Social enterprises are sustained by a combination of social and financial factors. This study offers a novel understanding of the key factors that enable social enterprise resilience under normal conditions, and how their roles shift during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded in Resource Dependence and Institutional Theories, it investigates how financial constraints and external pressures influence strategic responses. Given the scarcity of data on social entrepreneurship in Indonesia, we employed convenience and snowball sampling to collect primary data from 168 micro and small social enterprises nationwide. Using factor analysis and regression, the findings reveal that, in normal conditions, a strong social mission enhances resilience, aligning with Institutional Theory, while internal financing constraints reduce it, supporting Resource Dependence Theory. During COVID-19, the resilience benefits of a social mission diminished, and reliance on external funding increased, reinforcing Crisis Management Theory. These results highlight the need for social enterprises to optimize their social mission in stable economic conditions while ensuring financial sustainability. To prepare for future crises, they should adopt robust financial strategies, particularly by strengthening external funding networks and maintaining adaptability in the face of resource constraints.