Faith-based social venture enterprise: A model for financial sustainability.

摘要

This research completed a generic business model to assist faith-based, social service providers in financially sustaining their social service programs. Inadequate funding restricts these providers from consistently sustaining services for people with social service needs. Grounded theory, framed by consumer self-reward theory, was used to conduct this study. The research question sought to discover the values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations of the Christian consumer which would influence the success of a Christian, faith-saturated, social venture enterprise. Data analysis involved theoretical coding for conceptual ideas. The constant comparative analysis technique was used to assimilate the information gathered from surveys, interviews, storytelling, journals, memos, and member checks from 14 Christian, baby boomer consumers living in a southwestern state. The research results suggest a Christian, faith-saturated, social venture enterprise would be successful in the marketplace when it openly displays Christianity in its business operations, rather than claiming to be Christian but not exhibiting any Christian items, behaviors, or communications in consumer interactions. Implications for social change include offering a means for providers of any faith to consistently assist in curbing poverty and social decay by financially sustaining the social services they provide, without sacrificing the identity, community respect, religious practices, or federal tax exempt status of the nonprofit, service provider.