The SE sector is also sometimes referred to by a number of related or associated concepts. Among them are:

• Community Economic Development (CED)
• Social Enterprise
• Solidarity Economy
• Economie sociale et solidaire
• Collective enterprises
• "third" sector
• non-profit sector
• voluntary sector
• charitable sector
• non-governmental sector

The SE and its affiliated enterprises are particularly active in the following areas:

• financial services (i.e. credit unions)
• co-operatives
• home care and assisted living
• health care and social services
• community economic development
• arts and culture
• heritage
• education, especially early childhood education
• child care
• information technology and community media
• non-profit activities, civil society and social movements
• job training and worker reintegration (i.e., offender repatriation)
• literacy and life-skills training
• houseing, especially housing co-operatives
• recreation and tourism
• conflict resolution and peacebuilding
• environment, preservation and sustainability
• fair trade and ethical purchasing
• triple of quadruple bottom line accounting