The Prosperity Project: An Open Source Social Enterprise

The mission is "Do well by doing good." Kim Breas, founder of DoughNation Services LLC and a leader in the donation services industry, aims at setting a new high standard by introducing the first open source social enterprise: the Prosperity Project.

Social enterprise is a sector emerging between nonprofits and for-profits, and includes businesses run by nonprofits as well as for-profit enterprises with nonprofit ideals, such as DoughNation.

In 2002, DoughNation became the first service in the nation to provide homeowners with tax deduction documentation and delivery for donations of quality clothing and belongings. Soon, DoughNation customers saw they would gain tax deductions worth at least what they pay for service - and usually more. As customer needs expanded, DoughNation introduced Gentle Disposition as an expanded service that clears the entire home through donation, recycle, and disposal. As with DoughNation, the Gentle Disposition service pays for itself in tax deductions.

'I believe the donation services industry is the most socially positive and economically promising industry to emerge in decades, and I believe 'doing well by doing good' is the principle we most need to advance in these troubled times', says Kim. Offering the

Prosperity Project as an open source social enterprise - meaning individuals and organizations can build businesses with the model, free of charge - is the strongest statement she can make to back her words.

The Prosperity Project grew out of these first donation services and introduces two more: Full Circle Fundraising that leverages tax deduction benefits into flexible programs for schools and nonprofits and the Community Partnership, linking local businesses to schools and community organizations to generate revenue for all. These four new services all hold potential for spin-off small businesses ranging from repairing and reselling furniture and electronics, running resale shops, online auctions, event planning, etc.

By making the project open source, Kim has given up control of the Prosperity Project. She hopes the project will not be limited to one industry but will create a 'do well by doing good' culture. The Prosperity Project promotes a living wage, ongoing interpersonal and professional skills training to support individual success and flexible positions to accommodate single parent, student, and caretaker schedules. In addition, a policy preventing individuals with criminal records from access to customer information opens opportunities for those working to rebuild lives after incarceration while seeking to assure the community about the staff who will show up at their door.

In addition to altruism, Kim has found one more good reason to make the Prosperity Project open source. After three years of trying, she realized that running a business was not her strength. Since she couldn't build her vision alone, Kim started working to find those who can help - with the hope that the spirit of 'doing well by doing good' will be honored more than not.

When asked what she gets out of all this, Kim says, "Two things. I expect some will want to help building the Prosperity Project in their communities and hire me as a consultant. So there will be financial rewards over time. Most important to me, though, is that I want to live in a better world. I believe the Prosperity Project charts a course to that better world, and that's why I'm committed to moving the Prosperity Project forward."

www.DoughNationServices.com

Read more information at StreetRoots.org: Riding Out The Business Bumps on the Road to Solutions