Big Issue Invest is a social business that supports other social businesses that are contributing to positive social and/or environmental change. They also work with charities who want to find solutions to bring in revenue. Their team is made up of social entrepreneurs and finance professionals, who bring their experience together to offer support through financing, ranging from £50,000 ($79,000 U.S.) to £500,000.
"As a social enterprise itself, Big Issue Invest pays any dividends generated up to its parent, The Big Issue, also a social enterprise with a charitable arm, The Big Issue Foundation," their website explains.
The Big Issue is a publication written by journalists that was launched in 1991 to help support London's homeless population through distribution wages. It now provides income for 2,800 individuals facing poverty, and last year alone paid £5million ($7.9 million) to the individuals who sold the newspapers.
The Big Issue Foundation is the aforementioned charitable arm, which helps those who have dealt with, or are dealing with, homelessness regain their independence.
Big Issue Invest has helped finance social enterprises like 4Children, Active Life, Pathfinder Healthcare Developments, Pines Calyx, Training for Life, Turning Point, the Venture Partnership Foundation and War Child.
Contact Information
Big Issue Invest website
The Big Issue website
The Big Issue on Twitter
The Big Issue on Facebook
The Big Issue Foundation on Facebook
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Social Enterprise Financing
- Opportunity for businesses to invest in social enterprises that contribute to positive social and environmental change.
- Support for Charities
- Opportunity for charities to find solutions to generate revenue.
- Collaboration Between Social Entrepreneurs and Finance Professionals
- Opportunity for collaboration and expertise from social entrepreneurs and finance professionals to provide support and financing to social businesses.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Social Enterprise
- Disruptive innovation opportunities for social businesses to receive financing and support.
- Charitable Organizations
- Disruptive innovation opportunities for charities to explore revenue-generating solutions.
- Finance and Investment
- Disruptive innovation opportunities for finance professionals to collaborate with social entrepreneurs in financing social enterprises.
