Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund draws on social investors’ experience and aims to demonstrate UK leadership in green finance in a crunch year for climate.
PLUS: A first crowdfunded impact bond Israel and a new ‘career impact bond’ for American students; MacArthur Foundation’s catalytic capital investment; new climate fund from Aberdeen Standard and Big Issue Group, and more.
How do you distribute £800m – announced recently as part of the planned expansion of the UK's Dormant Assets Scheme – for maximum social impact? Nick Temple, CEO of the Social Investment Business, has three suggestions.
Social enterprise leaders welcome new funds but warn that rolling out £800m Dormant Assets Scheme without careful planning would be a “massive mistake” – while shadow charities minister says policy is “scraping the barrel”.
Pursuing justice and dignity, not just charity, means acknowledging complicity in systems of inequality – and backing the 'troublemakers' who will hold you to account, says boss of influential US foundation.
PLUS: New impact firm Engine No. 1 to ‘harness capitalism for positive change’; Turner Impact Capital closes $350m workforce housing fund; IIX launches $27m bond to help women rebuild livelihoods, December impact reports; and more.
Amount raised is at lower end of previous estimates, but Big Society Capital “very pleased” with early demand given lockdown challenges of building trust with investors.
The Women in Safe Homes fund, from UK impact investment firm Resonance and real estate manager Patron Capital, aims to buy 650 homes and lease them to charities helping women at risk of homelessness.
Annie E. Casey Foundation loan – the largest investment to date for venture philanthropist REDF’s Impact Investing Fund – to boost jobs and training in underserved areas of the US.
