{{broader|Social entrepreneurship}}

A '''social enterprise''' is an [[organization]] that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being—this may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for external shareholders. Social enterprises can be structured as a [[Profit (accounting)|for-profit]] or [[Nonprofit organization|non-profit]], and may take the form (depending in which country the entity exists and the legal forms available) of a [[co-operative]], [[mutual organization]], a disregarded entity,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biztaxlaw.about.com/od/glossaryd/g/disregardentity.htm |title=What is a Disregarded Entity&nbsp;– Disregarded Entity Definition |publisher=Biztaxlaw.about.com |date=2013-07-13 |accessdate=2013-10-21}}</ref> a [[social business]], a [[benefit corporation]], a [[community interest company]] or a [[charity organization]]. They can also take more conventional structures. What differentiates social enterprises is that their social mission is as core to their success as any potential profit.