Social investment isn’t about social investment. It’s about people, impact and a mindset of doing business differently.
This was the realisation I came to after speaking alongside Good Finance at a funding event led by our local infrastructure organisation, Voluntary Norfolk, recently.
I sensed in the room the smallest of ripples. A ripple not of excitement for social investment, this still feels out of reach or relevance for many charities. It was a ripple that indicated a shift in thinking. That just maybe there are other ways of securing income beyond grants, donations and traditional fundraising and that more than spreadsheets and risk registers, it’s about a set of values and a mindset.
It’s for this reason that I invited Matt Parfitt from Grace Enterprises back to talk a little more about social investment. Matt has taken it on three times, each time slightly differently and for sure, with some good luck thrown in, by his own admission.
His perspective about about the kind of organisation he runs is not a million miles away from the small and medium-sized Grant-dependent charities and social enterprises that surround and support us.
Keeping podcasts like this short and accessible remains a challenge, but I hope you enjoy it.
All the other episodes are still available on Spotify.