Social Investment
Hubbub UK
We take an impact-first approach to social investment, shaping investment to support our aims.
We start with the social or environmental need and tailor the investment: offering complete flexibility to adapt existing products, create a bespoke instrument, or use multiple products in combination. As well as making direct investments into organisations seeking to create impact towards our aims, we also invest into impact funds, which are managed by other social investors.
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Investing in Our Natural World
We offer social investment to organisations working on nature-based solutions towards: preserved species health and habitats, sustainable and ethical food, and clean and healthy freshwater.
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Partner in Place
We developed Partner in Place to offer social investment that is place-led and takes a partnership approach. It is aimed at organisations working to ensure local economies work better for the people who live there.
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Investing in A Fairer Future
To secure A Fairer Future, we offer social investment to organisations who are working to address systemic injustice and inequity.
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What we invest
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s first social investment was made in 1997. Since then we have formalised and grown our social investing. We have made over 150 social investments through our £45m social investment fund, the returns of which are recycled.
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£100k
Minimum investment
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£2m
Maximum investment
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£437k
Average investment
Our approach to social investment
Social investment is one of the tools we use, alongside grants and our own actions, to achieve our impact goals.
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For free tools and resources to help you navigate the world of social investment, visit Good Finance.
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Building an impact-first social investment strategy
We share what being impact-first means in practice and what we've learned.
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Social investment stories
Stories of our social investment in action.
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Portfolio breakdown
See a breakdown of our social investment portfolio by aim and product type.
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Insights and Learning
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Understanding impact in social investments
Understanding the impact of our social investments is critical for our learning and ensuring that we are an effective investor. In a new report, we outline how we assess the difference each social investment is intended to make, how we track its progress over time, and how that shapes our learning as an investor.
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How our impact-first approach led us to our first Perpetual Bond
We share our learning from our social investment into Fair for You and our first Perpetual Bond along with how it could open up finance options for social purpose organisations looking for equity-like investment.
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Impact-linked finance: what do we know about it so far?
A new report by Investing for Good, and commissioned by Esmée, provides a global review of impact-linked finance and explores the potential for adaptability for the UK social and impact investment market.
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Insights in Brief: Social Investment and COVID-19
A new report sharing what we've learned from our social investments in light of Coronavirus, and how we could use this to inform the stages of rescue, recovery and revival.
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Emerging funding opportunities for the natural environment
We are pleased to share a new report: Emerging funding opportunities for the natural environment, which we commissioned to review the current landscape for innovative funding of environmental enhancement across the UK.
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Evolution not revolution, 10 years of social investment
To mark the 10th anniversary of our Social Investment Fund, we’ve written a report reflecting on the achievements, insights and lessons learned to date.
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You might be interested in
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21 November 2023Using social investment to improve our natural world
Sarah Hedley, Esmée’s Social Investment Portfolio Manager, writes about our social investment plans to improve our natural world. This is part of a series of blogs on how our social investment strategy will contribute to Esmée’s mission.
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Developing our social investment strategy to support our mission
Jonny Page, Esmée’s Head of Social and Impact Investment, outlines our plans for social investment and the opportunities it offers to support our mission.
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Annual Report and Accounts for 2022
Our 2022 Annual Report gives an overview of our operations, funding and investments during the year.
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Funder Commitment on Climate Change: 2022 update
Read our 2022 update on our work towards the six goals of the Funder Commitment on Climate Change.
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Environmental Finance and Learning Fund: initial insights
Sarah Hedley, Social Investment Portfolio Manager, shares her initial insights following the first meeting of the Environmental Finance and Learning Fund participants.
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Our Annual Report and Accounts for 2021
Read our 2021 Annual Report, which gives an overview of our operations, funding and investments during 2021.
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Understanding impact in social investments
Understanding the impact of our social investments is critical for our learning and ensuring that we are an effective investor. In a new report, we outline how we assess the difference each social investment is intended to make, how we track its progress over time, and how that shapes our learning as an investor.
Read more