A Literature Review About the Landscape of Social Finance

This academic paper reviews the design and impact of Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) in public service delivery, exploring their potential for Latin America. It covers transaction costs, policy drivers, and public-private models, highlighting how SIBs work under different institutional contexts. It also proposes design recommendations for better uptake and provides a global perspective on SIB development, emphasizing their role in redistributing risk and benefits for greater social impact.

Of Principle and Principal: Value Plurality in the Market of Impact Investing

This article examines the concept of “value plurality” within the market of impact investing, where both financial and social/environmental values are pursued. Drawing from valuation studies, it explores how market proponents navigate and define these complex value dimensions. The paper frames impact investing as a case of market design, illustrating how a valuation infrastructure is constructed to make social and environmental value calculable for investors without necessarily assigning it a financial equivalent.

Narratives of Promise, Narratives of Caution: a Review of the Literature on Social Impact Bonds

This article reviews the emerging literature on Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) in high-income settings, identifying three narratives: public sector reform, financial sector reform, and a cautionary perspective. It analyses these narratives against themes of public versus private values, outcomes contracting, and risk allocation. While the first two narratives present SIBs as “win-win” solutions, the cautionary narrative highlights potential risks. The article concludes that empirical evidence on active SIBs is limited and more research is needed to fully understand their benefits and drawbacks.

Social Outcomes Contracts & System Strengthening: a Conceptual Framework

This document from Social Finance Inc. outlines a conceptual framework for social outcomes contracts and their role in system strengthening. While the provided text focuses on a broader “social taxonomy” and due-diligence duties within a sustainable finance legislative framework, the original intention of the user’s input points to social outcomes contracts. It touches upon objectives like access to social products and services, and how the social taxonomy links criteria to activities for a significant contribution, potentially going beyond current due-diligence initiatives.

Towards a Global Framework for Impact Investing

This article proposes the development of a global framework for impact investing, emphasizing the critical need for standardized approaches to measuring and reporting impact. It highlights the challenges posed by diverse methodologies and the absence of a common language for defining impact, which hinders performance comparisons and aggregation across funds and organizations. The authors advocate for a unifying framework to enhance transparency, accountability, and the overall effectiveness of impact investing.

Many a Slip: the Challenge of Impact as Boundary Object in Social Finance

This chapter explores the concept of “impact” as a boundary object within social finance, particularly in impact investing. It examines how impact, despite its central role, often presents challenges due to varying interpretations and measurement approaches across different stakeholders. The author discusses “judgement devices” and “boundary work” to understand how this ambiguous concept is managed and negotiated among diverse actors in the United States’ social finance ecosystem, often leading to complexities in achieving shared understanding and accountability.

Examining the Promise and Challenges of Blended Finance for Social Impact

This academic article from ET Insights critically examines the potential and obstacles of blended finance in achieving social impact, with a particular focus on India. It likely analyses how blended finance models can effectively mobilise capital for development while also exploring inherent challenges such as complexity, transaction costs, and appropriate risk-sharing. The authors probably discuss policy implications and the necessary ecosystem conditions for blended finance to truly scale and deliver meaningful social outcomes in the Indian context. The paper aims to offer a balanced perspective on its role in addressing pressing societal issues.

Blended Finance in India: a Landscape View

This white paper, a collaboration between AIM, NITI Aayog, and IPE Global, provides a comprehensive landscape view of blended finance in India. It defines the concept, outlines its framework, and highlights its application in strengthening India’s healthcare systems, particularly through the SAMRIDH initiative. The report presents case studies and discusses key challenges to scaling blended finance, offering recommendations for mobilizing commercial capital from private investors to achieve sustainable development outcomes and build a resilient healthcare system.

Social Stock Exchange: an Innovative Financing Platform for Social Enterprises in India

This paper explores the proposed Social Stock Exchange (SSE) in India as an innovative platform for social enterprises to raise capital. It examines the fundamental concepts of SSE, social enterprises, and impact investment, comparing SSE with conventional stock exchanges. The study analyses the Indian government’s proposal for establishing SSE, its potential functionality, and anticipated challenges. It highlights SSE’s role in linking social entities with impact investors to foster social welfare and environmental sustainability, reducing dependency on traditional grants and donations by offering a transparent fundraising avenue.

Social Impact Investing in India -a Supplement to Corporate Social Responsibility & Social Business Models in India : a Legal & Tax Perspective

This supplement from Nishith Desai Associates provides a legal and tax perspective on social impact investing in India, building upon the context of Corporate Social Responsibility and social business models. It delves into aspects such as social impact bonds, fund management, and investment strategy within the Indian landscape. The report offers crucial insights for understanding the regulatory environment and structuring impact investments in India.
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