation efforts to protect Zambia’s wildlife.

Asia

India

• is a community of over 2,000 artisans across rural India. They connect artisans with global consumers, which develops more sustainable livelihoods and continues the traditions of craftsmanship in India.

Lebanon

• Through handmade traditional embroidery, is provides employment opportunities for women in the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon.

Malaysia

• serves traditional artisans in underserved communities by supporting with market access and education in ethical business operations. This online marketplace sells artisan-made goods, ranging from jewelry and clothing to home accessories.

Singapore

• sells their signature blends online, as well as coffee subscriptions, accessories, and merch. Each purchase supports Bettr Coffee’s initiatives including running vocational programs for marginalized women and at-risk youth.
• showcases and supports the abilities of people with special needs, and features work from artists who are differently-abled. All products, such as water bottles and tote bags, feature illustrations of animals created by The Animal Project’s artists.
• offers a full range of lifestyle products designed to help consumers reduce waste, including, of course, bamboo straws.
• repurposes old tires to make high-quality footwear.
• sells handcrafted ceramic homeware and jewelry. They partner with ethical workshops and social enterprises who hire socially disadvantaged artisans.

Australia and New Zealand

• Ä€kina has created a list of . Ä€kina is a social enterprise that offer a range of consulting and business development services to support businesses in creating positive impact.
• offers essential oils, tees and totes. It is an organization that promotes and empowers women. 100% of profits from each sale is invested in mental health and wellbeing programs delivered for free to women experiencing crisis and vulnerabilities.
• is a clothing social impact business that creates new economic and creative opportunities for Aboriginal people around Australia, and provides a platform for people to connect, celebrate and learn from Aboriginal people, culture and stories.

Europe

Germany

• is a bag label in Germany, every purchase enables a vulnerable child in Africa to attend school for one year. The bags are created in Hamburg from fine leather returns and surpluses from designer houses.
• stands for design that changes society. The label produces sustainable and fair clothing and accessories in Hamburg with socially disadvantaged people as well as with refugees who have only recently come to Germany.
• offer sustainable glass drinking bottles for at home and on the go. The bottles are made in Berlin and consist of up to 80% recycled glass and zero plastic. For every bottle sold, Soulbottles donate € 1 to the organization and support e.g. the construction of wells all over the world.
• offers coffee and tea with social impact. OHANA builds a bridge between family-run coffee and tea farms and socially responsible companies. With purchase prices well above the world market and sustainable partnerships, they support the farmers and ensure long-term high quality for their customers.

UK

• Social Enterprise UK, a network of social enterprises throughout the UK, creates an annual gift shopping guide. The features over 70 businesses!
• is an online marketplace aimed at making ethical shopping accessible. They offer a range of products that put people and planet first.
• offer a variety of organic, fair-trade tea blends, and provides employment opportunities for refugees.

North America

Canada

• has an extensive database for you to find valuable connections in your community and make an impact by doing business with social enterprises.
• EWMA was launched in 2003 as a development initiative of Atira Women’s Resource Society. It has focused on supporting women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to work together to develop an alternative form of business or employment that is grounded in their needs and realities.
• is a Social Enterprise of Building Futures Employment Society. The Futures Birds Team have been creating these unique custom pieces since 2013 in Lower Sackville. Buying a Futures Birds is not only purchasing a beautiful piece of folk art; it is buying social which supports the very important services we provide for their employees and participants.
• is a nonprofit society that creates opportunities for connection to community, through nature, bees and the culture of the hive. We foster self-worth and community pride through skills sharing and experiential learning, working with socially and economically vulnerable populations facing barriers to stability.
• is Canada’s first Indigenous Arts Hotel and has diligently worked to provide guests with first-class services and a platform to showcase local Indigenous art and culture. At the street level, the Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery features Indigenous artwork which includes original paintings, framed limited edition prints, jewelry, pottery, wood carvings, giftware and so much more, purchasing most of its original work from local artists.
• is a social enterprise operated by Queens Association for Supported Living – an organization that promotes the social and economic inclusion of people with diverse abilities. The Riverbank provides meaningful work-skills training and employment as well as a valuable service to the community.
• is a Dartmouth non-profit pet supply business operated by mental health consumers. We supply pet foods and various pet products. Coupled with your patronage, and their work experience, Petstuff on the Go helps mental health consumers become independent members of the community.
• is an employment and entrepreneurship training program for women (cis and trans) and gender diverse people who experience barriers to employment. Their goal is to help women and gender-diverse people reach financial stability through building career management skills, real work experience and developing their own business.

