• Case Study

The Architecture of Social Finance

  • Source : Routledge Handbook of Social and Sustainable Finance
  • 1 January 2017
This chapter explores the foundational elements and structural design of social finance. It discusses the various components that constitute the social finance ecosystem, including different investment vehicles like Social Impact Bonds (SIBs), and the broader marketplace. The piece delves into how these elements interact to channel capital towards social and environmental objectives. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the conceptual and practical architecture underpinning social and sustainable finance, positioning it within the broader landscape of finance.
  • Case Study

Annual Reports: Dfi Working Group on Blended Concessional Finance for Private Sector Projects

  • Source : International Finance Corporation
  • 8 April 2023
IFC’s annual blended finance reports synthesize data on partnerships, instruments, and impact across development sectors. They detail financing volumes, geographic distribution, blended vehicles, and lessons learned from private sector engagement. The reports serve as institutional frameworks for promoting private sector involvement in development missions, providing transparency on risk sharing and concessional commitments to mobilise capital effectively for sustainable development.
  • Case Study

The Impact of Impact Investing

  • Source : Stanford University and NBER
  • 1 January 2025
This paper theoretically and empirically assesses the impact of socially responsible investing, particularly divestment in secondary markets. It argues that while direct investments in primary markets and increased voting rights through engagement are likely to be effective, divestment often has negligible real impact on company operations. The analysis provides a formula to calculate the change in cost of capital from divestment, concluding that a substantial effect would require an unrealistically high proportion of socially conscious capital. Empirical evidence from index inclusions and exclusions corroborates these findings, suggesting that current divestment levels yield minimal influence on firm decisions.
  • Case Study

Integrating the Social Dimension in Climate Transition Under G20’s Sustainable Finance Working Group

  • Source : Observer Research Foundation
  • 3 January 2022
This paper discusses the integration of the social dimension within climate transition efforts, specifically under the G20’s Sustainable Finance Working Group. It highlights the importance of aligning climate finance with social objectives to ensure a just and equitable transition. The author explores how sustainable development goals can be advanced by incorporating social considerations into climate finance strategies, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches that address both environmental and social challenges.
  • Case Study

The Allure of Finance: Social Impact Investing and the Challenges of Assetization in Financialised Capitalism

  • Source : Economy and Society
  • 1 January 2022
This paper analyses how social impact investing transforms social welfare funding from grants into return-bearing assets within financialised capitalism. Through a qualitative case study in Britain, it demonstrates how proponents utilise a collective action frame to foster “collective ignorance” regarding the extractive nature of assetization. Despite financial power, success hinges on the discursive frame’s credibility and salience. The research reveals how the allure of finance is used to reconfigure social goods into assets, highlighting the inherent tensions and challenges in this process.
  • Case Study

Alternative to Private Finance of the Welfare State: a Global Analysis of Social Impact Bond, Pay-for-success and Development Impact Bond Projects

  • Source : University of Adelaide
  • 4 September 2015
This report analyses global Social Impact Bond (SIB), Pay-for-Success, and Development Impact Bond (DIB) schemes. It details investor returns (ranging from 15–30%), outlines stakeholder roles, governance models, and assesses scalability across various global cases. The study reviews the benefits, risks, and adoption trends of these innovative financing mechanisms, providing insights into their potential to address social challenges and leverage private capital for public good.
  • Case Study

The ‘stuff’ of Markets: an Institutional Analysis of Impact Investing

  • Source : Academy of Management
  • 1 January 2017
This paper examines market building and emergence through an institutional lens, focusing on the “impact investing” market. It investigates how institutional ordering and isomorphic pressures develop among diverse actors, using the Australian government’s efforts to construct a national social finance market as an empirical setting. The findings underscore the critical role of materiality—beyond categories and social skills—in shaping shared meaning, collective identities, and boundaries within nascent markets. Materials are shown to be essential for coordinating and structuring fields, and thus markets.
  • Case Study

Social Finance as Cultural Evolution, Transmission Bias, and Market Dynamics

  • Source : PNAS
  • 2 January 2021
This case study from PNAS examines social finance through the lens of cultural evolution, transmission bias, and market dynamics. It explores how social interactions and behavioral economics influence financial decision-making and market outcomes in the context of social finance. The paper likely delves into the evolutionary aspects of financial behaviors and the mechanisms through which cultural norms and biases are transmitted, shaping the landscape of social finance.
  • Case Study

The Mythology of the Social Impact Bond. a Critical Assessment From a Concerned Observer

  • Source : Special Issue: Social Finance, Impact Investing, and the Financialisation of the Public Interest
  • 1 January 2020
This paper critically assesses the social impact bond (SIB), highlighting its evolution from a risk-transfer mechanism for social program delivery to a scheme where the state increasingly de-risks private investors, particularly in the United Kingdom. It questions the underlying myths of public sector savings, financial innovation, and evidence-based policy often associated with SIBs, providing a concerned observer’s perspective on their actual impact and the transformation of social services under payment-by-results models.
  • Case Study

Sustainable Investing : Shaping the Future of Finance

  • Source : International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
  • 1 January 2020
This report examines the growing trend of sustainable investing and its potential to reshape the financial industry. It highlights the exponential growth of assets under management with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) mandates and discusses challenges like integrating sustainability into passively managed portfolios. The paper projects a near 100% ESG integration in fund management by 2036, driven by increasing client demand and the recognition of climate risk. It also emphasizes the role of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in guiding investment decisions and the need for financial innovation to address global sustainability challenges.
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