Research

Social investment research

As the market has begun to grow over the last few years, research into social investment has also grown. These are some of the key pieces of research and reports on social investment.

Please note that we don’t necessarily agree with or endorse all of the findings in these research pieces, but we think they all make a valuable contribution to the debate.

If you have produced any research or reports on social investment not listed here, please let us know. Part of our mission is to promote best practice and share information across the social investment market and we would like to highlight as much research as we can.

Co-mingling Social Funds

Cabinet Office

May, 2013

This report aims to open up more information about developments in social investment by showcasing new fund structures: “co-mingling” social investment funds. These are structures that foundations around the world are using to enable them to leverage their experience and assets to bring new skills, expertise and finance from more commercial investors into delivering social impact. In many cases, co-mingling funds enable foundations to achieve impact at a scale that cannot be achieved with their philanthropic capital alone.

The role of tax incentives in encouraging social investment

Worthstone and Wragge & Co

March, 2013

This report commissioned by the City of London and Big Society Capital investigates the basis for and potential implications of introducing a tax relief for social investment. Its highlights evidence that there is unmet appetite amongst individuals, particularly high net worth individuals, to include social investment in their portfolio and that £480m could be raised from individuals to support the risky investments that social sector organisations need. Further, the changes to existing EIS and VCT schemes to effect this tax incentive could be undertaken with minimal changes.

Measuring Social Impact in Social Enterprise: The state of thought and practice in the UK

Jim Clifford, Kate Markey and Natasha Malpani

February, 2013

BSC has co-authored a report alongside Baker Tilly and CAN on social impact measurement across different sectors in a rapidly changing market-place. The report includes views from the key stakeholders in the move to outcomes-based commissioning and the emerging social finance market- social sector service providers, grant makers, social investors and commissioners.

Brief Handbook on Social Investment

City of London Corporation

February, 2013

This is a brief handbook explains the basics of social investment, including what social investment is, the social investment market, types of social investment products, investor concerns and the UK’s expertise in social investment.

Advising Clients on Social Investments and Deciding on Suitability

BWB and Worthstone

November, 2012

This report sets out the findings of a working group of financial services and social investment experts convened by Big Society Capital and Worthstone to explore the relationship between social investment and the regulatory concept of ‘suitability’. It sets out some principles which investment advisers might use to decide on the suitability of social investments.

The First Billion: A Forecast of Social Investment Demand

The Boston Consulting Group

September, 2012

In the next few years, demand for social investment from charities and social enterprises could rise five-fold to £1bn, spurred by increased outsourcing of public spend to social providers and the growth of new and riskier payment mechanisms. Translating this demand into real deals, however, will require firm, positive action from the full range of market players.

Social Franchising

The International Centre for Social Franchising

September, 2012

This report is a timely look at how to scale up the reach and impact of social projects, building on their success at a time of reduced resources. This leads to the idea of Social Franchising as an investment opportunity for those promoting social change.

Investment Readiness in the UK

ClearlySo and NPC

September, 2012

The report Growing the Social Investment Marketplace: Investment Readiness in the UK carried out by ClearlySo in partnership with New Philanthropy Capital and commissioned by the Big Lottery Fund details a need for more support in the emerging social investment market as 43 per cent of organisations that were unsuccessful in securing funding reported that accessing advice was ‘difficult’. Almost one-in-three (32 per cent) of these organisations said that simply identifying who to go to for social investment was ‘very difficult'.

NCVO's Funding Team Blog

NCVO

August, 2012

NCVO's Funding Team Blog often includes guest blogs from social investment experts.

NCVO Research publications and reports

NCVO

August, 2012

Many of NCVO's general reports and publications include reference to social investment.