Social Impact Business Model Canvas (BMC) template

This template is provided by Columbia University (Phillips and Busquet) for free educational use, and is adapted from Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas.

The headings in red text are customized for startups focused on people and planet - what is commonly referred to as social ventures. These can be for profit, hybrid (for profit/nonprofit) or nonprofit ideas.
We suggest following the order of the numbers in the template when filling this out the first few times (i.e. start with 1. Beneficiary/Customer Segments, then move on to 2. Value Propositions), to help you think through the venture idea, with each building block informing the next.
This template is intended to be iterated and changed as you move back and forth between blocks, as part of the development of your team's venture idea.

Social Impact Business Model Canvas

11. Vision & Values 🎁

<aside> 💡 What does your social venture stand for? What is your social and/or environmental mission? What values will your venture uphold at any cost?

</aside>

9. Key Partners & Stakeholders

<aside> 💡 Who are your key partners, suppliers, vendors, and critical stakeholders? What key resources are you acquiring from them? What key activities do they perform?

</aside>

8. Key Activities ✅

<aside> 💡 What activities do your value propositions require e.g. to form relationships with customers/ beneficiaries and other stakeholders?

</aside>

7. Key Resources 🧰

<aside> 💡 What key resources do your value propositions require? What key assets are needed to meet your revenue forecasts? What are your main distribution channels? What is needed to maintain and cultivate your customer and stakeholder relationships?

</aside>

2. Value Propositions 🔑

<aside> 💡 For each segment: What value will your venture deliver to the customer/ beneficiary? What are your most important segments and how do their needs differ? What bundles of products/ services are you offering to each?

</aside>

12. Impact Metrics 📊

<aside> 💡 How will your social and/or environmental impact be measured? What metrics will help you run your venture? What impacts do stakeholders care about? What is the baseline case (before your venture existed)? What resources are needed to maintain this impact reporting?

</aside>

4. Customer Relationships 🤝

<aside> 💡 For each segment: What type of relationship do they expect you to establish & maintain? How costly are they to acquire and serve? How are they integrated with the rest of your business model?

</aside>

3. Channels 📢

<aside> 💡 For each segment: Through which channels do your customers want to be reached? How do other organizations reach them? Which channels work best and which are most cost-efficient? How will these channels integrate with customer behavior and routines?

</aside>

1. Beneficiary/Customer Segments 👥

<aside> 💡 For whom are you creating value? Who are you most important customers/ beneficiaries? What are the archetypes/ demographics that you are trying to reach?

</aside>

6. Current Solutions 🔒

<aside> 💡 How are your customers currently solving their problems/ meeting their needs? Who are your potential competitors and/or collaborators? What do they have that you don't have (and vice versa)?

</aside>

10. Cost Structure 💸

<aside> 💡 What are the most important costs inherent in your business model? Which key resources and activities are most expensive?

</aside>

13. Surplus 🎯

<aside> 💡 What are you doing with your profits?

</aside>

5. Revenue & Funding Streams 💰

<aside> 💡 For what value are your customers really willing to pay? What do they currently pay? What other funding sources might be willing to contribute to the cost of serving your beneficiaries? How much does each revenue stream and funding source contribute to overall revenues, and are they all mission-aligned?

</aside>