Sources of Funding and Revenues of Social Enterprises in Poland in Comparison to Selected European Countries and World-Wide

The fundamental ideas and values of the social economy find their expression in the goals of social enterprises and in the ways of their activity. However, they are not the only determinants of their social activity. Diversified financial resources are also necessary to stimulate the creation and development of these enterprises. The objective of the paper is to indicate to what extent social enterprises in Poland use various sources of funding their activity, compared to chosen European countries and world-wide. The analyses were carried out on the basis of data from international SEFORIS reports, covering 1000 social enterprises in Hungary, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Russia and China and a sample of 412 Polish social enterprises. The findings of analyses indicate that revenues from business activity are significant financial source of social enterprises in many European countries, including Poland. However, they are not the only way to gain capital. Among other forms of capital contribution, subsidies, donations or membership fees can be singled out. The share of social enterprises using those sources significantly varies in individual countries.