Mary Birchard
Social Entrepreneurship - Balancing Mission & Money
August 7, 1.00-3.30

 

The pressures of providing quality service, controlling costs and understanding the growing competition are on the rise for libraries. Libraries, like other nonprofit organizations across the country, are struggling to balance mission mandates with financial realities. Managing this double bottom line is the heart of social entrepreneurship - generating more revenue to fuel mission-related activities. During this session, learn more about the critical success factors, concepts, assumptions and strategic framework for social entrepreneurship. Learn to identify your core values and core competencies so that you can prepare your library for a more market-oriented future. We will examine potential outcomes, stakeholder needs and target market segments as well. We will begin to focus on several new areas of business expertise and knowledge that will be required of libraries in the twenty-first century.

Coordinates
Mary J. Birchard is The National Center for Social Entrepreneurs' Director of Operations. She has been with The National Center since 1995 and has done extensive work in new product development, market positioning, training and staff development, risk assessment, research and process outcomes. She has managed ten metro-wide and several national projects in social entrepreneurship. Ms. Birchard is a former executive for Jostens, Inc., a Fortune 500 firm, where she was Public Affairs Manager. At Jostens, she developed a cause-related marketing program, managed the corporate foundation and national scholarship program, and created corporate/education partnerships. Ms. Birchard also worked for United Way of the Minneapolis as Director of New Market Development for five years. While there, she began "Business Enterprise Serving Tommorow", a mentoring program in which entrepreneurs were recruited as mentors for youth at-risk. She has served on a the boards of several nonprofit organizations including Education Ventures, Inc. and Courage Center. she had held leadership positions with the Minnesota Council on Foundations and the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation.

Ms. Birchard has a B.A. in Business Management and completed M.B.A. coursework at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Her interests are reading, gardening and yoga and she has a one-year old son who has replaced her running agenda.