IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Business Models THANKS TO OUR KEYSTONE

FUNDING PARTNER

for Social Impact

ONLINE COURSE SYLLABUS
BUSINESS MODELS
F O R S O C I A L I M PA C T
Build a business model to launch your social enterprise.
Course Description
You’ve come up with an amazing idea for
a new product or service. Now how do you
figure out if there is a sustainable business
model to get this innovation into the hands
of your customers?
This five-module course from +Acumen &
Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for
Social Entrepreneurship will help you think
through how you can create financial value
while creating social impact. The course
draws from content taught by the Miller
Center’s Global Social Benefit Institute
(GSBI®) curriculum and combines it with
Acumen’s insights from 15 years of investing
in social enterprises.
While this course will not delve into the
intricacies of financial modeling, you’ll
emerge with a big-picture understanding
of the key components to consider if you
are building a business that prioritizes
social impact and strives for financial
sustainability.
Course Format
This is an online course. You can view and
access all course materials at your own pace
during the period that the course is open.
There are no live sessions or specific times
you need to log in.
Statement of Accomplishment
Upon completion of this course, you will
earn a Statement of Accomplishment signed
by the Director of +Acumen that you can
+ACUMEN Business Models for Social Impact
share with your professional networks.
What You’ll Learn
+ The four social enterprise models
that Acumen has seen effectively
create value
+ Start a business model canvas
to map out components of your
potential company
+ Understand how to develop a
business model that can drive
financial sustainability and social
impact
+ Create and test hypotheses
about a social enterprise’s target
market size, cost structure,
revenue streams, and value chain
partnerships
+ Uncover revenue engines to power
businesses serving customers
living in bottom of the pyramid
markets
2
COURSE
SYLLABUS

+ACUMEN Business Models for Social Impact

+ Reading: Acumen and GSBI’s Take + Reading: 4 Types of Business
on Social Enterprise Models Models

+ Case Study: Aravind + Reading: Innovations in Social

+ Reading: What is a Social
Enterprise?
+ Reading: What is a Business
Model?
+ Reading: Introduction to the
Business Model Canvas
+ Reading: 9 Building Blocks of the
Business Model
+ Reading: Integrating Your Impact
Model and Business Model
Enterprise Models
+ Reading: The Need for a Lean
Startup Approach
+ Reading: Where Social
Entrepreneurs Go Wrong
+ Reading: Social Enterprise Model
Catalog
+ Activity: Three Business Model
Canvas Sprints

+ Activity: Write a Mission

Statement

3
COURSE
SYLLABUS

+ACUMEN Business Models for Social Impact

+ Reading: Who are your customers? + Examples: Market Segmentation

+ Case Study: Aravind + Reading: Building a Value

Proposition
+ Activity: Identify your mission,
metric, and target customer + Reading: How Will I Reach My
Customers?
+ Reading: Sizing Your Market
+ Reading: Building Channels to
+ Examples: Market Sizing
Your Customers
+ Reading: Analyzing Your Market
+ Activity: Market Size Analysis
+ Reading: Segmenting Your Market

4
COURSE
SYLLABUS

+ACUMEN Business Models for Social Impact

+ Reading: Understanding Your + Reading: Partnering Best Practices
Value Chain
+ Case Study: Aravind
+ Reading: Operating in Emerging
+ Activity: Value Chain Mapping
Markets

+ Reading: Building a Value Chain,

Building Relationships

+ Reading: Value Chains in Service

Companies

5
COURSE
SYLLABUS

+ACUMEN Business Models for Social Impact

+ Reading: Building a Revenue + Reading: Risks of Cross-
Engine Subsidization

+ Case Study: Aravind + Reading: Revenue Engines when

Users Need Free/ Subsidized
+ Case Study: Vision Spring
Access
+ Reading: How Will You Capture
+ Reading: Revenue Engines for
Value?
Other Impact Models
+ Reading: Types of Revenue Engines
+ Reading: Determining Cost
by Impact Model
Structure
+ Reading: Revenue Engines When
+ Reading: Revenue Engines for
Users Can Pay
Marketplace Models
+ Reading: Determining Affordability
+ Reading: Setting Prices
for the Poor
+ Activity: Business Model Canvas
+ Reading: Revenue Engines When
Users Can’t Pay + Activity: Summary Deck

6
WHERE WILL YOU GO NEXT?
+Acumen is a vibrant community of change
leaders around the world. We believe that
by working together to amplify the impact
of each other’s work, we’ll create a world
beyond poverty. When this course wraps up,
how will you continue to stay connected?
Other Programs from the Miller Center for
Social Entrepreneurship
Check out and apply to the programs
offered by the Miller Center for Social
Entrepreneurship including GSBI Online,
a 6-month program for early stage social
entrepreneurs. Learn more.
Take Another +Acumen Course
With the largest offering of online education
in the social impact space, we’ve got courses
in personal development, leadership and
social entrepreneurship. As you have just
CONNECT WITH +ACUMEN courses@plusacumen.org
+ACUMEN Business Models for Social Impact
experienced, our hands-on courses offer
a practical and collaborative environment
to move your work forward. Check out our
calendar of upcoming courses.
If you’re interested in learning more about
impact and business, check out:
+ Financial Modeling for the Social
Sector: Build sustainable financial
models to scale your impact
+ Social Impact Analysis: How to
know if your work is making an
impact
+ Lean Data Approaches to Measure
Social Impact: Use low-cost
technology to gain high-quality
data and insights from your
customers
7
WHERE WILL
YOU GO NEXT?

Learn from the Best Become a Catalyst

At +Acumen, we’re fortunate and grateful Catalysts are current and former students
to work with some of the world’s most who care deeply about helping others
incredible thought-leaders. They are unlock their potential. They enrich the
masters of their craft who have generously course experience as guides -– answering

+ACUMEN Business Models for Social Impact

given their time to create courses based questions, helping students get unstuck,
on their work. +Acumen Master Classes and encouraging them to go beyond their
include instructors such as Chris Anderson limitations. Apply what you’ve learned in
(Head of TED), Krista Tippett (an NPR Radio the course in a new way by coaching others
Host), Elizabeth Gilbert (bestselling author), through the material, engage deeply in the
and Seth Godin (marketing guru). If you’re work of others and meet students from
interested in learning more about impact around the world. Apply to be a catalyst.
and business, check out:
Join the +Acumen Corps
Dan Ariely on We launched the +Acumen Corps to bring
Changing individuals together to collaborate and
Customer connect. We all know that driving social
Behavior: Harness change is hard work and that in order to
the principles of create the change we seek in the world, we
behavioral change need each other. Corps members are bonded
to reach more by our shared goal of creating a world
customers and beyond poverty and that it will take all of us
create impact. to achieve it. To join the +Acumen Corps you
must participate and complete a +Acumen
Angela Duckworth Challenge. Check out the +Acumen Corps
on Building Grit: website to learn about and apply for
Learn how you can upcoming challenges.
build the habits of
perseverance from
an award-winning
psychologist and
MacArthur genius.