Characteristics of Social Entrepreneurs and How to Foster Them

The purpose of this study is to find the characteristics that affect social entrepreneurs’ level of social contribution, and what should be done to empower social entrepreneurs with the observed characteristics to fulfill the needs of social welfare in Indonesia. In total, 106 valid units-of-research from a survey with a base response number of 5,620, provided by the GEM report of 2015, are analyzed, using a multiple linear regression method to find the characteristics of the social entrepreneurs. Previous literature is used to provide suggestions for practical implication. Based on the Five Social Entrepreneurial Characteristics, it is found that the only characteristic which significantly affects social entrepreneurs’ level of social contributions is perseverance. To nurture this attribute, social entrepreneurs could be driven to develop active partnerships with NGOs. Active partnerships would make social entrepreneurs develop not only perseverance, but also become more competent in contributing to social issues. This research is very specific for social entrepreneurs in Indonesia, and points to the possibilities of resorting to social entrepreneurs for fulfilling the demand of social welfare support rather than only depending on the government or NGOs. In addition, instead of encouraging the establishment of more social entrepreneurs, this research aims to foster their potential