Become a Member - amplify your impact
Join our Members across Australia building an economy that puts people and planet first.
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Shape
Be part of a powerful, democratic community shaping Australia’s social enterprise strategy.
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Amplify
Drive bold campaigns for an economy that works for all.
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Innovate
Connect with a vibrant community of doers to build the future we want, together.
Who can be a Member of Social Enterprise Australia?
Social Enterprise Members
For any Australian-based entity verified to meet the five global standards for social enterprise.
Associate Members
For any organisation or individual aged 18 or over who supports the purpose and values of social enterprise.
Have you been verified yet?
If you’re a social enterprise but not yet verified - apply for membership first. The application form includes a link to verification and your membership fee covers the cost.
Why join?
Voice and vote
All Social Enterprise Australia Members have a voice in our organisation and are invited to our Annual General Meetings. Social Enterprise Members have voting rights in accordance with our Constitution. To ensure critical mass and diversity, voting rights will be triggered at an Annual General Meeting once there are 350 Social Enterprise Members across states and territories, challenge areas and lived experience.
National strategy
Our Members are invited to co-design and take action on key parts of the social enterprise national strategy - focused on big-picture challenges where social enterprise can help the most.
Reciprocal membership
Social Enterprise Australia is working in collaboration with state and territory peak bodies to offer reciprocal membership. There are four taking part at this stage - Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. We continue discussions with other states around potential reciprocal membership models.
If you are applying to join Social Enterprise Australia and are based in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania or the Northern Territory, you are also applying to join your state/ territory social enterprise peak body - at the same time, at no extra cost.
Build the membership you’d like to see
This is a new membership model and we will test, learn and evolve it with our Members to:
Grow the breadth and depth of participation
Strengthen behaviours and processes to centre social and environmental justice, and to support productive tension
Foster collaboration between peaks and networks to drive big-picture change.
Have questions about Social Enterprise Australia membership?
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The application and annual renewal fees for Social Enterprise Members are:
Annual turnover < $500k: $150
Annual turnover $500k - $2m: $250
Annual turnover $2m - $5m: $350
Annual turnover $5m - $10m: $500
Annual turnover > $10m: $750
Your fee includes:
The cost of your verification if you are not yet verified.
The cost of your verification extension or renewal if you are verified.
The cost of your membership application for your state peak if you are based in Queensland, Victoria or Tasmania.
The application and annual renewal fees for Associate Members are:
Individual or annual turnover < $500k: $150
Annual turnover $500k - $2m: $250
Annual turnover $2m - $5m: $350
Annual turnover $5m - $10m: $500
Annual turnover > $10m: $750
Your fee includes the cost of your membership application for your state peak if you are based in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania or the Northern Territory.
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Social Enterprise Australia and all the state and territory social enterprise peak bodies endorse the global standards for social enterprise as a broadly accessible way for organisations to know if they are a social enterprise. They set the bar on what is a social enterprise. To be verified, social enterprises must meet the global standards. That’s why verification through People and Planet First is required for Social Enterprise Members.
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First, apply to become a Social Enterprise Member of Social Enterprise Australia.
We will provide a unique link that you can follow to get verified. The cost of verification is covered by your membership application fee.
The link will prompt you to:
Apply to create a public profile on the Good Market digital commons. Good Market is the not-for-profit platform that hosts the verification process. This will take about 30-60 minutes. It is straightforward but requires an overall understanding of your enterprise, so it is best done by someone in a leadership role. You can save a draft, return later, and edit responses after submission. Make sure to check the box for People and Planet First verification on the last page of the form.
Complete the People and Planet First verification form. After your application is approved, you will receive a notification that you have a new People and Planet First section on your Good Market account page. Open the verification form and provide explanations and evidence for each of the five standards. If you review the standards and collect your evidence in advance, the verification form is quick to fill in. You will need at least 1 point for each of the 5 standards to be eligible for verification.
Local review partners - state and territory social enterprise peak bodies in Australia - will then review your application and provide support if needed. If your application meets the five standards, you will receive a welcome pack with a certificate and badge, and you will be listed on the global directory of verified social enterprises.
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While you are being verified, your membership application will be assessed as an Associate Member. If approved for Associate Membership, once you are verified, your membership will be converted to a Social Enterprise Member. If you don’t pass verification, you will remain an Associate Member.
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Yes - but renewal of your verification will be extended to align with your membership renewal. For example, if you were verified on 1 March 2025 and you become a Social Enterprise Member on 1 April 2025, your verification renewal will not be due until 1 April 2026.
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By joining both the national peak and your state or territory peak, you are involved at the national and state or territory level.
Social Enterprise Australia advocates for and connects the sector, Australia-wide. State and territory social enterprise peak bodies advocate for and connect the sector in their areas. Members of Social Enterprise Australia have a voice on national issues, while Members of state or territory peaks have a voice on state or territory issues.
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We have reciprocal membership arrangements in place with states and territories that want and are able to at this time, and where agreements have been reached. We continue to explore the potential for a united approach across all social enterprise peak bodies in Australia.
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Yes.