BMW Foundation

BMW Foundation

BWM Foundation Herbert Quandt

The BMW Foundation aims to facilitate global dialogue and to drive social innovation. To this end, we bring together people from across cultures, countries and communities around selected key areas: Responsible Leadership and Transsectoral Colaboration.

One of the Key Areas for The BMW Foundation is: Social Enterpreneurship

The BWM Foundation Goal in that key area is:

to increase the acceptance of social entrepreneurs and support them by connecting them with businesses, private investors, governments, and administrations.

Social Challange:

The concept of social entrepreneurship has received a lot of attention in recent years. It has inspired people worldwide to take a new and unconventional look at social and ecological problems and to become social entrepreneurs themselves. But unlike business founders and entrepreneurs who can draw on a good support structure, social entrepreneurs generally lack such services and offers.

Opportunities

Social enterprise broadens society’s repertoire and provides new ideas and approaches to solving social problems. Having an environment supportive of social enterprises can have the effect that social entrepreneurial approaches and solutions are also taken up by established actors and that social and welfare-state problems can be solved in a better, faster, and more cost-efficient way.

The BMW Foundation Approaches and Instruments

We cooperate with and support organizations that seek to improve the environment for social enterprises by providing financial support and consultancy to social entrepreneurs, by studying the topic academically or scientifically or by carrying the concerns of social entrepreneurs into the political and social sectors. We also support individual actors that take a creative and entrepreneurial approach to working towards a better society, providing them with concrete and tailored support and advice. Moreover, we seek to activate the know-how and knowledge of the BMW Foundation Responsible Leaders for their benefit.

More information:

http://www.bmw-stiftung.de/en/

ANANDA – Social Venture Fund

ANANDA – Social Venture Fund

ANANDA – Social Venture Fund

Ananda Ventures is one of the leading venture capital investors for social enterprises in Europe. Ananda invest in social change ‘on it’s own doorstep’- in high growth companies based in Europe and targeting social issues in the region.

Ananda Ventures works with the founders of social enterprises in the spirit of equality. It have created a unique network of investors, business people, social entrepreneurs and experts to achieve our common goals.

Ananda Ventures currently manages approx. 30 million euros in two funds (Social Venture Funds I + II). Our investors are (entrepreneurial) families, funds, banks, and institutions (e.g. EIF).

What investment criteria they have?

Smart capital:

Social entrepreneurs and their mission require a precisely structured and reliable flow of funding. Ananda support them in questions of business infrastructure, which we tackle through personal meetings. Its define common goals and discuss appropriate ways of repaying the capital.

Strong network:

Ananda knowa how important it is to go beyond financial support. Ambitious early stage entrepreneurs need high-profile connections as well as management, legal and PR consulting. The opportunity to exchange ideas with experienced social entrepreneurs and business people is invaluable as businesses grow. Ananda Ventures benefits from a network of investors, experts, management specialists, social enterprises and organizations operating in relevant fields. These ‘ambassadors’ serve as our flexible backbone.  Its unique infrastructure provides a strong added value to our portfolio companies.

Clear focus:

From Ananda own experience, they understand the challenges which social entrepreneurs face. They are thus well-placed to effectively support them as they grow. Ananda always keep the vision in clear focus: social impact – a sustainable and effective solution to a social problem.

Personality counts:

At Ananda Ventures, social entrepreneurs and their motivations play a central role. They are inspiring individuals who build capable teams and create successful social enterprises. Their projects are ‘role models’ in their fields and in their countries- and they have the potential to expand internationally. They develop business models that are scalable, with the scope for strong, dynamic growth.

Impact First:

Successful social enterprises exist in many areas. Their primary goal is to effectively identify and solve the problems faced by a disadvantaged group. In Ananda portfolio, the main themes are education, social integration, ageing population, long-term unemployment and health. However, Ananda is open to discussing other areas where substantial impact can be triggered.

Later stages:

Ananda support high-growth social enterprises, whose products have already passed the proof of concept. Positive feedback from the target market and an existing client base should already be in place. Another type of investee that Ananda like to support are companies that have successfully built their market presence and require more capital to fuel additional growth.

European ground:

Ananda Ventures is the first pan-European social venture fund and a pioneer in its field. Its focus on enterprises that operate primarily within Europe and that are headquartered here. Similarly, their impact should be made first and foremost within Europe. With Ananda home base in Munich and an office in London, they are positioned at the center of the European impact investing and venture capital markets.

Medium to large amounts:

The investments range is from €500,000 to €1.5 million. For later stage financing, they draw on their network of co-investors to syndicate rounds of €5 million and more. Ananda normally act as lead or major co-investor in later stages, but is open to participation with minority stakes in cases that promise compelling impact. Ananda holding periods typically vary between 5 to 8 years.

