The Impact World this Week: 28 August 2026

UK: Triodos Bank and Ethex partner to boost impact crowdfunding

Triodos Bank is to host all its crowdfunding investment offers on the Ethex platform, and will close its own Triodos Crowdfunding platform once all registered users have been transferred to Ethex in September. The partnership between Triodos, a pioneer in impact finance that launched its crowdfunding platform in 2018, and Ethex, which enables individuals to make direct investments in impact organisations through bond or share offers since 2013, aims to make crowdfunding opportunities available to more investors on a single platform. Up to now, the two organisations have raised an aggregated £330m for more than 300 projects. Ethex and Triodos Bank will remain independent in sourcing investment opportunities, with opportunities clearly identified as Triodos or Ethex’s offers. Lisa Ashford, co-CEO of Ethex said: “We believe that now more than ever we need to move with urgency to meet the demand for capital that we are seeing from impact-driven enterprises. Our partnership with Triodos Bank UK is about urgency and scale.”

• Read more – from the archive: Crowdfunding: a new opportunity for everyday investors

Australia: New report reveals nascent catalytic capital ecosystem

Australian trusts and foundations have allocated an estimated AU$100m in catalytic capital in the past three years, according to a new report commissioned by the Paul Ramsay Foundation, one of the country’s largest foundations, and produced by impact consultancy GoodWolf Partners. The study, Unlocking Catalytic Capital in Australia, shows interest in catalytic capital – investments that accept higher risk or lower returns in order to mobilise further finance towards impact – is starting to gain traction, with impact capital allocators indicating they intend to grow their catalytic capital commitments in the future. The report seeks to define and map the catalytic capital landscape in the country, and to identify “system enablers” that can help grow this pool of money. Those include government participation, a stronger market infrastructure, field-building and collaboration and investor institutional readiness.

• Read more: Australian social enterprise community launches ‘sector-owned’ national strategy

UK: SASC brings in new investors to tackle homelessness

Social investment manager Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC) has announced a new investment structure, including bringing two new investors and increased backing from wholesaler Better Society Capital. The additional capital and expertise will support the growth of SASC’s activities, with a particular focus on investing in supported accommodation and housing for people at risk of experiencing homelessness. The new partners include Thriving Investments, owned by social enterprise Places for People, which manages 5,700 homes across the UK, and Places Foundation, the charitable arm of the Places for People group. The new structure also includes a personal investment from SASC chair Scott Greenhalgh. The partners have not disclosed amounts committed, but the organisation insists the structure ensures SASC will remain independent, with no investor gaining overall control. Its existing leadership team, board and investment committee will remain the same, with a focus on continuity. 

• Read more: Homelessness emerges as high-impact area for social investors in new research from Better Society Capital

UK: Community Shares Booster Fund mobilises extra £20m from community investors in 10 years

The Community Shares Booster Fund, launched by Co-operatives UK and partners in 2016, has invested £5m in nearly 100 community share offers over the past 10 years, helping to mobilise an additional £20m investment from local people into community projects across the country, according to a new report. Community shares enable people to directly invest in businesses that benefit their community and have a say in how they’re run. The report also reveals that 48% of the fund’s investments went to the 30% most deprived areas, and that it often proved crucial for community businesses to set up and survive. Co-operatives UK and partners Locality and Plunkett UK have announced the creation of a new investment fund dedicated to community shares later this year, in partnership with Community Shares ICOF.

Asia: Impact Investment Exchange mobilises US$1.13bn in gender and climate investment in 2025 – new impact report

Impact investment manager and advisory firm Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) mobilised US$1.13bn towards gender and climate investments in 2025, having an impact on 5m lives, according to its latest impact report. This included US$60m in direct investments with the launch of its Women’s Livelihood Bond 7, part of a series of listed fixed-income instruments issued by IIX on the Singapore Exchange. The report states that the firm has reached 12 countries through its investment and advisory activities, supported 300 SMEs with its digital tools, and its portfolio of investments has helped more than 250,000 women start businesses targeting SDGs such as decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) and poverty reduction (SDG 1).

• Read more: Asia's impact network tells its own billionaires to step up

UK: Country’s largest CDFI exceeds £800,000 crowdfunding target weeks early

Social enterprise fintech Salad, a community development finance institution (CDFI) that provides affordable credit to consumers otherwise excluded from mainstream finance, has raised £969,220 from 356 individual investors on crowdfunding platform Ethex for its latest bond offer – exceeding its target more than a month before the offer closes. Salad provides small, affordable loans of between £300 and £2,000, paid back over 6 to 24 months, and in 2025 supported 90,000 workers who are in stable employment yet unable to access credit from high street banks. Nearly two thirds of investors in the bond offer, which is the fifth the CDFI has made on the Ethex platform, are repeat backers, and the funding will enable more customers to access finance. The bond offer has a maximum raise of £2m.

UK: Petition launched to end obscure legal entitlement that diverts income from historic Skye social enterprise to landowner

The award-winning Isle of Skye Ferry CIC, which owns and operates the last manually operated turntable ferry in existence, is losing thousands of pounds a year to a landowner who the CIC claims insists on being paid an obscure legal entitlement. Richard Oliphant of that Ilk, who owns the land on the Skye side of the Kylerhea Narrows, where the ferry operates, claims a percentage of the Isle of Skye Ferry CIC’s annual turnover by leasing it the “rights to ferry”. Under the terms of the lease, the company pays at least 5% of its gross annual turnover to Oliphant of that Ilk, but can never pay less than any previous year’s fee. Jo Crawford, CEO of the Isle of Skye Ferry CIC, told the Sunday National that in 2025 the company brought in record income, but that has dropped by 20% this year. Despite the loss of income, Oliphant of that Ilk will need to be paid the same amount he was in 2025, which constitutes a significant financial challenge for the business. A petition launched to rescind Oliphant of that Ilk’s rights to ferry has been signed by 23,271 people at time of publication. Oliphant of that Ilk did not respond to the Sunday National’s request for a response to the story.

• Podcast: Join Pioneers Post reporter David Lyons as he gets on board the award-winning Isle of Skye Ferry

Movers and Shakers

• Following the announcement that its CEO Amit Bouri is to step down, the GIIN has started its search for a new CEO. The role will be based in New York City, and has a salary range of US$300,000 - US$350,000 per annum. Find out more about the role and how to apply here – note that the organisation also welcomes nominations and ideas.
• Lauren Couch has been appointed head of business banking with Triodos Bank UK. She brings 20 years of experience in the banking sector, including with Royal Bank of Scotland, and she is a trustee at Quartet Community Foundation.