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Impact Investing Impasse: The Case for 4-Hour Due Diligence
Impact investors are often guilty of stringing along social entrepreneurs with needlessly long due diligence processes, "abusing their power and privilege," says Andy Lower at investing firm A Different Approach to Poverty. Weeks can easily turn to months – a delay that's unfair to entrepreneurs, and unacceptable in other industries. In response, his firm has devised a four-hour due diligence process, which has sparked interest – and a fair amount of push-back – in the sector. Lower discusses the approach in this provocative Q&A.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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A 21st Century Approach to Social Progress: Cross-Sector Partnerships as a Possible Solution
For years the public, private and nonprofit sectors have worked separately to address key global challenges. But now, those challenges have outgrown this piecemeal approach, say the authors of the new book “Social Value Investing: A Management Framework for Effective Partnerships." In this Q&A with NextBillion, authors Howard W. Buffett and William B. Eimicke explore why cross-sector partnerships are the best way to create lasting social impact – and how to make those partnerships work.
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- Investing
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The Partnership Nightmare: What’s Wrong with the Social Sector’s Approach to Funding – And How to Fix It
Whether it's due to misaligned expectations, mutual distrust or power imbalances, interactions between social impact organizations and their funders can be nightmarish – for both sides. Social sector advocates Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Jane Leu and Vu Le have written a new book about these challenges, called "Unicorns Unite." In this Q&A, they discuss what's gone wrong – and how to make it better. Subscribers to NextBillion’s weekly e-newsletter can read an excerpt of the book throughout June.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Impact Investing Lessons for NGOs: Mercy Corps’ Scott Onder Discusses its Social Venture Fund
We don’t typically associate NGOs, particularly humanitarian organizations like Mercy Corps, with impact investing. But since 2015, Mercy Corps has run the Social Venture Fund, which invests in and accelerates the growth of innovative, scalable ventures that can positively impact millions in the developing world. NextBillion interviewed Scott Onder, managing director of the fund, about Mercy Corps' experiences as an investor, the rationale behind this ground-breaking approach – and lessons for other NGOs that may be considering a similar move.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
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How USAID is Capitalizing on New Trends in Development Finance by Attracting Impact Investors
As the funding landscape for global health evolves, new financing models for the development and commercialization of medicines and diagnostics are needed. Priya Sharma of USAID's Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact discusses the agency's forays into impact investing, and its recent report, “Investing for Impact: Capitalizing on the emerging landscape for global health financing” in this Q&A.
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- Health Care, Investing
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Discussion Heats Up at SOCAP17: Tweets, Live Interviews & Highlights from Thursday’s Sessions
Discussion is heating up at SOCAP, and NextBillion's team of roving reporters will be providing a variety of on-the-ground coverage throughout the day, including Facebook Live video interviews, live tweeting from @NextBillion, and highlights from the sessions we'll be attending.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Wednesday at SOCAP17: Tweets, Live Interviews, & Quick Takes from Impact Investing’s Flagship Event
SOCAP17 is kicking into high gear, and NextBillion's team of roving reporters will be providing a variety of on-the-ground coverage, including Facebook Live video interviews, live tweeting from @NextBillion, and interesting quotes, tweets and takeaways from the panels we'll be attending, compiled in blog posts like this one.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Live from SOCAP17: NextBillion’s Schedule of Facebook Live Interviews with Top Names in Impact Investing
SOCAP is finally here, and as part of our coverage, we'll be interviewing a number of prominent leaders in the impact investing and social business world and broadcasting these interviews via Facebook Live (accessible on NextBillion's Facebook page). This lineup is still evolving, as people's schedules develop – so we may be adding or changing some of these interviews in the coming days. But here's the latest schedule.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise