American India Foundation’s Post

Inspired by the energy of Taftie Annual Conference on #socialimpact where #publicfunding innovation agencies met to reflect, share best practices and foster #socialinnovation. I had the privilege to address the audience on the pivotal role public funding agencies play in unlocking social innovation. Innovation agencies have a unique position to drive social change. By leveraging flexible #financialinstruments such as grants, concessional loans, and equity investments, these agencies can mitigate investment risks and fill financing gaps. I stressed the important #catalytic role they can play, collaborating (#blendedfinance and #risksharing instruments)to crowd in private capital. Additionally, I highlighted three key features that public funding agencies should pay attention to: 1. Do No Significant Harm 2. Materiality and 3. Additionality I finished acknowledging some #barriers that public financing of social innovation needs to overcome. 1. Short-term planning and budget cycles 2. Risk aversion 3. Regulatory and legislative constraints. 4. High transaction costs: 5. Organizational readiness: often a key issue is not lack of funding or impactful innovations but our own lack of capacity, expertise, and a culture that supports including social innovation as a funding priority. Overcoming these barriers requires a concerted effort to adapt policies and practices that support #longterm, impactful social innovation. Furthermore, continue fostering #collaborations between #public and #private sectors is vital. Such #partnerships enable us to combine resources and expertise, enhancing the effectiveness and reach of social innovation initiatives. Thank you Innosuisse for the opportunity to speak and for your dedication to fostering social innovation. #Taftie2024 #SocialInnovation #PublicFunding #SocialImpact #imdimpact Annalise Eggimann Sandra Villiger Annika Nussbaum

💡 #BuySocialEuropeB2B Social Procurement Case Study 💡 🫶🏻 TAREM SERVICES LIMITED is a social enterprise with a critical mission: to tackle in-work poverty and inspire social value across the UK. Tarem is committed to elevating the status of cleaners and service workers, ensuring they receive the respect and living wage they deserve. 🛡️ Zurich UK has been providing a suite of general insurance products in the UK for over 100 years and is committed to operating with a positive impact on lives and society. 🤝 Through the partnership with Global Workplace Solutions (CBRE UK) Zurich started working with Tarem, which now is cleaning 7 of Zurich offices across the UK. Partners also supported Tarem in building KPIs and growing its business significantly. The impact: 🌍 Offset 8 tCO2e through the verified Carbon Standard (VCS) reduction project. 👥 10 employees are working at 7 Zurich sites. Learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/ddkeZeZ2 🤝 Buy Social Europe B2B is co-funded by the EU within the Single Market Programme and by SAP and implemented in partnership between Euclid Network, Social Enterprise World Forum, Social Enterprise UK, Yunus Social Business, Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND), Social Enterprise NL, Reach for Change, the Sustainable Procurement Pledge, Zurich Insurance and national country partners. #SocialProcurement #SocialEntrepreneurship #SustainableProcurement #CaseStudy #PartnershipForGood #SustainabilityInAction #DecentWork #ReducedInequalities #NoPoverty

How can you be sure that your efforts to make the world a better place are really making a difference? 🤔 #Impactmeasurement is a crucial part of social impact work because it helps organisations to understand the effectiveness of their efforts and make informed decisions for continuous improvement. The design of our #WASH accelerator aims to catalyse innovative social businesses working on WASH solutions by leveraging the expertise and resources of Reckitt. In this regard, we measure impact across 3 levels through a combination of quantitative before-and-after surveys, as well as qualitative interviews to dig deeper into moments of true collaboration and inspiration that take place throughout the program. This data informs the development of our continued commitment to supporting WASH #socialentrepreneurs through the creation of a community of practice and further acceleration cycles that bring us closer to creating access to WASH for parts of the world that need it the most. As we measure the initial impact of our #Nigeria accelerator, read up on the impact we’ve already seen in #SouthAfrica and #Brazil in our impact report linked in the comments. Tag your contacts who might be interested in impact measurement for #accelerators!

🚨 A new coalition of businesses has committed to help UK households live more sustainably. 🙌 It's called 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 🛋️. And there's still time to join in. Working with Hubbub, the businesses will be collaborating with 150+ UK households to explore topics like energy ⚡️, food 🍝, fashion👖, and money 💷. And we'll find out: • What gets in the way of sustainable choices? • Where is more support needed? • What are the win/wins? 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆. ↳ We’ll be running real world focus groups with households to test what works and what doesn’t. Our participating households will give things a go and spark new ideas ✨ The outputs? 🧐 ↳ 𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 make greener choices and save money. ↳ Recommendations for 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀. Nearly a third of the emissions reductions needed between now and 2035 to meet the UK's net zero goal involve choices made by individuals and households. We aim to create a blueprint for how we can harness the collective potential of household influence. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁. Interested in joining the likes of 𝗕&𝗤, 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝗧𝗦𝗕 & 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿? 🤝 ↳ Please get in touch or drop a message in the comments and I'll follow up 📧 ++ P.S. I'm CEO of environmental charity Hubbub. We bring business, government and civil society together to create campaigns that inspire & support people to make choices that are good for the environment. Follow me - Alex Robinson - for insights on environmental change, leadership and more. #environment #sustainability #climatechange #behaviourchange

