A report examined social investment in the United Kingdom, arguing that a drive to increase social investment should not ignore the needs of charities for other forms of investment, such as affordable repayable finance. The report made recommendations for policymakers, aimed at helping charities and social enterprises to access and benefit from social investment financing.
Source: Rhodri Davies, Returns Policy? What the next decade holds for social investment, Charities Aid Foundation
Links: Report | CAF press release | Charity Times article
Date: 2014-Sep
A report discussed the potential for developing the United Kingdom social investment market (defined as investments that intentionally targeted specific societal and/or environmental objectives to achieve a financial return, and measured the achievement of both). The report arose from the work of a wider, global project on social investment that was established during the UK's presidency of the G8, and a more general report was published alongside this, together with further reports from individual, associated countries.
Source: Building a Social Impact Investment Market: The UK experience, UK National Advisory Board to the Social Impact Investment Taskforce
Links: Report | Global report | Country reports | Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2014-Sep
A report said that charitable giving by FTSE 100-registered companies had improved in some respects, but high levels of donations were being maintained by a small number of companies and, while corporate responsibility was important to many members of the public, general understanding of companies' activities was poor. The report said that reporting standards varied, such that the value of contributions was unclear but, if all companies had followed the same model for reporting their contributions over the six years covered by the report, the figures would be significantly different. The report called for companies to be encouraged to make a more meaningful and effective commitment to charitable giving, and for companies to assess and report the impact of their charitable activities through a fair and consistent framework.
Source: Corporate Giving by the FTSE 100, Charities Aid Foundation
Links: Report | CAF press release | Charity Times report
Date: 2014-Aug
The Gambling Commission began consultation on the nature and level of social responsibility protections that gambling operators provided, and on proposed amendments to the social responsibility provisions in the licence conditions and codes of practice. The consultation would close on 31 October 2014.
Source: Proposed Amendments to the Social Responsibility Provisions in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice for All Operators (the LCCP), Gambling Commission
Links: Consultation document | Gambling Commission press release
Date: 2014-Aug