U.S.

• REDF invests in and advises high-impact social enterprises to employ and empower people overcoming barriers to work. We believe that individuals who are striving to overcome adversity, including those who have historically faced discrimination, deserve the opportunity to work and contribute their skills and talents to our country and our economy. You can find their Social Enterprise Gift Guide .
• has the biggest Selection of the Best Plants for a Good Cause. Their mission is to empower people impacted by mass incarceration and other social inequities with the skills and resources to cultivate food sovereignty, economic justice, and community healing.
• thoughtfully sources from purveyors are what make Packed with Purpose gifts unique and filled with impact. They have a large selection of curated, personal, and corporate gifts from Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, B-Corp, and BIPOC companies with products that are made in the U.S., Eco-Friendly, and Small Batch.
• is an online shopping guide platform and community resource celebrating all things social enterprise! Their mission is to empower purchasers to create change with your everyday actions. Through their social impact blog and seasonal gift guides, they have the product recommendations, information, and practical tips you need to start making an impact in your daily life.

South and Central America

Brazil

• makes chocolates sourced from a network of family farmers that produce organic cocoa in the Amazon floodplains. Alongside enabling family farmers to farm cocoa sustainably, ±·˛ąâ€™k˛ąłÜ also works with communities to conserve the forest around them.

Mexico

• works with 180 artisans, 98% of whom are women. Through fair trade, Someone Somewhere contributes to artisans’ wellbeing, the development of small businesses, and preservation of traditional crafting techniques by providing secure incomes and community.
• is known for their hand-painted accessories. They support local artists by providing income and promoting Mexican art.

German brewer wanted to do something different, too. Based in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, the brand’s selling point is that it is Germany’s first beer with a purpose. Comprising a limited company and an association, the social enterprise was founded in 2010. Its idea is to donate 10 cents of the price of every liter of beer sold to cultural projects in the local community. Sales of the socially-conscious beer, which is brewed at a number of locations in Germany, have benefited more than 160 projects to date. The business is entirely transparent to its customers, who vote online for the projects they want to see funded. The limited company takes care of procurement, marketing, and sales; the association’s job is to allocate funds to the chosen projects.

More Growth Means More Money for Local Projects

Quartiermeister and 51·çÁ÷first joined forces as part of the initiative. Through this social entrepreneurship initiative, 51·çÁ÷wants to help solve the world’s biggest social problems by drawing on its people, technology, data, and vast customer and partner ecosystem. All these resources together create a portfolio of lean, sustainable startup ventures to bring about positive change.

Quartiermeister decided to deploy enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to help it expand and run its operations in a more professional way. Growing its business means it can generate more money. The more money it earns, the more community and cultural projects it can fund.

This is why Quartiermeister is looking to expand its operations to all regions of Germany. To achieve its growth ambition, it needs an ERP solution. It also wants its processes to be transparent and more efficient. That would give it more capital and more time to invest in achieving its ultimate goal: business that benefits everyone.

Small and midsize companies in particular have unique needs that require a specific solution. By expanding its local partner ecosystem, and through the and solutions, 51·çÁ÷is helping the midmarket tap into new opportunities. Moving to the cloud with an ERP solution such as 51·çÁ÷Business One and the support of an implementation partner offers security, scalability, and a smooth transition.

Strong Partner for Tailored Solutions

After they first began working together in 2019, 51·çÁ÷put Quartiermeister in touch with , an 51·çÁ÷partner. Together, they devised a plan to find a standard yet scalable 51·çÁ÷solution for Quartiermeister. Here, too, the social enterprise’s values came first. UNIORG has vast project experience and recognized how important it was to understand the customer’s needs and help it meet them. “We are pleased that 51·çÁ÷Business One provides a small social enterprise with a commercial and technology platform that it can use to make its operations more digital and therefore more professional. It gives it the scope to expand further so it can support more community projects and focus on its core idea,” says Frank Hoischen, head of Sales for 51·çÁ÷Business One at UNIORG Group.

was the clear choice. It is ERP software that 51·çÁ÷has tailored to the unique requirements of small and midsize enterprises. It has the main functions these businesses need, and they can add almost any other functionality they want through cloud offerings from 51·çÁ÷and add-ons. 51·çÁ÷Business One can run on premise and in the cloud. UNIORG also built an add-on for breweries that maps their specific processes. Quartiermeister placed its order at the end of January 2020 and the implementation began soon after.

