Volume 5, Issue 2 - Special Issue: Financing Social Enterprises, Co-Editors: Jill Kickul and Thomas S. Lyons

Social and environmental impact investing as an activity as well as a concept has grown in recognition on a truly global scale. Yet, apart from anecdotal success stories of some specialized forms such as social-impact bonds, little is known about the field and the complex interplay between agents, instruments and regulations. Neither the rationales of the various participants in the field, nor the evaluation criteria for some of its instruments have been scrutinized in-depth so far. Especially the important constructs of risk and returns from a financial as well as a social impact perspective have so far been used in differing fashions, thus rendering the applied logic constructs incompatible to each other. Compatibility, however, is a pre-requisite for the inclusion of impact investments into the portfolios of traditional institutional investors. Much can be gained from this, not only would a huge inflow of capital improve the social and environmental sector, but early evidence shows that the overall performance of mixed portfolios might profit because the experienced low correlation of impact investments to traditional markets reduces portfolio risk and increases sustainability. In addition, more and more investors demand ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria to be considered when it comes to building portfolios because of the great opportunities provided.

The paper shows how social enterprises can be funded efficiently, and in ways that are compatible with their underlying business models, by combining both grants and different forms of investment capital. Financial sustainability remains one of the most pressing issues facing the social enterprise sector, despite rapid development over the past few decades. The paper sheds light on select funding instruments revealing how hybrid financing strategies can enable and enhance the organic growth of social enterprises and drive greater impact.

The creation of social value through entrepreneurial ventures occurs in various dimensions, which are often difficult to compare. From an economic standpoint, however, value creation requires resources and activities that lead to expenditures. The sustainability of social ventures, therefore, depends on how these expenditures are financed. We develop a general framework in which business models of diverse social ventures can be analyzed and categorized. Using a gallery of real-life case studies, we illustrate that social business models can be characterized and ordered by the degree to which they monetize social value creation and the level of generated market revenues in excess of expenditures. Our analysis reveals a positive correlation between the monetization of social value creation and financial output, and it shows that relatively simple changes in the business model can have a significant impact on monetization and market performance. Our framework thus yields several strategic implications for business modeling.

Social ventures like other entrepreneurial endeavors often have difficulty in seeking financing. This study assesses the role of crowdfunding in social venture funding. We provide insight into crowdfunding types and platforms and social value creation. Then we offer a theoretical framework to help social ventures and social investors best choose which type of crowdfunding (reward, donation, equity, debt) might make most sense to them given their economic and social value creation goals.