The Empty Bowls Project: Creating, Leading, and Sustaining a Social Enterprise

Lisa and John did not imagine that the luncheon held at a local high school 20 years ago grew into an empty pot project, an international grassroots project to fight hunger. The premise is that simple ceramists, educators, students and others make handmade bowls and offer simple soup and bread. In exchange for cash donations, participants took the bowl home and remembered all the empty bowls around the world. The funds collected will be donated to community organizations working on food security. Then the founder formed a non-profit Imagine Render and is currently considering its succession and future direction.

Empty Bowls / Imagine Render is a non-profit social enterprise, a community-based organization aimed at eradicating hunger with the local community. After 20 years of growth and the success of the concept of domestic and foreign dissemination, founder must take the initiative to consider the future direction of non-profit organizations and their changing leadership role. This case provides students with opportunities to understand the beginnings, developments and challenges of maintaining non-profit social enterprises. In this case, we will explain the many decisions the founder faces as the founder has evolved roles and organizations for over 20 years. Students can explore the mission of social enterprises, growth and development, the role of founders, and the challenges and opportunities of future initiatives.

Lisa and John did not imagine that the luncheon held at a local high school 20 years ago grew into an empty pot project, an international grassroots project to fight hunger. The premise is that simple ceramists, educators, students and others make handmade bowls and offer simple soup and bread. In exchange for cash donations, participants took the bowl home and remembered all the empty bowls around the world. The funds collected will be donated to community organizations working on food security. Then the founder formed a non-profit Imagine Render and is currently considering its succession and future direction.

Our main project is the international grassroots project, The Empty Bowls Project, aimed at raising money and consciousness in the fight against hunger. Developing a creative, exciting and powerful model that can be replicated and expanded by others who want to work for social justice This project represents what we do best. , Integration of social capital. Educators, students, ceramists and members of the community. This usually means not to know each other and to group people who have never worked together before. As an educator, they try to put as many schools and other educators as possible into an empty bowl. For many educators, projects like Empty Bowls have an inherent appeal that students can learn much through community service learning projects.