Resources
This section of the BALTA website features resources on the social economy and community economic development produced by BALTA (the BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance) and some of its members.
Social Economy Reader
This online reader, featuring a wide range of articles on the social economy and community economic development, is an early project of the BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA). While an immediate goal of the Reader is to provide a resource to those associated with BALTA, this reader should be of broad relevance to anyone with an interest in community economic development and the social economy.
Social Enterprise PurchasinG Toolkit
This free online toolkit was developed as a result of BALTA supported research and includes a range of resources to promote and support the integration of social values into purchasing decisions, resulting in healthier communities and a stronger market for social enterprises.
The contents include:
- An explanation of how social value can be created using your existing purchasing practices.
- A framework for integrating social enterprise into your purchasing decisions.
- A set of action steps for putting social enterprise purchasing into practice.
- An on-line directory of social enterprises.
- Access to a searchable database of social enterprise procurement resources and information.
Community Resilience Manual
While the economic and social vitality of many rural communities across Canada and the United States has deteriorated in the past decade due to drastic changes in mining, the forest industry, agriculture and fisheries, other communities have prospered. They have taken steps that have enabled them to survive crisis, influence change and become healthy, vital places for their citizens. The Canadian Centre for Community Renewal has developed a model of community resilience that can be used by communities to cost-effectively assess their situation and focus their economic and social planning accordingly. CCCR has also developed an accompanying catalogue of proven tools, contacts and additional resources.
The Community Resilience Manual and the Tools and Techniques catalogue are available free by registering with the Canadian Centre for Community Renewal at the link above.