The project got underway in February 2020 – only for it to be brought to a standstill a few weeks later by the . With the entire hospitality sector closed, revenue nose-dived. In August, the partners began work on the project again. After a test phase, the new software went live in January 2021.

This project shows the strength of working with 51·çÁ÷partners:

• Solutions tailored to the needs and wishes of the customer
• All parties pulling together to respond to unexpected challenges
• Post-go-live support and optimization of processes to help ensure customers get the most out of their investment

The ERP Solution as an Investment in the Future – More Beer for More Good Causes

The project benefited not just the business but the community, too:  helped Quartiermeister streamline its processes, making it more efficient. By reducing the workload in this way, the enterprise can free up potential. What is more, management now has more reliable information about its various markets, which it can use to focus on strategic goals and drive its expansion across Germany.

“51·çÁ÷Business One has enabled us to keep growing, keep doing good, and support more community projects. We now have every confidence that all our business processes are running smoothly behind the scenes,” says David Griedelbach, cofounder and managing director of Quartiermeister – Korrekter Konsum GmbH.

Even though the pandemic is still restricting public life, in implementing an ERP solution has taken the next step toward digitalization, laying the foundations for future growth and more positive social impact through the sale of beer with a purpose.

According to the World Bank, global procurement spend in 2019 was at least USD 14 trillion. By directing even just a small fraction of this spend to certified social enterprises and diverse businesses, organizations have the power to tackle some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental problems.

Based on early pilots in select markets, 51·çÁ÷estimates it could direct up to USD 60 million of its addressable global spend per year to social enterprises and diverse suppliers by 2025. Among DAX companies, this figure is estimated at approximately EUR 2.5 billion, and across U.S. Fortune 500 companies up to USD 25 billion.

51·çÁ÷Executive Board member for Customer Success and recently appointed Global Buy Social Ambassador for Social Enterprise UK Adaire Fox-Martin announced the 5 & 5 by ’25 initiative at SAP’s Procurement Reimagined event in Singapore.

“Every company in every industry needs to procure,” Fox-Martin said. “We all need soap in our washrooms, landscaping for our offices, food and drink in our cafeterias, marketing services and office supplies. These and many more are all products and services provided by social enterprises and diverse businesses. This is money we are spending anyway. Why not spend it with suppliers who are delivering social impact as well?”

Social enterprises are businesses culturally and operationally focused on changing the world. They are similar to other commercially viable businesses, but with three crucial differences: They are founded and governed on the basis of a clear social or environmental mission; they reinvest the majority of their profit back into this mission; and they are majority controlled solely in the interest of this mission. A diverse supplier is a business that is at least 51 percent owned and operated by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved demographic; such as women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses and indigenous-owned businesses, among others.

“Together with our customers, partners, diverse suppliers and social enterprises, we have set out to expand social procurement where infrastructure exists and intend to establish the infrastructure and build capacity where it doesn’t,” Fox-Martin added. “We invite our entire ecosystem to learn more and take part, join us in this initiative, and help build the pathways and the momentum to realize this ambition and find a better way to grow.”

To learn more, read “Social Procurement: Finding a Better Way to Grow,” by Fox-Martin.

Visit the 51·çÁ÷News Center. Follow 51·çÁ÷on Twitter at .

About 5 & 5 by ’25

5 & 5 by ’25 is an initiative by 51·çÁ÷designed to encourage organizations across industries to direct more of their addressable spend toward certified social-enterprise and diverse-business suppliers. In joining the initiative, organizations agree to formalize their exploration of social procurement, including partnering with leading intermediaries, adopting social-procurement policies, consuming goods and services from purposeful suppliers, and expanding their engagement with more social enterprises and diverse businesses. The goal is to reach 5 percent of annual addressable procurement spend with social enterprises and with diverse businesses by 2025 and in doing so make significant impact on social inequalities and environmental imperatives. 5 & 5 by ’25 is part of the 51·çÁ÷One Billion Lives program, focused on promoting greater inclusion of social entrepreneurship in the global economy. For more information, visit 

About SAP

SAP’s strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP® system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. 51·çÁ÷helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 51·çÁ÷helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit

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*Addressable spend (as opposed to total spend) includes only a company’s orders for goods and services that can be fulfilled by a social enterprise or diverse business. For specific goods and services such as rent, energy, labor and some professional services, often neither social enterprises nor diverse businesses yet exist that provide them. Estimates based on assessments of SAP’s own spend suggest that between 10 percent and 30 percent of total spend could be designated as addressable spend, depending on country.