Fitting structures:

The spread of financing structures ranges from mezzanine to equity capital. The structures are fitted according to the business model, stage and exit scenario, as well as the exit preferences of the founder.

Strong social impact:

The key to success lies in the impact of the target company. It can be clearly measured and is well-defined by key performance indicators that position the company at the peak of its sector.

Effective team:

There is no success without extraordinary individuals. The social enterprise has a motivated and capable team that knows how to maximize impact while creating a sustainable and economically viable business.

Financial position:

The financial position of the social enterprise is sound and able to service the invested capital. In case of a pure equity injection we need to see a realistic exit window.

Best-Practice:

The business model has to be amongst the most efficient and effective solution in its peer group.

What is not a fit for Ananda Ventures:

Sometimes not everyone is the right fit. Ananda deliberately exclude projects without positive social or ecological impact or the intention to achieve a financial return. In particular, projects or enterprises that are directly or indirectly related to sectors such as nuclear energy, defense, addictive substances, or that risk using child labor are excluded. In addition, organisations with political overtones or links to fundamentalist religion do not belong to our target group. The Social Venture Fund does not participate in turnarounds, bail-outs or situations where government subsidies secure workplaces. As a principle, risks and opportunities should be equally shared among the stakeholders.

Application and Investment Process

Ananda investment managers continuously evaluate new ideas in the field of social entrepreneurship. In order to obtain a brief overview,  they ask that you send them directly theExecutive Summary of your business. If the described venture is of interest to Ananda, they will contact you for a more comprehensive business plan. If the venture continues to be of interest to Ananda Ventures and meet their preliminary criteria, Venture Found team will arrange an interview with you either personally or via the telephone. The Due Diligence process will then begin.

Depending on the complexity of the business model, it can take between 4 and 16 weeks to go from the initial application to receiving support from the Social Venture Fund.

More information:

http://www.socialventurefund.com/en

information source: http://www.socialventurefund.com/en

EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)

EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI)

The Employment and Social Innovation (EaSi) programme

The EaSi programme is a financing instrument at EU level to promote a high level of quality and sustainable employment, guaranteeing adequate and decent social protection, combating social exclusion and poverty and improving working conditions.

Structure and Funding

EaSI is managed directly by the European Commission. It brings together three EU programmes managed separately between 2007 and 2013: PROGRESS, EURES and Progress Microfinance.

As of January 2014, these programmes form the three axes of EaSI. They support:

The total budget for 2014-2020 is EUR 919,469,000 in 2013 prices.

Objectives of the Programme

  • Strengthen ownership of EU objectives and coordination of action at EU and national level in the areas of employment, social affairs and inclusion.
  • Support the development of adequate social protection systems and labour market policies.
  • Modernise EU legislation and ensure its effective application.
  • Promote geographical mobility and boost employment opportunities by developing an open labour market.
  • Increase the availability and accessibility of microfinance for vulnerable groups and micro-enterprises, and increase access to finance for social enterprises.

How to find more information?

Visit the website of EU: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1081

The Schwab Foundation for Social Enterpreneurship

The Schwab Foundation for Social Enterpreneurship

The Schwab Foundation for Social Enterpreneurship

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship provides unparalleled platforms at the regional and global level to highlight and advance leading models of sustainable social innovation. It identifies a select community of social entrepreneurs and engages it in shaping global, regional and industry agendas that improve the state of the world in close collaboration with the other stakeholders of the World Economic Forum.

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is a not-for-profit, independent and neutral organization, founded in 1998, with the purpose to advance social entrepreneurship and to foster social entrepreneurs as an important catalyst for societal innovation and progress. The Foundation is under the legal supervision of the Swiss Federal Government and is headquartered in Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland.

The Foundations’s main activities include:

  • Identifying and highlighting the world’s leading social entrepreneurs: Annually, the Foundation select 20-25 Social Entrepreneurs from a pool of applicants through a global “ Social Entrepreneur of the Year” competition. The  profiles of the selected social entrepreneurs can be searched and viewed online.
  • Community building: Currently, over 260 social entrepreneurs form part of the Schwab Foundation community. They come from around the world and work in a wide range of sectors, but they have many challenges and characteristics in common. The Foundation fosters the peer-to-peer exchange of the social entrepreneurs and supports the replication of their methodologies among each other.
  • Connecting social entrepreneurs: The Foundation supports the participation and active involvement of its selected social entrepreneurs at the regional and global meetings of the World Economic Forum. These meetings offer unique opportunities for social entrepreneurs to connect with corporate, political, academic, media and other leaders.
  • Generating solutions in partnership: Social entrepreneurs participate in  Forum initiatives, the conversations shaping the future agendas of industries, and are experts for the  Forum’s Global Agenda Councils. The Foundation works with selected companies to advance specific activities of social entrepreneurs or initiatives that support social entrepreneurship ( partners).
  • The next generation of social entrepreneurs: The Foundation works with the  Forum of Young Global Leaders to identify rising social entrepreneurs with a significant impact under the age of 40.
  • Additional services: The Foundation works with Harvard University, Stanford University and INSEAD to provide scholarship opportunities to the best executive education courses in the field to the selected social entrepreneurs. The Foundation works closely with leading academic institutions to publish case studies on specific social entrepreneurs for incorporation in undergraduate and graduate level courses

