Authors

Steve Rothschild, Invest in Outcomes

Download PDF
(145 KB)

Volume 9, Issue 1 | April 18, 2013

The concept of the “new normal” has infiltrated the thinking of policymakers, employers, and service providers. Brought about by demographic and technological changes, the new normal demands change: business as usual will no longer work. Social impact investing provides an answer to the question: How can we identify and fund those human services that improve the health of our communities over the long run and pay for themselves? Like traditional investing, it recognizes that certain social interventions provide financial gains to investors. Unlike traditional investing, it also provides improved social and financial outcomes to clients and taxpayers. There are a variety of models of social impact investing, including variations on the social impact bond (SIB) and the human capital performance (HUCAP) bond. The HUCAP bond has two key design features that distinguish it from SIBs: (1) payment to social enterprises is based on their performance, and (2) it uses bond funds for capital.