1. Cost and quality
A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SUCCESS STORY
of small businesses and social enterprises struggle to remain viable after their first year. Yet Art Restart, the
social enterprise of The Gathering Place, has grown over 61% since inception. Social enterprises are
revolutionizing the way business is done and changing the way that nonprofit organizations approach sustainability.
Moving beyond corporate social responsibility and community initiatives, social enterprises work with and for the
community to address a common need, answer a problem, and create a stable funding stream for nonprofit
organizations.
In the case of The Gathering Place (TGP), Denver’s only daytime drop-in center for women, children and transgender
individuals experiencing poverty or homelessness, we approached the creation of Art Restart as a social enterprise to
help provide our members with opportunities, to stimulate attitude change in the community about homelessness,
and to establish mission-supporting income from bulk greeting cards sales.
Art Restart provides customizable greeting cards with unique art created by members of TGP who are experiencing
poverty or homelessness. The enterprise fills a niche in the greeting card industry by providing corporations with an
opportunity to use their marketing budget to support a charitable cause and directly benefit people receiving
services. Through TGP’s access to approximately 90 artists who are currently involved in its long-established program,
The Card Project, Art Restart curates from hundreds of original pieces of art to produce a varied inventory of designs
and mediums (i.e. pen and ink, watercolors, and oils). Art Restart already has an expansive collection to cover a variety
of occasions and business uses, such as holiday, birthday and thank you cards, as well as employee appreciation cards
and invitations. Orders can be customized with personalized messaging and co-branding, providing every recipient of
an Art Restart card with information about the business and the overall mission of The Gathering Place.
Most uniquely, the products are high-end reproductions of art created by local women and transgender individuals
experiencing poverty or homelessness. The artists who produce work for Art Restart have seen their work purchased
by large companies, politicians, entrepreneurs, foundations, and organizations, and it has made a tremendous positive
impact on their self-confidence. The stories behind the art and the artists are provided, and the artists receive a 5%
royalty on each sale. This enables the artists to earn income and share their artwork with the community, helping
them to get on solid ground financially and emotionally.
Art Restart, now going into its third year of operation, is a creative way for businesses to demonstrate a commitment
to being socially responsible while directly helping women in need.
50%
OVERVIEW >
*
UNIQUEVALUE
PROPOSITION
ART RESTART >
FINANCIAL GOAL:
ORIGINAL OBJECTIVES >
ART RESTART
*
*
*
*
Branding
Speed and
turnaround
Customization
Socially responsible
ACCESS:
Build gross revenues of $55,000 by second year of
operation.
Enable an online eCommerce platform (fulfillment,
catalog of designs, bulk orders).
SOCIAL MISSION: Help members gain self-confidence and self-sufficiency.
SUSTAINABILITY: Facilitate an alternative means for business to support the
enterprise through marketing budgets.
COMMUNITY:
Leverage TGPs assets (business relationships, talent of
members, community reputation).
1 The Limits of Social Enterprise: A Field Study and Case Analysis. Seedco Policy Center. June 2007. http:'//seedco.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/The-Limits-of-Social-enterprise.pdf
1

2. This objective was achieved with the launch of a new
website during September 2015. The website has a robust
eCommerce platform, online fulfillment, full catalog of
customizable designs, and bulk ordering availability.
FINANCIAL GOAL>
OUTCOMES:
ART RESTART SALES
YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2 COMPARISON
2014 2015
QUANTITY SOLD
GROSS INCOME
EXPENSES
NET TO TGP
ROYALTIES TO ARTISTS
33,750
$44,207
$9,587
$32,889
$1,731
"
42,558
$70,503
$14,505
$53,198
$2,800
GROWTH
QUANTITY SOLD GROSS INCOME NET TO TGP
8,808 $26,296 $20,309
"
For the past two years,
we have been honored
to support The
Gathering Place
through the Art Restart
program by sharing
the beautiful artwork
of their members with
thousands of our
associates around the
world. Our friends,
family and co-workers
appreciate the
personal touch in each
card and in knowing
that we are helping our
community.
ACCESS:
Participating artists not only earned income (five of
our artists earned royalties exceeding $400 each), they also learned
how to make commercially viable artwork. More importantly, our
members report that producing artwork and TGP's Art Studio
community provides them with emotional wellbeing. Artist
Caroline states, "Art programs at The Gathering Place have given
me numerous opportunities to feel safe in a supportive space and
experience a therapeutic level of self-expression, The financial
residuals I receive for my work is the only consistent means of
income I have right now. Art Restart staff and volunteers invest
huge amounts of time to connect our work to the community at
large."
SOCIAL MISSION:
SUSTAINABILITY: In less than two years, more than 60 businesses,
individuals, and organizations have purchased cards from Art Restart.
The Gathering Place leveraged its strong reputation in
the community to encourage many of the organization's stakeholders
to support Art Restart. Additionally, many new clients that have never
previously supported TGP became donors, volunteers, or supported
fundraising events.
COMMUNITY:
-GAIL LINIGER, CEO, OF RE/MAX
INTERNATIONAL