GROWING THE FOURTH SECTOR GOALS & MARKERS OF SUCCESS .
To harness the fourth sector globally and unleash the potential of for-benefit organizations to generate social, economic and environmental benefits at scale, key interventions from policymakers, business leaders, investors, academia, social innovators, and civil society are needed.
Our vision is to build a better post-COVID-19 economy that leaves no one behind, overcomes the structural barriers to equality and transparency and puts purpose first, so that our planet and society can thrive for generations to come. We aim to do this by working together to accelerate the growth of the emerging fourth sector of the economy and its supportive ecosystem.
Our goal is to hasten the fourth sector’s growth — transitioning from what has been an organic, self-organizing, and emergent process to an intentional one. To do so, we aim to provide the necessary tools, information and support that encourage key strategic actions by policymakers, business leaders, investors, academia, civil society and other actors to recognize and support the emerging sector.
Recognizing requires seeing the distinction between for-benefit organizations and other forms, and acknowledging their legitimacy and importance. Supporting the sector can then happen through removal of systemic barriers that impede the creation for-benefit organizations, implementation of targeted policies and programs that uplift them, and strengthening of the supportive infrastructure for the sector to thrive.
As governments consider how best to deploy public funds to respond to the crisis and stimulate economic recovery, they should consider how to encourage the whole of society to take part in the rise and growth of the fourth sector to build back better.
Everyone has a role to play in growing the fourth sector. Our vision of success includes everyone, in each of their domains, participating in and benefiting from the growth and formalization of the fourth sector.
To see how anyone can help with this effort, and action steps that key actors should be taking, check out our TAKE ACTION page now.