With the support of HEC Social Business Chair, and in cooperation with many partners, Accenture has analyzed for several months the existing models for project funding on the Internet. This study, initiated by danone.communities, aimed to draw the opportunities of financing Social Business through the web.

A number of initiatives related to different types of funding (grant, loan or investment) were analyzed in areas ranging from charities to social businesses, to startups, to individual and creative projects.

At our annual General Community Meeting last April 28, we offered you to answer a survey regarding danone.communities mutual fund and more broadly individual motivations to invest in social projects.

More than 230 people participated to our study, thank you for your great mobilization!
 

Some of our conclusions:

- The level of knowledge about danone.communities mutual fund remains concentrated around Danone

- If the financial return motivates individuals, it does not seem to be a determining factor in the investment decision (60% of respondents are willing to subscribe to the fund without any financial return or with less than 2%)

- Put your savings in social projects and solidarity seems to bring a surplus of meaning compared to a traditional investment: a double return on investment (social and financial) is sought

- If it is important that banks offer their customers this type of investment, an online distribution is also acclaimed

- Potential investors ask for access to detailed information on project impact on beneficiaries

- Major investment incentives are: the evidence of social impact, the meaning of the project and its consistency with personal values, a feeling of purpose, contribution or even membership, a double return on investment, ...

- The main obstacles to investment are: a lack of transparency and uncertainty about the actual impact, a lack of confidence, the fear of “social washing" and diversion, the complexity of access and cost of investment, ...

While the role of finance in the economy is being questioned, the concepts of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) and Impact Investing attract more and more people and companies. “Impact investors want to move beyond “socially responsible investment,” which focuses primarily on avoiding investments in “harmful” companies or encouraging improved corporate practices related to the environment, social performance, or governance. Instead, they actively seek to place capital in businesses and funds that can provide solutions at a scale that purely philanthropic interventions usually cannot reach.” (Investing for Impact, Monitor Institute, 2009)

This "different finance" rallies more and more proponents and is being debated in many events in Europe including:

the 4^th annual Forum Convergences 2015, SOCAP Europe, Ashoka Changemakers' Week