There are over 100,000 social enterprises in the UK, with 22% operating in some of its most deprived communities. Despite this, minority-led social enterprises, that is, those led by people from racialised communities and LGBTQI communities as well as those led by women and people with disabilities, face disproportionate barriers to accessing social investment.
The Addressing Imbalance programme launched in 2021 with the aim of connecting and engaging with organisations led by individuals who identify with one or more of these demographics. Our goal is to provide learning and resources to empower leaders with the tools they need to make an informed decision when considering social investment.
We want to see a higher percentage of social investments throughout the UK being made into diverse organisations and a reduction in those reporting barriers to access in comparison to their counterparts.
- To learn from the organisations themselves, taking on board feedback and learning so that we can better understand the challenges they face when considering finance to provide and signpost to the most relevant tools and resources.
- To facilitate learning, networking and discussion to support organisations in building connections both with peers, mentors and investors within the social impact space.
- To increase the awareness and understanding of social investment as a form of finance alongside grants, donations and crowdfunding for charities and social enterprises.
- To empower organisations with the tools and resources they need to make an informed decision on whether social investment is right for them.
- To signpost organisations who are interested in applying for investment to advisors, funders and additional resources to support them in taking the next step in their social investment journey.
We can’t achieve any of our objectives alone, and we recognise that to make any tangible difference we need to work alongside those with lived experience and allies from across the sector.
Events
A series of Addressing Imbalance events will seek to showcase peer stories of social investment, enable informed discussions and support connections in both face-to-face and virtual formats. Take a look at past and upcoming events here.
Feedback forums
Regular contact with our partners which includes bi-monthly group meetings, a dedicated online forum, fortnightly update emails and optional 1-2-1 meetings will enable us to engage on a regular basis with our partners and allow a space for feedback and discussion on how the programme should develop.
Case studies
Engaging with organisations who have received social investment will showcase the impact they are creating and provide crucial learnings for others seeking to take on or learn more about social investment. Take a look at some of the organisations who have received social investment here.
Podcasts
A series of podcasts entitled ‘Hidden Voices’ will focus on the learnings and experiences, both good and bad of social enterprises who have taken on social investment. Find out more here.
Partnerships
Partnerships with networks, social enterprises and charities who are led by or working closely with minority groups are crucial to our work. We will seek to partner with frontline and network organisations, as well as sector organisations who are looking to champion equality, diversity and inclusion within the social impact space. Find out more about our existing partners here, or get in touch if you're interested in learning more.
Newsletter
A quarterly newsletter will highlight social investment news, articles and events with a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. Sign-up to receive this straight to your inbox.
To measure the success and growth of the Addressing Imbalance programme we will measure and report on KPIs to include:
- The number of attendees at Addressing Imbalance events
- Level of engagement, measured by analytics on our Addressing Imbalance pages
- The number of organisations we work with, both in terms of partners and allies to further our reach to diverse organisations The percentage of Good Finance case studies that feature diverse organisations
- Qualitive feedback received by partners, event attendees and diverse organisations who engage with our tools and resources
We accept that progress will be made by a series of small steps but we are confident that in a small way we can work together to contribute to the wider conversation around levelling-up and how we work together to create a more just and equal society. If you’re interested in being part of the conversation please get in touch.