Melissa Gilmour is Group Head of Marketing at Ethex, the direct impact investing platform that enables individuals to put their money to work in UK organisations offering positive solutions to today’s social and environmental challenges. 

This interview was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2026.

Why should charities, community groups and social entrepreneurs be excited about crowdfunding?

Through social investment platforms like Ethex, investors can invest their money to directly support ethical organisations and businesses that align with their values, providing them with the funding they need to develop and grow. It means people can invest in a way that benefits society and finances a more sustainable world while aiming for fair returns. Ethex bridges the funding gap that many community businesses and organisations face by blending funding from everyday investors with blended finance from financial and government institutions.

Why was your platform set up and what are you hoping to achieve?

Ethex was set up in 2013 by social entrepreneur Jamie Hartzell to finance a better and more sustainable world. His vision was to transform the current financial system and make truly ethical (or positive) investment accessible to all, while also building a movement of positive investors in the UK. 

Jamie’s vision has resonated with UK investors and Ethex has grown to be one of the UK’s leading impact investing platforms, with over 26,000 registered investors. We see 2026 as a time ripe for further positive change in the finance industry. More people are feeling frustrated at the lack of climate action and the breakdown of communities, and we want to give them the opportunity to take meaningful action with their money while targeting a decent return. At the same time, Ethex is proving it can act as a backbone to connect retail investors with organisations and financial institutions to make money do good. 

How can your platform help people or organisations interested in fundraising for a good cause?

Ethex lists share and bond offers from community benefit societies, co-ops, charities, community-based organisations, profit-for-purpose businesses and social enterprises looking to raise finance from retail investors. These could be organisations seeking funding to finance a new organic farm, start a community energy scheme, provide affordable loans to financially underserved workers or build affordable housing. 

Could you give an example of what a typical Ethex project looks like?

An exciting recent example was the Energise Barnsley bond offer, which enabled investments to fund a roll-out of solar panels on the roofs of over 1,000 council-owned homes in Barnsley. This project delivered double positive impact — cutting bills for tenants (many of whom are pensioners) and reducing carbon emissions. 

The project funding blended finance streams from Ethex investors with Barnsley Council and match funding provided by CO2Sense. The impact: 24,196 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided over the lifetime of the project and £484,685 in total bill savings for council tenants. 

People could invest from as little as £50, targeting returns of 4–6% over the 5-year term, while being part of a groundbreaking clean energy project. That’s positive investing in action! 

Are there any unique features of your platform we should know about?

Ethex brings together on one platform the best positive investment and savings products. We list businesses that have a clear social and/or environmental mission at their heart and work in areas like renewable energy, affordable finance, social housing, organic farming and more. Because investors choose the projects they invest in, they can see clearly the impact their money is making. 

Some of the projects we list can also be held within an Innovative Finance ISA, meaning you can invest all or part of your £20,000 annual ISA allowance and any returns will be paid free of tax. 

If you could give three tips to someone using crowdfunding for a good cause what would they be?

• Make sure your impact is clear. Our investors want to know that their money is helping to solve a problem, so clarity of impact is important. 
• Get investment ready. Make sure you have the right financial projections and legal guidance from the outset. 
• Rally your community with some consistent key and authentic messages: Make sure your supporters are on side and spreading the word far and wide to make your investment offer a success

You can learn more about Ethex and the type of projects it helps fundraise for at www.ethex.org.uk.

Photo Credit: (c) Ethex