The professional society for social entrepreneurs shaping enterprise, impact and public value.
The LSSE Society of Social Entrepreneurs is a professional membership and recognition society for emerging, practising and senior social entrepreneurs. It provides open membership, assessed professional recognition, post-nominals, continuing professional development, project clinics, peer learning and institutional visibility for individuals building social enterprise, nonprofit innovation, community enterprise and mission-led impact.
Social entrepreneurship is no longer a marginal activity. Across the UK and internationally, social entrepreneurs are building organisations, charities, CICs, foundations, community enterprises, nonprofit platforms and mission-led ventures that address social, economic and environmental challenges.
Yet many practitioners operate without a clear professional identity, recognised development pathway or structured community of practice.
The LSSE Society of Social Entrepreneurs has been established to close that gap.
The Society provides a structured professional platform for individuals who are building, leading, funding, advising or supporting social-impact work. It brings together membership, recognition, continuing development and peer learning under one institutional framework.
The Society is designed for people who want to move beyond informal labels and demonstrate a more serious commitment to social enterprise practice, ethical leadership, impact discipline and long-term public value.
The LSSE Society of Social Entrepreneurs is the professional membership and recognition platform of the London School of Social Enterprise and Sustainable Economics.
It supports individuals at different stages of their social entrepreneurship journey — from students and early-stage changemakers to experienced founders, nonprofit leaders, civic innovators, trustees, philanthropists and ecosystem builders.
The Society has five core functions:
Providing access to a structured community of learners, practitioners and leaders.
Recognising eligible social entrepreneurs through evidence-based professional membership grades.
Offering CPD, events, clinics, resources and learning opportunities for members.
Helping members strengthen their projects, organisations, portfolios and impact evidence.
Providing approved members with digital badges, member visibility, recognition status and post-nominals where applicable.
The Society is designed for individuals who are serious about social enterprise, nonprofit innovation and mission-led impact.
It is suitable for:
Whether a member is at the beginning of the journey or already leading a significant organisation, the Society provides a structured route for development, recognition and continued engagement.
The Society has two routes: Open Membership and Assessed Professional Membership.
This distinction is important. It allows LSSE to welcome a broad community while protecting the integrity of professional recognition and post-nominals.
Open Membership is for individuals who want to join the LSSE Society community but are not yet applying for formal professional recognition. This route is suitable for students, early-stage founders, learners, community organisers and individuals exploring the field of social entrepreneurship. Open Membership provides access to member resources, CPD opportunities, selected events, project clinics and peer learning. Open Membership does not award LSSE professional post-nominals.
Assessed Professional Membership is for individuals seeking formal LSSE recognition as social entrepreneurs. This route is evidence-based. Applicants must demonstrate appropriate experience, practice, contribution or leadership depending on the membership grade they are applying for. Successful applicants may be approved to use LSSE post-nominals, subject to the Society’s rules and continuing membership requirements.
The Society provides a structured progression route from open entry to senior professional recognition.
| Grade | Type | Post-Nominal | Designed For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Affiliate | Open Membership | None | Students, young changemakers and early learners |
| Open Associate Member | Open Membership | None | Early-stage practitioners not yet seeking assessment |
| Associate Social Entrepreneur | Assessed Professional Membership | ASE-LSSE | Emerging social entrepreneurs with foundation evidence |
| Certified Social Entrepreneur | Assessed Professional Membership | CSE-LSSE | Practising founders, NGO leaders, CIC directors and mission-led entrepreneurs |
| Professional Social Entrepreneur | Assessed Professional Membership | PSE-LSSE | Experienced practitioners with delivery, income, partnership or impact evidence |
| Fellow of Social Entrepreneurship | Senior Assessed Membership | FSE-LSSE | Senior leaders, trustees, philanthropists, civic leaders and ecosystem builders |
Membership is designed to provide practical value, professional identity and continuing development.
Depending on membership grade, members may receive:
Access to selected continuing professional development events, webinars, clinics and learning sessions.
Opportunities to strengthen project ideas, donor-readiness materials, impact frameworks and organisational plans.
Connection with other members working across social enterprise, nonprofit innovation, ESG, fundraising, governance and community impact.
Access to templates, briefings, guides and practical tools to support social enterprise development.
Digital badge or membership confirmation where applicable.
Approved visibility in LSSE’s member register where eligible and consented.
Use of ASE-LSSE, CSE-LSSE, PSE-LSSE or FSE-LSSE for approved assessed professional members in good standing.
Opportunities to participate in LSSE events, roundtables, member showcases, project clinics and thought-leadership activities.
Connection with other members working across social enterprise, nonprofit innovation, ESG, fundraising, governance and community impact.
Evidence-based recognition, not automatic status
The LSSE Society is built on a clear principle:
Open Membership allows individuals to join the Society, participate in community activity and access member benefits.
Assessed Professional Membership requires evidence review, assessment and approval. Post-nominals are only awarded to members who meet the relevant criteria and comply with LSSE rules.
Programme completion may support a recognition application, but it does not automatically confer professional recognition.
LSSE professional recognition is institutional recognition issued by the London School of Social Enterprise and Sustainable Economics through the LSSE Society of Social Entrepreneurs. It is not statutory licensing, chartered status, government-regulated professional authorisation or permission to practise.
Approved post-nominals may only be used by members in good standing and in accordance with LSSE’s recognition, conduct and renewal rules.
The Society is not simply a networking community. It is a professional membership platform.
Members are expected to uphold standards of integrity, respect, responsible claims, confidentiality, ethical practice and accountability.
Assessed professional members must use LSSE post-nominals responsibly and must not misrepresent their status, experience, organisation, impact or authority.
The Society may withdraw membership or recognition where there is serious misconduct, misuse of post-nominals, misrepresentation, reputational harm or breach of member rules.
The Society supports members across four stages of professional development.
For individuals exploring social enterprise and public-value leadership.
For early-stage founders and practitioners developing ideas, projects, organisations or community initiatives.
For practising social entrepreneurs building portfolios, impact evidence, stakeholder credibility and organisational discipline.
For experienced and senior leaders contributing to social enterprise, philanthropy, civic innovation and ecosystem development.
This structure allows LSSE to support members throughout their professional journey — not only at the point of enrolment or assessment.
There are three main ways to engage with the Society.
Choose this route if you want access to the Society community, CPD, events and resources but are not yet applying for professional recognition.
Choose this route if you want to apply for ASE-LSSE, CSE-LSSE, PSE-LSSE or FSE-LSSE recognition.
Choose this route if you are an existing member seeking renewal or progression to a higher grade.
The LSSE Society of Social Entrepreneurs provides a structured platform for membership, recognition, continuing development and professional visibility.
Whether you are beginning your journey, building an organisation, evidencing your practice or leading at ecosystem level, the Society offers a clear route to belong, develop and be recognised.
