In this issue we focus on social impact investment (SII), which blends enterprise  with  social imperatives to create a new stream of capital that some say will ‘transform’ the social sector. SII has many supporters including the UK government which has published an action plan to catalyse this new ‘impact economy’.

We know SII will be on many philanthropists’ radar, especially for those wanting to apply their time, money, business acumen and skills to engage strategically with their passion to make a difference.

But we also know:

• SII is not an easy topic, particularly for those less involved in the worlds of finance or business
• that giving is your choice  and  not your day-to-day business, so you may not want to be studying complex articles in your spare time
• and SII is only one of many ways to ‘give’ and should be seen alongside all the other options. As Dr Beth Breeze, researcher, author and Philanthropy UK publications editor says in her book review (pg xx) there is a tendency from those committed to one way of giving to be judgemental about others.  Our role is support not judge, and we recognise the value in all ways of giving – of which SII just one.

In our aim to support and educate we have talked to many experts involved in SII to gain an understanding of the landscape, the challenges and opportunities ahead, and also offer an idea of where donors can play a part. Our case studies illustrate how business, social organisations and philanthropists are coming together to create solutions.

We recognise SII spans a wide spectrum and incorporates many technical issues, and this magazine is intended as a resource; so dive in and take what’s useful for you, or put it to one side for reference. Don’t be intimidated by the unavoidable complexity at times. There are many more resources and advisors who can help, many of which are listed in our magazine.

Alongside our own reports, we bring word from Europe and America. Melissa A. Berman, president and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, which is at the vanguard of this new approach in the US, and Serge Raicher, co-founder and chairman of the  European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA ), share useful insight on aspects of social impact investment.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Philanthropy UK Magazine and that it provides a useful resource for those interested in SII. We welcome your feedback which can be sent to: editor@philanthropyuk.org.

Best wishes,

Cheryl