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In this new role, Fox-Martin will encourage organizations across industries and geographies to innovate with and procure from social enterprises. She will serve in a voluntary capacity while maintaining all of her responsibilities running Customer Success, SAP’s global sales, services, and customer engagement organization.

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“The past few months drastically highlight the need to think and act differently. We must seek out opportunities to be cooperative and find ways to support each other while confronting some of the world’s greatest challenges,” Fox-Martin said. “It is clear that purpose and profit can and must co-exist. The social enterprise movement is more than evidence of that; it’s inspiration. Customers, employees, and partners need to see an environmental or social mission woven into the fabric of every business. Supporting social enterprises provides an entry point to meeting that demand while also creating a new path to growth.”

“SAP’s leadership and commitment to galvanize large companies into creating positive change through their everyday business spend will benefit the communities they work in and those the world over,” said Social Enterprise UK CEO Peter Holbrook. “Now is the time for businesses to look at their social and environmental impact and recognize the power and influence they can have in building a fairer, more sustainable economy.”

Social enterprises are businesses culturally and operationally focused on changing the world. They are similar to other commercially viable businesses, but with three crucial differences. They are founded and governed on the basis of a clear social or environmental mission. They reinvest the majority of their profit back into this mission. And they are majority-controlled solely in the interest of this mission.

Since 2019, 51·çÁ÷has significantly increased the amount it spends with social enterprises in select markets, and under Fox-Martin’s leadership has sought to expand its social procurement strategy and encouraged customers and partners to follow suit.

Consider , a Vancouver-based social enterprise that provides catering services to SAP’s local offices. In addition to bringing approximately 30,000 nutritious meals each year to low-income people, Executive Director and General Manager Naved Noorani estimates that the organization has contributed approximately $4 million to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to date through its employee payroll.

“People struggle living from one paycheck to the next in a world that doesn’t go viral on social media or make headlines anywhere,” Noorani said. “We are their family, and we also have to be competitive so we can continue expanding our impact. It’s because 51·çÁ÷gets catering from us that we can provide our social programs to the community.”

Business Gets Competitive Edge with Community Benefits

Make no mistake, is a business imperative. researchers predicted that over 55 percent of consumers will consider company values when making a buying decision. analysts said that 35 percent of knowledge and frontline workers will consider social, environmental, and humanitarian actions key criteria for where they decide to work by 2021.

Gerry Higgins, managing director at , said that bringing social enterprises into procurement catalogs adds another powerful dimension of value beyond longtime business purchasing criteria like pricing and quality.

“If a city with youth unemployment challenges evaluates construction bids based, in part, on the potential for greater community benefits, we’ve seen commercial companies commit to training qualified apprentices instead of using cheap labor from somewhere else,” Higgins said.

Global Commitment Requires Buy-In from Local Buyers

While social procurement at 51·çÁ÷is a top-down commitment from senior leaders, having buy-in from employees in the procurement department is equally important.

“Our employees are very supportive of this,” said Ron Singh, procurement specialist at 51·çÁ÷in Vancouver, “Buyers have to personally believe in the vision so they are committed carrying out the mission every day. Thinking social means shopping local.”

The impact of employee involvement in SAP’s commitment to social procurement is palpable at , another Vancouver-based organization doing business with the company; in this case, delivering fruit to the local 51·çÁ÷office daily. HAVE’s community programs include housing assistance and job skills training.

“The delivery job alone, which generates many hours of employment for one driver, means more to this person than he can ever describe,” said Adriane King, Operations and Development director at HAVE. “He looks forward to going to work every day because of the relationships he’s made with the people at SAP. It gives him a sense of purpose, something that’s amazing for his mental and physical health.”

Higgins saw supply chain spend with social enterprises as a fundamental shift in relationship-building between private sector businesses and society at large.

“Social procurement is mutually beneficial, making it a more balanced transaction,” he explained. “This becomes a more sustainable relationship between social enterprises and the private and public sectors going forward.”

Social Change is Bigger than Procurement

Buying from social enterprises is part of SAP’s commitment to have a larger role in society, improving people’s lives. Alexandra van der Ploeg, head of 51·çÁ÷CSR, said that the company is initially building social procurement programs in Australia, Canada, and the UK because those regions tend to have the largest amounts of mature social enterprises that are capable of meeting corporate supply chain needs for goods and services.

