As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI) reinforced its commitment to strengthening partner social enterprises (SEs) by rolling out a four-part Partnership Unit (PU) Capacity Building Webinar Series. Designed to enhance organizational resilience, governance, and sustainability, the series brought together SE partners and FSSI staff in focused learning sessions anchored on practical tools and the Triple Bottom Line (3BL) framework of people, planet, and profit.
Building Continuity Amid Uncertainty
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The webinar series kicked off on September 26, 2025, with a session on Business Continuity Planning (BCP). Facilitated by Mr. Jerson S. Remo of VICTO National, a member organization of FSSI, the webinar aimed to equip SE partners with practical knowledge to prepare for and respond to disruptions caused by emergencies and unforeseen events.
A total of 61 participants from 16 FSSI partner SEs, along with FSSI staff, joined the session via Zoom. The discussion focused on developing and maintaining effective business continuity plans that minimize operational downtime, enable quick recovery, and remain aligned with inclusive and sustainable development goals under the 3BL framework.
Proactively Managing Risks for Sustainable Growth
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The second webinar, held on October 15, 2025, focused on Risk Management and was facilitated by Joji-Abot Camelon from the Association of Foundations (AF), another FSSI member organization. The session gathered 62 participants representing 13 partner SEs, who engaged in discussions on proactively identifying, assessing, and managing organizational risks.
Participants were guided through key concepts of risk identification, assessment, and control to strengthen decision making and institutional resilience. As a practical outcome, the SEs began drafting their respective risk management plans, marking an important first step in institutionalizing risk aware practices while staying grounded in the 3BL approach.
Strengthening Financial Accountability Systems
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On November 10, 2025, the third webinar addressed Financial Records Management and was facilitated by Mr. Christopher Bernabe Baes of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO Network). The session emphasized the importance of accurate, compliant, and well controlled financial records as foundations of transparency and accountability.
The webinar covered essential topics including financial documentation fundamentals, regulatory standards and reporting requirements, internal control mechanisms, and proper systems for records retention, preservation, and secure disposal. Seventy eight representatives from 16 partner SEs participated and took part in a plenary workshop that allowed them to begin assessing and improving their existing financial record keeping systems.
Promoting Good Governance Through Non-Financial Records Management
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The webinar series concluded on December 9, 2025, with a session on Non-Financial Records Management, also facilitated by Mr. Christopher Bernabe Baes of NATCCO. This final session introduced the Non-Financial Records Management Roadmap, a structured learning journey designed to help SEs systematically identify, organize, secure, and sustain their non-financial records.
Discussions highlighted document classification, confidentiality and data protection, governance and compliance standards, and retention and disposal systems. The session underscored that records management is a continuous process that supports accountability, institutional memory, and informed decision making.
A total of 36 participants joined the webinar, including 27 attendees from 10 FSSI partner SEs. The discussion emphasized the critical role of strong non-financial records management in promoting good governance and long term organizational resilience.
Through the PU Capacity Building Webinar Series, FSSI reaffirmed its role as a partner and enabler of social enterprises committed to inclusive and sustainable development. By strengthening capacities in continuity planning, risk management, and records management, both financial and non-financial, the Foundation continues to support SEs in building resilient institutions that can thrive amid uncertainty while delivering meaningful social and environmental impact.
