Australian SIB appetite is expanding while the excellent offices of Tracy Palandjian team up with UK impact investing guru Sir Ronald Cohen for an interesting article in II:
Australia – Appetite For Social Impact Bonds On The Rise (subscription)
Elizabeth Moran – The Australian
Many investors are no longer interested solely in maximising returns. They want a return with meaning, where they can have a positive, measurable impact that promotes social or environmental change. This is known as “impact investing” and there’s a growing investor appetite for it.
This new investment approach fits well with an environment where there is not enough funding from government or pure philanthropy to support many worthwhile causes. A more holistic approach, combining business, community and government can be undertaken more quickly, use less government funds upfront and ultimately save taxpayer dollars while improving social or environmental projects.
Global projects supported by impact investing include: lifting the participation rates of girls in secondary schooling in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing the number of people at the base of the social pyramid who can gain access to electricity or clean water, and reducing homelessness in major US cities.
U.S. Policy Shift Can Unleash The Power Of Impact Investing
Sir Ronald Cohen, Tracy Palandjian & Matt Bannick – Institutional Investor