I am a touch frantic today chairing the Exchange Forum in London…Meanwhile two stories on the broader social impact picture today in SIB News…
China’s Wealthy Look To Make ‘Social Impact’ On Education
Cloud Computing
It’s called social impact investing, and in China a group of entrepreneurs intends to use the unique type of financing and problem solving approach to help improve education. Social impact investments are investments in companies, organizations, and funds with the goal of generating social and environmental impact alongside a financial return, according to the nonprofit Global Impact Investing Network.
A group of wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs have decided to make a contribution to education in the country. Rather than just donate money or establish a grant, they want to issue financing in the form of a bond that will provide a return so it can become self sustaining and eventually be used on other social problems, Raymond Horton, faculty director of programs in social enterprise at Columbia University’s Business School, told China Daily.
The 13th Social Enterprise Conference at the business school on Oct 31 hosted a special China Moment to release the results of a study on China’s social impact investing. It was co-sponsored by the main organization in the country engaged in social impact investing, the Shenzhen Innovation Corporate Social Responsibility Development Center (CSRDC). Beginning in the fall of 2015, a training program for Chinese entrepreneurs who want to engage in social impact investing will be hosted jointly by the CSRDC and the business school. Horton said next year’s training program is the result of a memorandum of understanding between the business school and CSRDC.
Nine Misconceptions About Social Investment
The Guardian
There’s a lot of debate about social investment at the moment – is it right or wrong for charities and not-for-profits to borrow money to help growth? Here we try and bust nine of the myths about social investment.