REDF Launches Platform to Share Best Practices and Tools with Social Enterprise Community

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, REDF unveiled REDFworkshop.org, a one-of-a-kind platform that connects and informs an engaged network of social enterprise stakeholders and encourages sharing best practices, discussing challenges and building new partnerships. REDF has helped thousands find employment and hope; in an effort to expand the number of people supported through this model, REDFworkshop.org users will benefit from REDF's unique expertise in creating jobs and opportunities to work.

"By preparing people to work, research shows that social enterprise benefits lives and society," said Carla Javits, REDF President & CEO. "With the launch of REDFworkshop.org, we're taking the best practices from nearly two decades of experience and infusing them into a platform that will make a meaningful impact on communities beyond our state's borders."

REDFworkshop.org engages a wide range of stakeholder roles, including social enterprise innovators, funders, business leaders and policymakers. With social enterprise as a catalyst to prepare people otherwise excluded to participate in the workforce, the website invites new partnerships, learning and the cultivation of a broader conversation to accelerate the pace of change.

The site offers guided and interactive tools for start-up social enterprises, provocative video interviews with diverse stakeholders, and other features including:

• Powerful tools to help users plan, launch or expand a social enterprise, including guidance in market analysis, financial projections, performance measurement and business planning
• An interactive dashboard that tracks user progress through the tool suite, including strength indicators of social enterprise viability, as well as recommendations for next steps
• Extensive library of compelling videos with insights from thought leaders who drive change in the field, including employers, policy experts, investors and philanthropists 
• Discussion boards and private messaging capabilities to connect with others in the movement

REDF provides funding, business connections and operational expertise to social enterprises, which are mission-driven businesses focused on hiring and assisting people who are willing and able to work, but have the hardest time getting a job. Social enterprises prepare employees to work by providing real on-the-job skills development and comprehensive services such as job placement services, counseling and life-stability supports. With the goal of helping employees secure long-term employment, these transitional jobs enable people to realize their full potential and establish a career path.

REDF recently announced the findings of the Mathematica Jobs Study (MJS), showing social enterprise provides a cost-effective way to both improve the lives of people who face barriers to work and generate savings for communities and taxpayers. For more information on MJS visit http://redf.org/jobsreport/.

About REDF
REDF creates jobs and employment opportunities for people facing the greatest barriers to work – like people who've been homeless or in prison, young people disconnected from work and school, and those with mental health disabilities. Founded in 1997 by George R. Roberts (KKR), REDF provides funding and expertise to organizations in California to launch and grow social enterprises, which are mission-driven businesses focused on hiring and assisting people who face barriers to work.  As a result REDF has helped thousands of people in California get jobs and find hope.  Now REDF is taking best practices learned from nearly two decades of experience to grow their impact nationally and put hundreds of thousands of people to work. For more information, follow REDF on Twitter at @REDF_CA or visit http://redf.org/.

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SOURCE REDF

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