2016-02-25-奥纬咨询-Social_Innovation_12页_893kb

Corporate Social Investment Summary

Overview

Corporations play a significant role in social investment by aligning opportunities with business operations, creating shared value for society and shareholders. This shift moves beyond traditional CSR, which often focused on compliance and donations, to integrated approaches that can generate sustainable financial returns and address social issues directly.

Key Rationales for Involvement

• Pursuing new business opportunities and markets.
• Fostering innovation and developing technologies through social impact investments.
• Achieving sustainable financial returns and deepening engagement with social causes.
• Examples like M-PESA, a mobile money system created by Vodafone and Safaricom, demonstrate how business models can create shared value by providing financial services to underserved populations while supporting corporate objectives.

Common Approaches and Examples

• Social funds: Long-standing vehicles like those from Vodafone and Danone exemplify investments combining financial performance with social impact.
• Corporate venture capital and social impact bonds: Emerging tools for innovation and risk-sharing, such as examples from Google and Goldman Sachs.
• Data from 557 programs at 127 companies shows that 52% aim for financial returns, with funds, venture capital, and social supply chains being prominent.
• Other approaches include incubators, accelerators (e.g., Telefonica/Wayra), and microfinance, which expand access to financial services in underserved markets.

Engagement Strategies and Barriers

• Start small with social investment funds or collaborations, ensuring visibility of opportunities and internal buy-in.
• Overcome barriers, including lack of awareness, cultural separation from core business, and resource constraints by connecting with networks and educating stakeholders.
• Scale-up by forming partnerships, joint ventures, or social business units to build on existing programs and secure long-term impact.

Lessons from Initiatives

• Programs like the Business Impact Challenge emphasize the importance of educating corporations using business-relevant language, securing executive support, and aligning social investments with clear business value.
• Key takeaways include creating shared value, starting modestly, and iteratively scaling to ensure sustainability and broader social change.
• Overall, corporates can leverage their unique position to fund social causes, provide capital, and drive innovation, contributing to a maturing social investment market while enhancing their brand and business resilience.