Posted on 9th September 2008
Venturesome, the social investment fund of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), has released a report which calls for greater clarity and cooperation in the social investment market to help charities achieve their social aims.
Financing Civil Society: A practitioner’s view of the social investment market highlights the rapid growth of the UK social investment market and recommends ways that this early success can be built on. The report also details barriers to future development, including financial risk aversion, a lack of understanding of charities’ financial needs and inefficiency in the marketplace.
John Kingston, director of Venturesome, said, “Charitable enterprises should be judged on their social impact and stronger capital and financing helps them achieve this. Social investment in the UK has come a long way in five years. In suggesting solutions to the barriers, this report is our contribution to increased clarity and development of this new and important area.”
The report recommends more co-investment by funders, greater information sharing, and development of a common language and terminology to help all parties understand each other.
The report is available on the Venturesome website.
