After 32 Let’s Talk Good Finance (LTGF) events, there has been a lot of learning about what social investment is and what it isn’t. Here, we take a look at the highlights from that learning.

It’s often pretty darn expensive to help people in need or tackle environmental issues, as well you know. Trouble is, the grants won’t keep coming forever, donations to charities are dropping, and public-sector funding is as elusive as an agreed deal on Brexit.

We often get asked what the differences are between the various tax reliefs available to charities and social enterprises. This is why, together with Bates Wells Braithwaite (BWB), we are pleased to publish A Simple Guide to Tax Reliefs. As well as covering the relatively new Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR), it also covers SEIS, EIS, CITR, IFISAs and Gift Aid. 

In memory of Mike Britten, Founder and CEO of Goodwill Solutions CIC. 

While there is plenty of research available on the demand from investors for social investment opportunities there’s far less knowledge and understanding of what charities and social enterprise want from the social investment market.

The Bevy sees itself as “more than a pub” re-opening its doors in 2014 to provide a vital range of community services to the people of Moulsecombe and Bevendean.

Many ex-offenders are reconvicted within one year of release. There is plenty of research to say that many prisoners think having a job is a vital part of keeping them out of prison. The problem is finding employment on release can be difficult, particularly for those who were unemployed before they were convicted.

If you’re visiting this website it’s probably because you were thinking about social investment and wanted to understand more about it.

Last year Cass Business School published some practical research into social investment, specifically focused towards charity and what they want from it.

Coming from Quaker Social Action’s creaking and “characterful” offices in Tower Hamlets, my director and I were a little out of our comfort zone.

As always, it was fantastic to be at Social Enterprise UK’s Social Enterprise Awards in November to celebrate the achievements of so many organisations.

What makes an organisation suitable for social investment?  This is a question we’re often asked by potential investees. As providers of simple finance for UK charities and social enterprises, we do of course receive many applications for finance from organisations who simply aren’t ready for investment.

I spent seven years looking after my mum before she died. Caring for someone with dementia is a lot harder than most people realise. I often felt lost and overwhelmed by the task ahead and soon realised I had to find new ways to keep Mum busy and give her a sense of purpose, otherwise she’d spend all day staring at the TV.

South Bristol Sports Centre is a charity created to serve and provide facilities for the local community. We pride ourselves on being able to provide activities and facilities which cater for a wide range of public need. 

Social investment is no fairy tale, but you might need to kiss a few frogs before you get the right deal.

Phil Caroe, Director of Social Finance at Allia, with a tongue-in-cheek guide to help us navigate the language barriers to considering finance. Jargon is a social divider, separating the knowledgeable insiders from the confused outsiders. Now, with this bluffer’s guide, you too can impress your sector colleagues and show that you’re in the know.

The gritty reality of social investment? It's hard work, it's high pressure, and it is certainly no replacement for revenue. However, those doing the work today will reap rewards in the future.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the social investment market does not meet the needs and expectations of the organisations it is there to serve. Without the needs being met, can we really call it a market?

Josh is a social entrepreneur and member of the Good Finance Stakeholder Review Panel, an advisory group that provides critical feedback on the performance and future direction of the website and project. Here he shares his current bootstrap mentality to growth, his recent success with crowdfunding and why he believes social enterprise can change the world.

Charities are often reluctant to take on loan finance, preferring instead to rely on grants from trusts or individuals.

“Are you investment ready?” You’ve probably heard this question a lot if you’ve explored social investment. You might also still be wondering what it means. Thankfully, help is at hand…

A new report called Designing Social Investment: User Research has just been published on Good Finance.

We’ve known for a long time that social investment can seem both complex and inaccessible to the very organisations it’s seeking to serve.

The concept of a theory of change has been around for decades but over recent years they have gathered traction in the funding and social investment community.