Impact Investment news 2012

June 2012

22/06/2012 - How good do you want your returns to be?

Nesta's report on social investment opportunities featured in the Financial Times.

"The best news this week was a report published by Nesta, the UK's innovation foundation, showing how financial planners can play a pivotal role in enabling more "social investment" from wealthy individuals. Thanks to another force for good - the Financial Services Authority's Retail Distribution Review, advisers will no longer have a vested interest in recommending only commission-paying investments. And thanks to innovation and professionalism, social investments now offer competitive returns to investors."

Read the full article

April 2012

25/04/2012 - News from Impetus

Impetus on the Chancellor's decision to cap tax relief for charitable donations. Impetus has been very vocal on the topic as this could be a devastating blow to charities in its current portfolio and across the sector. Impetus has sent letters to the editors of all the national papers expressing deep concern, and Policy Director Asheem Singh wrote a powerful piece for the Guardian website.

Impetus' work was featured in a recent Guardian article about The New Philanthropists. It's great that Impetus is being recognised as part of a "new generation of business people who are supporting good causes in a smart, 21st-century way." http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/mar/07/new-philanthropists-wealthy-people?

Dan Corry has joined the Impetus Advisory Council: Dan Corry is the new Chief Executive of think tank New Philanthropy Capital. Dan will join the 22 other Council members at the end of May for their next semi-annual meeting to tackle strategic issues of importance to Impetus.

Impetus is currently recruiting a full-time Pro bono Manager to build and expand the work of its pro bono partners and experts. If you know of anyone suitable, please point them to www.impetus.org.uk/about/jobs for the full job description and application details.

News from Stepping Out

Stepping Out is expanding and has just appointed its third employee, Paul Jansen.  Paul comes from a career initially in banking (ABN-AMRO) and then social enterprise management and consultancy. He joins Head of Delivery Rob Fountain and Founding MD Craig Dearden-Phillips.    

The spin-out sector has been given a boost by the mutualisation of MCSP (My Civil Service Pension).  This reflects continued commitment to alternative models for public sector reform at both central and local levels.

Stepping Out has just ordered 2000 further copies of its successful guide 'How to Step Out' which has already been ordered by several hundred potential public sector spin-outs.    

News from Resonance

This month Resonance welcomes a new Investment Director to its team.  

Simon Chisholm joins Resonance from N M Rothschild & Sons. His primary role will be to establish and manage a number of impact investment funds.  Before joining Resonance, Simon spent 16 years in a number of roles with N M Rothschild & Sons in the UK and internationally.  Latterly, as a Director, he provided advice to senior management teams on finance raising and strategic transactions. He has also spent 4 years as a Non-Exec Director for a pioneering London-based homelessness charity.

Resonance is soon to launch two funds, one to underwrite community share issues and the second to provide finance to community groups for affordable rental housing.  It has also recently developed and launched the fundraising for a more ambitious £45million fund for Broadway, a charity providing housing for the homeless in London. More information is available from the website www.resonance.ltd.uk