14/02/12

By Andrew Holt

A free online resource launching today sheds light on social investment and the different financial models available to charities

Social Investment made simple defines the different forms of social investment and helps voluntary and community organisations to understand what could work for their organisation.

The guide showcases examples of charities of varying sizes which have used social investment to successfully grow their organisation and signposts users to further sources of support.

Social Investment made simple has been developed jointly by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and CAF Venturesome.

It was put together in response to feedback from many people in the sector that there is a lack of clear and honest advice available to help organisations make informed decisions about what is right for them.

The resource will be published on KnowHow NonProfit, which became part of NCVO in November, complementing the site’s existing fundraising resources.

Sir Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO, said: "Social investment offers huge potential which could be crucial to the sector’s long term financial sustainability.

"By demystifying what can be a complex issue, we hope more voluntary organisations will be able to take full advantage of what is a major growth area for the sector."

Paul Cheng, head of CAF Venturesome, said: "We are delighted to be working with NCVO on launching this new online resource about social investment.

"Although grants will always be a crucial form of funding for the sector, charities need to understand how the full spectrum of social investment may help them become more financially resilient in both good times and bad."

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