UK equity and racial justice fund attracts hundreds of leaders and founders from underrepresented backgrounds – debunking fears that there would be insufficient demand from diverse leaders, fund manager says.
The global impact deals, reports and initiatives you need to know this month – all in one place. This month featuring Deloitte, Fair4All Finance, Phenix, the Global Impact Investing Network, and more.
Affordable credit, access to unclaimed benefits, emergency plumbing and more: how UK social enterprises are helping to alleviate the economic squeeze for the most vulnerable.
Social investment counts for just 1.4% of all UK business lending. So how can we get mainstream banks to play a much bigger role in the social economy? By changing the incentives – and therefore the culture – of banking, says the Big Issue Invest CEO.
Listening to feedback and making tangible changes in response isn't easy, says UnLtd's David Bartram – but Big Society Capital's recent proposals will not drive the transformation needed to support purpose-led ventures.
PLUS: Willicroft targets new markets with €2m raise; UK’s CDFI lending jumps by a third in one year; appetite for impact investing rises; Lendahand crowdfunding platform shifts gear; and much more.
As Big Society Capital marks its 10-year anniversary, CEO Stephen Muers reveals key changes ahead – including addressing past failings on diversity and changing a target return rate that is now “out of step” with the organisation's mission.
Growth Impact Fund developed by UnLtd, Shift and Big Issue Invest described as “fundamentally different” – aiming to back long-overlooked entrepreneurs and provide model for more inclusive social investment.
As a woman of colour in social investment, Mathu Jeyaloganathan regularly finds her credibility questioned. As she fights to build a new fund for diverse communities, she urges white allies to help end the sector's institutional racism.
