Collecting Data on Social Enterprises 2025

Collecting Data on Social Enterprises: A Playbook for PractitionersMay 2025 A letter from the Advisory Group on Social Enterprise Data Social enterprises are at the forefront of addressing some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. These purpose- driven organizations are delivering inclusive and sustainable goods and services, generating employment – particularly for those marginalized or excluded from mainstream opportunities – and fostering sustainable economic growth.  However, the lack of consistent data collection – globally – continues to hamper our efforts to both grow the sector and improve its visibility. Profound gaps remain in how social enterprise data is collected and compared across different regions. Challenges persist in data availability, quality and standardization, which makes it difficult to measure the full economic, social and environmental contributions of social enterprises – on a national, regional and global scale.  It is this shared commitment to knowledge and collective learning that brought us together as an advisory group. Convened by the Schwab Foundation, we are a coalition of civil society organizations, academic institutions, public sector leaders and private sector entities. Our aim is to develop a more harmonized approach to social enterprise data collection – one that is adaptable across diverse country contexts. Through this effort, we hope to foster greater collaboration in social enterprise research and promote a level of consistency that enables meaningful global comparison. This report is one of the first that the coalition will produce, and focuses specifically on the collection of data through surveys. It draws on lessons from over 25 organizations, some with more than 30 years of experience in the sector. Alongside this report, a standardized set of survey questions has been published – identified as the most commonly used in social enterprise data collection – to enhance comparability across datasets. We encourage the adoption of these questions, with necessary adaptations to local contexts, to strengthen global understanding and visibility of social enterprises. We extend our sincere gratitude to all contributors – from social enterprise leaders and policy-makers to researchers and private sector champions – who are working collectively to build a more harmonized and impactful approach to social enterprise data. We hope this playbook serves as a valuable resource for all of us dedicated to strengthening the role of social enterprises in building a more inclusive and sustainable world. Access the standardized set of survey questions here Collecting Data on Social Enterprises: A Playbook for Practitioners 3