This article aims to discuss how the social enterprises balance their social and commercial goals against particular institutional environment. Sixteen social enterprises in Yangtze River Delta region were selected as cases，their current situation of profit or loss and the strategies they applied to balance their dual goals were analyzed in this article. This study argued that dual legal identities could be identified as a salient feature for these representatives of social organizations. Dual legal registration is a strategic response for these organizations to current uncertain institutional environment and philanthropic environment lacking tolerance. Comparing to social mission，survival is in a higher priority for most cases. The strategies of transferring market position from individual customers to business companies or governments are commonly applied by these organizations either developing from business sector or nonprofit sector to accomplish their commercial goals. The governance guarantee would be an important part for the accomplishment of social missions of these social enterprises.