Social investing – the emperor's new clothes? First of all, I commend anyone engaging or seeking to achieve a better society for all. That said, I have a number questions about social finance and social investing. I dislike waste, inefficiency, lack of transparency and situations when people and businesses pretend to be something they are not. I can only speak from my own experience, observations and anecdotal evidence having met followers of this new social sector; but each encounter raises more questions than answers. There is much debate taking place around philanthropy, charity and giving; especially around social finance but what makes me uncomfortable is the notion of making returns from society's ills. I object in principle to the idea that helping the poor and less fortunate is a dividend-based activity. There is a return for social investment but I do not think it should be financial. The mere fact that social bonds and contracts are complicated means they require consultants, experts and money men – and they're expensive.
Application For Impact Engine | The Impact Engine Governments and nonprofit organizations can’t do it alone. Now, more than ever, society needs rockin’ ideas, smart entrepreneurs, and bold investors to change the trajectory of our future. If you’re ready to make an impact, apply to our upcoming program. Applications for Impact 3 open May 15, 2014. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when they go live. Dates & Deadlines: Applications Open - May 15, 2014 at 12:00 a.m. Sectors We Target: Climate & EnvironmentEducationFinancial ServicesFood & AgricultureHealth & WellnessWorkforce Development Guidelines & Considerations: Must be a for-profit company, but hybrid models are encouraged to apply.We do not accept companies that rely on a buy-one, give-one business model. Read our complete list of FAQs for more information >> Application Details:
Incubators, Accelerators and Impact Investors, oh my! We need more incubators and accelerators, or so I am told, because start-ups, small businesses and social enterprises are not investment ready. Lots of would-be Fund Managers descry this lack of investment-readiness as a key reason for long investment periods and poor returns. On the flip side, well-meaning venture philanthropists have heard this cry and hope that by funding incubators and accelerators, deal flow will improve and more investments will be made. The wrong problem is “how do we make these companies attractive to venture capital (VC) investors?”. . . . . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Lauren Burnhill, @LaurenOPV Like this: Like Loading...
MicroMag June | How to Share, Brunch, Learn for GOOD How to Share, Brunch, Learn for Good Grab the last spaces available at our summer party on June 18th! Join a vibrant global community of women social innovators at the Women's Social Leadership Awards event at the Hub Westminster, (#wsla12) with challenging speakers, disruptive finalists and some of the Ogunte Activist Angels! If you are a ticket holder, you can claim a 20% discount on our executive social innovations coaching package, available till December 2012. Also in this micro-mag: Partners News: - Ogunte and Hub Westminster present: The Big Brunch Membership - Aspire Foundation offers new global mentoring opportunities World Opportunities: - Earth 2.0 Hub: Meet the Movement - Picnic12 and The Postcode Lottery Green Challenge - WOMEN RIO+20: Ready to Guerilla Coach? From the Global Tribal Network: - Get the Free ClearlySo Guide for the Ambitious Social Entrepreneur - 20th of June: National Sharing Day (shared by #WSLA12 Finalist Benita Matofska)
a better world powered by women - Ogunte | a better world powered by women - Make a Wave Pre Incubator Make a Wave is a unique specialist incubator programme for women social entrepreneurs. It's a learning and co-mentoring programme made of exclusive live and on-line sessions with funders, entrepreneurs and mentors, topped up with learning teleconferences, coaching, access to women angels, other support organisations and a strong peer-to-peer network. You learn about how to design business models, you also learn about yourself and the conditions that help you make an impact in your life and your community. Get clarity about how you are creating change in the world A new programme that aims to give 250 women thoughout the UK foundation skills to think about social enterprise, design a business model that will postively impact on people and planet, and get started for real! EVENTS CALENDAR (For registered participants only) 250 women, 250 social ventures, in 250 days Programme Content >>Read the FAQ's here and the events calendar Background Lead from your strengths! Success indicators include:
Economic benefits The fundamental importance of women and child health is reflected in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It has been estimated that significant additional investment in health systems is needed to achieve MDGs 4 and 5, particularly to scale-up essential interventions for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH). Demonstrating the broader societal returns of investment in women’s and children’s health can be a critical tool in mobilizing additional resources. Economic arguments may resonate particularly well with certain stakeholders who influence investment decisions, such as Ministries of Finance, parliamentarians, bilateral and multilateral donors, global and regional development banks. Different initiatives have resulted in relevant and useful documentation on the value of investing in health, and more specifically in maternal, newborn and child health.
Impact Investing Done Right: No Shortcuts to Social Change By Patrick McVeigh The widely recognized challenge of socially progressive investing is ensuring that financial results are not sacrificed in favor of social impact, and vice versa. When it comes to impact investing, too often the financial goals are forgotten as investors focus primarily on putting money into a cause without considering the real social value of a modest return. Earned capital can be recycled back into the cause or taken for profit, making a greater long term impact while benefiting the investor. Impact investing has been in the spotlight more of late, as a new generation of investors embraces the idea of directing capital to social change. Despite the increase in popularity and demand, there remains a perception that financial considerations should be secondary. Impact on global education Educational initiatives have the potential for significant global impact within a socially driven portfolio. Impact on developing markets and the environment Scroll down to see comments.
The controversial world of clean power and data centers — Cleantech News and Analysis Solidaridad Launches the Netherlands' First Fair-Trade, Fair-Mined Gold Jewelry Share on Tumblr Email Solidaridad, which founded the first fair-trade label for coffee in 1988, has been working with miners, traders, jewelers, and fair-trade organizations to develop a framework for responsible gold mining. “The [FT&FM]label is an important step towards making the whole sector sustainable,” says Nico Roozen, Solidaridad’s director, says in a statement. But Solidaridad has its sights on large-scale gold mining, as well. “We are absolutely on the right track with the FT&FM label,” Roozen adds, “but worldwide there are still too many cases of poor working conditions.”
Mobile Today, Facebook will launch the largest initial public offering in history. Over the course of a few minutes, an eager public will invest $16 billion in Facebook’s 3,000-odd employees. Here in Nairobi, Kenya, where I live, the eye-popping figures produce passive astonishment: A single company will absorb the rough equivalent of half a year’s GDP for Kenya’s 40 million citizens. Facebook will invest some of its windfall to create growth for its shareholders. But will the investment be productive? Facebook is being forced public by SEC regulations and the desire of some early investors to cash out; founder Mark Zuckerberg has made clear his company doesn’t need the cash. That contrasts greatly with the landscape in east Africa. Investments in emerging markets like Kenya don’t get funding largely because our capital markets are weak. But those weak markets are the same reason investments in Africa offer such good returns. So why isn’t the world investing in Africa?
Flip the Incubator Model to achieve Greater Impact By Lauren A. Burnhill @LaurenOPV I mentioned a couple of weeks ago the incubator and business plan competition mantra of citing how many businesses were rejected in the process of selecting 10 potential winners. Seriously, is supporting 10 of 10,000 socially responsible investments the best model we’ve got? I’ve been mulling over how to create a scaled model for supporting social enterprise and this post reflects my ‘stream of consciousness” thought process. Let’s assume that amongst the 9,990 “rejects” from a biz plan competition or incubator there are two types of businesses: potentially disruptive innovations that fail to capture the judges’ interest; and lifestyle businesses that may be innovative only in terms of the markets served. Since we’re aiming for sustainable local impact rather than scale, let’s set a high survival rate as a KPI. As I’ll reveal below, the Flip model actually creates far more than 12,000 jobs, but let’s step back for a big picture moment first. D.C.