Government to help gauge social return on investment

Finance | Gareth Jones | 7 May 2008

The government has announced it is to carry out a programme of work to help standardise and improve how social return on investment is measured.

The project aims to work with the public sector, independent investors and social enterprises to agree a methodology that places a financial value on social benefit.

The Office of the Third Sector hopes such a framework will help charities and social enterprises gain access to funding by enabling investors to put a financial measure on the social benefits derived from their investment, as well as helping public service commissioners recognise the social value of a service during a tender process.

Speaking at the Good Deals social investment conference yesterday, charities minister Phil Hope (pictured), said: “Social enterprises and other third sector organisations play a hugely important role in improving peoples’ lives as well as the environment.

“Like any businesses they need access to finance. This will enable them to demonstrate their impact to investors and public services and help them attract funding.”

The conference also saw the government’s team of social enterprise ambassadors launch the ‘More for Your Money’ campaign, designed to raise awareness of the value social enterprise can bring to consumers, public service commissioners and investors.

A full interview with Phil Hope will appear in the May issue of Professional Fundraising magazine, out this week.

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