Report by the Credit Suisse Research Institute : How social entrepreneurship is redefining the meaning of return

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Credit Suisse Research Institute, in collaboration with the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, released the key findings of its report entitled “Investing for Impact: How social entrepreneurship is redefining the meaning of return.” The report provides insight into the major trends shaping Impact Investing today and its ability to tackle some of the world’s most intractable societal problems."Today, more investors and entrepreneurs than ever are proactively investing their capital in solutions designed to generate a positive social or environmental impact, while also having the potential for some financial return. A standard impact investment structure today will invest in enterprises that provide self-sustaining solutions to social problems, such as access to clean water, improved healthcare, or the provision of clean energy. Investing in these organizations provides a direct and significant impact for those in poverty, and in many cases also offers a financial return. The potential of growing efforts to deliver entrepreneurial solutions to global problems is bigger than ever before - as are the opportunities to channel private capital toward social and environmental issues. We hope this publication will offer you more insight into this exciting new field" said the research institute in a release.

In this report, the Credit Suisse Research Institute explores the opportunities and complexities of Impact Investing. Primary focus is placed on Social Entrepreneurship. Here, direct investments are made into social enterprises that provide scalable, self-sustaining solutions to address global problems. Examples include access to clean water, improved health care or the provision of clean energy. Such investments create a direct and measurable impact, as well as offer the potential for financial returns. Beyond direct investments into social enterprises, other newly emerging financing innovations available to social entrepreneurs are also discussed.

Click here to download the report.