The Foundation does not give grants or invest financially in the organizations of its selected social entrepreneurs.

What The Foundation can offer ?

The Foundation invests its limited resources in creating unprecedented opportunities where social entrepreneurs who have successfully implemented and scaled their transformational idea, can further the legitimacy of their work, have access to usually inaccessible networks, and in consequence, mobilize the financial and in-kind resources that enable them to continue to strengthen and expand.

How to find more information?

Visit The Foundation website: http://www.schwabfound.org/[/fusion_text]

Ashoka Innovators for the Public

Ashoka Innovators for the Public

The Ashoka

Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with nearly 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries putting their system changing ideas into practice on a global scale. Founded by Bill Drayton in 1980, Ashoka has provided start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to a global network across the business and social sectors, and a platform for people dedicated to changing the world. Ashoka launched the field of social entrepreneurship and has activated multi-sector partners across the world who increasingly look to entrepreneurial talent and new ideas to solve social problems.

How Ashoka works

To ensure that the leading ideas for social change are fully developed and sustained, Ashoka have designed an approach that offers critical interventions on three levels—the individual, the group, and the sector.

  • Supporting Social Entrepreneurs Social entrepreneurs are the engines of social change and role models for the citizen sector. Ashoka identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs and helps them achieve maximum social impact.
  • Promoting Group Entrepreneurship Groups and networks of social entrepreneurs working together accelerate and spread social impact. Ashoka engages communities of entrepreneurs and develops patterns of effective collaborations that change entire fields.
  • Building Infrastructure for the Sector A global network of changemakers requires tools and support systems to deliver sustainable social solutions. Ashoka creates needed infrastructure, such as access to social financing, bridges to business and academic sectors, and frameworks for partnerships that deliver social and financial value.

Venture and Fellowship

For thirty years, Ashoka has been at the forefront of identifying and supporting the leading social entrepreneurs who are changing patterns and transforming systems. Venture is the mechanism through which Ashoka finds and supports the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. It is the flagship model upon which Ashoka was founded and remains the heart of Ashoka.

Ashoka believe that the growth of a global citizen sector begins with the work of individual social entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs drive the sector forward, responding to new challenges and changing needs. They are rooted in local communities but think and act globally. They are the ultimate role models and the pillars of Ashoka’s vision of Everyone a Changemaker.

Ashoka Fellows
Ashoka Fellows are leading social entrepreneurs who we recognize to have innovative solutions to social problems and the potential to change patterns across society. They demonstrate unrivaled commitment to bold new ideas and prove that compassion, creativity, and collaboration are tremendous forces for change. Ashoka Fellows work in over 70 countries around the globe in every area of human need.

How to become the Ashoka Fellow ?

Go through detailed process of selection described here:

https://www.ashoka.org/files/Ashoka%20selection%20criteria_1-pager.pdf

How to find more information?

Visit Ashoka Website: https://www.ashoka.org/

The Skoll Foundation

The Skoll Foundation

The Skoll Foundation drives large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and innovators who help them solve the world’s most pressing problems.

OUR VALUES

The following core values inform our mission; guide our actions; and undergird our culture:

Leverage: We seek leverage to achieve “a whole lot of good” from our investment of time and resources.

Respect: We respect the individual and the power of community.

Responsibility: Individually and collectively, we embrace a profound sense of responsibility.

Tough-Minded Optimism: We are disciplined, rigorous, and hopeful.

Innovation: Inspired by the social entrepreneurs we serve, we challenge ourselves to innovate as well.

Jeff Skoll created The Skoll Foundation in 1999 to pursue his vision of a sustainable world of peace and prosperity. Led by CEO Sally Osberg since 2001, our mission is to drive large scale change by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world’s most pressing problems. Social entrepreneurs are society’s change agents, creators of innovations that disrupt the status quo and transform our world for the better. By identifying the people and programs already bringing positive change around the world, we empower them to extend their reach, deepen their impact and fundamentally improve society.