Organisations working in the voluntary sector, or the community and social enterprise sector may have a variety of needs for social investment: perhaps to deal with cashflow needs, to buy property or another asset, or to embark on a new line of operations.
iforchange can help you throughout your journey to getting social investment, with a tailored package of support that responds flexibly to the needs of your organisation.
Social investment training – we run workshops, seminars, and facilitated planning groups for trustees and executives. These enable organisations to understand the social investment opportunity in general, and how it can apply to their organisation. With this understanding, you will be well-informed enough to decide if social investment is something you should seek.
Planning and analysis – in going from concept to a worked up and costed business plan, potentially with financial and risk modelling, you may want some external support, whether it be as a critical friend or as a more deeply involved partner.
Becoming investor ready – seeking social investment is not the same as seeking money from donors and grant-givers; social investors often cite lack of investee “readiness” as a reason for not investing. We work with investors, and we understand what they will be looking for - and we can use this knowledge to anticipate what issues will be of concern to them – and advise on how to fix them or work around them.
Social impact – Social investors demand a clear articulation of the impact of the investments they make (as do some grant-makers), and for better or worse, the trend is towards more quantitative data to support impact claims. We can help you decide on an appropriate strategy and implement it if necessary. We have in depth knowledge of social science and statistical methods to help with this, where relevant.
Structuring the financial investment – there are many choices to be made when deciding what a social investment should be like - in economic terms and in legal terms. Depending on the choices that are made, investments will look more or less attractive to different investors. They will take into account not only the social impact of the investment, but also the implicit power and governance relationships, as well as the tax and potentially accounting implications.
Working with lawyers – ultimately, social investment agreements will need to be drawn up by lawyers. We have many years of experience in instructing lawyers with precision – meaning that their time is used efficiently and economically.
Social investors and capital raising – raising social investment is not just about the finance – it is an opportunity to engage with potential investors on a deeper level than can typically be managed with other forms of fund-raising or policy communication. We can support you in deciding this strategy as well as introducing your social investment offering to interested investors.
Once you have raised social investment, and depending on the structure, there may be an on-going need for support: e.g. performance management and reporting, brokering relationships with your investors as projects evolve, etc.
Some more specific considerations for organizations of different types can be found at the following links. Of course, your organisation might not fit neatly into any of these boxes: don't hesitate to contact us.