During this time of mounting fiscal challenges and a sluggish and fragile economic recovery, there is a growing sector of "hybrid" or "for-benefit" enterprises that can create quality jobs and promote economic growth, contribute to the tax base, drive new resources to the nonprofit sector, and tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues that would otherwise fall on the shoulders of government and nonprofits. These enterprises are drivers of an “impact economy”—one that promotes social, environmental, as well as economic value creation.​

To grow the impact economy and effectively harness its potential, there is a need for a more coherent and comprehensive national approach to developing the for-benefit sector. Economic development policies and programs, which are currently focused primarily on growing for-profit firms, need to be expanded to also support for-benefit enterprise development.