“There are increasing demands across SAP, as well as with our customers worldwide, to include more social enterprises in procurement,” van der Ploeg said. “That’s why we’re investing in partnerships with entrepreneurs and incubators in the communities where 51·çÁ÷and our customers operate. We want to empower more social enterprises so they can do business with companies like ours.”

Social Enterprises: Pipeline to Job Opportunities

Tribu Meraki is among the many social enterprises working with 51·çÁ÷to expand the impact of global CSR programs through procurement. Founded to help jumpstart career opportunities for unemployed youth, the Argentina-based startup was a participant in a social enterprise accelerator supported by the  program. Today, Tribu Meraki provides multimedia production services to 51·çÁ÷in Argentina and other regions. The organization also collaborates with social foundations that support campaigns such as economic growth.

“The work we’re doing for 51·çÁ÷means that we can bring in more young people as apprentices who gain confidence in their skills and desire to grow professionally,” said Ivan Villasmil, co-founder and art illustrator at Tribu Meraki. “Being an 51·çÁ÷vendor has given us tremendous visibility worldwide, helping us open more doors for young workers to realize their career dreams.”

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In the same vein, 51·çÁ÷CSR helps its target audience of nonprofit organizations and social enterprises adopt innovation and organizational best practices, such as design thinking, to run at their best.

We have spent the past decade building trust and adding value to this sector. We carefully select partners — primarily in the areas of quality education, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship — to co-develop and co-innovate programs driving collective impact.

One valued partners is social entrepreneur Regina Honu, who runs the Soronko Academy in Ghana. Soronko Academy is an organization that has given more than 4,500 girls in eight regions across Ghana the chance to learn coding. Here, we discuss her journey and the power of social entrepreneurship.

Q: Can you tell us about your social enterprise?

A: Soronko Academy is a coding and human-centered design academy for children and adults. We teach them coding and digital skills as well as soft and leadership skills. After that we connect them with job or internship opportunities or opportunities to start their own business.

As a social entrepreneur, why is sustainability important to you?

It’s important that we take care of the planet, it’s important that we take care for the next generation — even as an organization, as we work with a lot of children. We are putting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in their mind — all 17 of them — so that they are growing up, understanding that this planet is their responsibility but not only for them, also for the next generations.

I’m hoping that in the next 10 years we will see more cooperation and multi-stakeholder engagement, so that there is a bigger push for sustainability. People will not just have the talk but walk the talk. And I’m hoping that we will see lots of great initiatives coming around the circular economy and people reducing their CO2 footprint. A lot of amazing things happening; I’m very excited to see 10 years in the future.

What makes Soronko Academy a social enterprise?

For us, social impact is very important. Sustainability is also a key factor, and we are looking for skills development. Africa is such a youthful population and we focus also on UN SDG 5, gender equality. It’s important that we upskill the African population — especially women and girls, who are mostly the vulnerable group — to have 21st-century skills, which are digital and technology knowledge, to be able to be competitive, get better jobs, and enrich their lives.

Technology drives everything that we do, and it is important that women and girls are not left behind. For us as a social enterprise, we are big in bridging that gender gap in the digital and technology economy, which is changing everything around us.

How do you see the relationship between the private sector and social enterprises?

Employees want to do good. Let’s look at it first from the employee perspective: They want to work for an organization that cares for their environment. So first it is important that private sector has that engagement or partnership with nonprofits, where first they can provide that platform for employees to volunteer and do good.

The second thing is, even if you’re looking at it from the business sense, people want to have even more reason to buy your products. Is your product using sustainable resources? Do you recycle? Are you giving back to the community? How are you affecting the people that patronize your product? It is not just about having a great product. People now also want to have a cause associated with a product, that this product makes a difference in the world. Private sector has a lot to gain from partnering with nonprofits to show that they do care. What is your value system? It is not enough that you are digging water, that you’re a technology-enabled company.

I can see that private sector and nonprofits are really having a great marriage and the private sector can help nonprofits run in a more sustainable way: help them with their model, how they can scale, because that sometimes is the challenge for social enterprises.

At Soronko Academy, participants learn technical coding and information and communications technology skills, along with soft skills such as entrepreneurship, leadership and networking. .

Top image courtesy of Regina Honu.