Process innovation--dramatically rethinking and improving the way a company makes products or delivers services--isn't just about improving internal outcomes. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for example, often shares process innovations with partners, who in turn are able to expand healthcare aid. The foundation recently partnered with UNICEF and others to address challenges faced by ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), an energy-dense paste that treats childhood malnutrition. According th the foundation, UNICEF buys the large majority of the world's RUTF, but lacks a process to help producers increase capacity, leading to an inconsistent supply. The Gates Foundation launched a financing facility that helped manufacturers get the capital they needed to expand production. Last year, UNICEF provided 9.3 million children with treatment, up 27% from 2022. At a time when rising costs and labor shortages are constraining products and services that seem essential for innovation, process innovation just may be the key that unlocks solutions and growth. #innovation

For a long time, business success has been measured almost exclusively by profits and share prices. The result:  ❌ Economic inequality   ❌ Irresponsible levels of consumption  ❌ Loss of biodiversity  ❌ Increased waste    But things are starting to change.     Increasingly, and as the #ESG movement grows, investors and consumers are more tuned in to #purposeledbusinesses. Consumers are increasingly interested in what a brand stands for; investors know that businesses driven by purpose are more likely to garner loyalty and stand the test of time.     #SocialEnterprises like ours are proving that business can be done differently. In fact:    💡 There are 131k+ UK businesses registered as social enterprises  💡 2 million people are employed by social enterprise in the UK alone  💡 Social enterprises contribute £78 billion to the UK GDP  💡 58% of social enterprises have leadership teams that are at least half female    As a social enterprise ourselves, we have social and environmental commitments baked into our business model, and we’re excited to be named as a recommended supplier by Social Enterprise UK. A big part of this is working with and championing other social enterprises on their journey, including SESI Refill UK, Ethstat Ethical CIC, Nuneaton Signs Ltd, Hey Girls, Belu, Clean for Good, NEMI Teas, Half the Story, and the list goes on...   CAN YOU JOIN US?     1️⃣ Could you purchase from more social enterprises?   2️⃣ Could you consider changing your legal structure to put purpose before profit?   3️⃣ Would it be feasible for you to operate under similar circumstances?     Sources:  Social Enterprise UK 

Beyond Bottom Lines: The Rise of Business with Social Impact Aisshwarya DKS Hegde For decades, businesses existed with a singular focus: maximize profit. However, a tidal wave of change is reshaping the landscape, driven by a growing demand for businesses to be not just profitable, but purposeful. The result? The rise of businesses with social impact, where positive societal or environmental change is woven into the core of their operations. These businesses aren't merely donating to charities; they are systematically embedding social impact into their business models. Patagonia, for example, champions environmental sustainability through its recycled clothing initiatives and activism. Toms donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased, directly linking their success to social good. The motivations for this shift are numerous. Consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly seeking brands that align with their values. Employees are drawn to work that contributes to a greater good. Investors are recognizing the long-term benefits of sustainable and responsible practices. But the benefits extend far beyond brand image and recruitment. Businesses with social impact often foster innovation. By addressing social or environmental challenges, they uncover unique market opportunities and develop solutions that wouldn't exist otherwise. Take Beyond Meat, whose plant-based alternatives to meat address environmental concerns and cater to changing consumer preferences. Furthermore, these businesses can build stronger communities and contribute to lasting change. They create jobs, empower marginalized groups, and promote sustainable practices. The Body Shop, for instance, sources ingredients fairly and ethically, empowering communities and promoting environmental protection. Of course, integrating social impact isn't easy. It requires commitment from leadership, robust measurement systems, and transparency in operations. However, the potential rewards are significant. Businesses with social impact can unlock loyal customers, engaged employees, and attracted investors, solidifying their place in a future where purpose and profit go hand in hand. In conclusion, business with social impact is not just a trend; it's a fundamental shift in how we view the role of companies in society. By weaving social good into their DNA, these businesses are not only creating a better world, but also securing their own success in the long run. This is not just good for society, it's good for business. www.thegoodsoul.in #business #socialimpact #socialinnovation #socialenterprise #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur

In Asia and the Pacific, women are crucial in agrifood systems as farmers, retailers, wage workers, entrepreneurs, and consumers. Measuring women’s empowerment in this sector is not just about gathering data; it is about identifying structural barriers and paying careful attention to what drives and hinders empowerment so policymakers and development practitioners can design better interventions. 👉 https://lnkd.in/gMqMD5UA  Bimbika Sijapati Basnett, Hema Swaminathan Asian Development Bank (ADB) #GenderEquality #Agribusiness #FoodSecurity

Such exciting times to be part of this conversation, especially when Youth leadership is becoming a prominent focus, not just in India but also globally. In this conversation we will explore ways to create a supportive ecosystem for youth leaders to thrive, and discuss enablers to equip them to actively and sustainably contribute to transforming food systems, as part of climate action. Collaborating with Farm2food and ComMutiny - The Youth Collective on designing this session exposed me to various approaches to session design and facilitation, further strengthening my ability to design tailored workshops and facilitate conversations with different stakeholders on such crucial topics, with continuous learning along the way. #youthleadership #agroecology #foodsystems #ecosystembuilding #leadershipdevelopment #programdesign #climatechange #climateaction #climatesustainability #workshopdesign #capacitybuilding #organizationdevelopment

Mandating ESG in India is crucial for creating a sustainable, zero-carbon, and green future. It not only addresses environmental challenges but also promotes social welfare, enhances governance, and boosts economic growth. This comprehensive approach ensures that development is inclusive, ethical, and sustainable, aligning with both national priorities and global commitments.