CAF Venturesome

SOCIAL INVESTMENT TO HELP YOU GROW

Big plans for the future? We've provided hundreds of social enterprises and charities with the affordable loans they need to make their plans a reality.

Talk to the team and find out if we can help you
 

WHAT IS SOCIAL INVESTMENT?

Social investment is the use of money to achieve both a social and financial return.

More and more social organisations are using this source of repayable finance to help accelerate their future plans. It’s not a grant or donation -  it’s a loan to be repaid with interest.

Our social investment loans are often unsecured and are a source of affordable, flexible finance, where other lenders may be unable to help. It's not suitable for every organisation but our expert team help make the process of social investment  clear and straightforward.

Find out more about social investment by downloading our Impact Report.

OUR FUNDS

We specialise in making small social investments to social enterprises and charities needing less than £150,000 of finance.  However, our range of social investment products means that we can lend anything between £10,000 and £400,000 plus, depending on the fund.

We'll make sure you're offered the right fund for your particular circumstances, whether it's an unsecured loan or social impact bond through our Development Fund, a community housing project supported by our CLT Fund or an interest free loan for early stage social enterprises.

Build capacity with the Development Fund

The Development Fund

Our main fund offering loans from £25,000 to £400,000+ to build the capacity of high-impact social organisations.

About the Development Fund
Build affordable homes for local communities

Community Land Trust Fund

Our CLT Fund offers loans and blended finance from £20,000 to £350,000+ to CLTs building affordable homes in the community.

About the CLT Fund
Funding and mentoring to social enterprises

SE-Assist Fund

Our place based fund working with business, the community and the public sector to help early stage social enterprises with interest free loans up to £30,000.

About the SE-Assist Fund

WHAT WE DO

At CAF Venturesome we understand the financial challenges that social organisations face - from waiting for a grant to come through, to having the money to grow.

  • We work across a wide range of sectors.
  • We fund organisations working all over the world as long as they are based in the UK.
  • We work with organisations that have a clear social mission.
  • We work collaboratively to help ensure our partners reach their goals.

Since our launch in 2002 we have funded over 600 social investments in the UK and Internationally, investing over £50 million to transform lives and communities around the world.

Social investment recycles capital provided by our generous funders.  We lend the money to you and the repayments you make is then loaned to other organisations in the same situation.  This means that one pot of money can benefit many more causes.

Each of our customers is unique, so we'll make sure you have the help you need and guide you to the funds that fit your circumstances.  Our team of experts have backgrounds in the commercial, financial and charitable sectors, and use their knowledge and straightforward approach to social investment to provide exceptional levels of customer service.

If you think social investment could help your organisation, then the first step is to get in touch with team. 


WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP  

Applying for a social invesment loan can seem a daunting task, but our team works with you to make it easy.  Here's our simple five step process:

  • Give us a call or send us an email.  We’ll then arrange a time to talk through your needs to make sure social investment is the right option for your organisation.
  • We'll look at your organisation’s finances and projections to understand how we can support you.
  • We’ll meet with you and your trustees to get to know your organisation and understand your social impact.
  • We write the application for you.
  • Our investment committee will review your application and we’ll let you know our decision right away.  We will then help you to draw down the funds as soon as possible.

We're with you every step of the way.
venturesome www

WE'VE HELPED OVER 600 SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS

View all case studies
 
hubbub case study

Hubbub

  • Environment
  • ●
  • £152,000 part loan/part standby facility

Investing in social media campaigns to create a vlog which has inspired over 15 million people to think differently about how they treat the environment.

Read how Hubbub are making people take notice

Vennture case study

Vennture

  • Communities
  • ●
  • £50,000 standby facility

How social investment bridged the gap until a local authority grant was paid, meaning that a community charity in Hereford could deliver contracts and make growth plans.

Read how social impact is reaping awards

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE WORLD OF SOCIAL INVESTMENT

We are one of the most active providers of impact-focused social investment in the UK. Keep up to date with us as we help social enterprises and charities thrive.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • What is social investment?

    Social investment is the use of capital to achieve both a social and financial return. A social investment loan is not a grant or donation; it’s repayable, often with interest.

  • Is my organisation eligible for social investment?

    The main CAF Venturesome funds help organisations that:

    • are incorporated in the UK
    • have a clear social mission
    • have been trading for at least one year
    • have an annual turnover of at least £60,000

    If you meet this criteria we would love to hear from you

  • What type of social investment is available from CAF Venturesome?
    Most of our social investment loans are unsecured (which means we don't take a charge or security against your assets). Our investments are tailored to the needs of the organisations we finance and can be used for specific projects or to support day-to-day working capital..
  • Are you able to provide social investment across the UK?
    Yes, CAF Venturesome can support organisations across the UK. Read more about our geographical reach here.
  • How long will it take you to review our application?
    The length of the application process depends on how quickly you can provide the information we require. We contact applicants quickly so we can better understand your situation and give you a clear indication of what information will be needed. On average our process from application to approval takes two months, although it can be quicker than that.
  • What happens if our application for funding is successful?

    If your application is successful, we’ll offer you a tailor-made funding package to meet your organisation’s agreed needs. One of our expert team is assigned to support your application and will remain in regular contact throughout the process.

  • Who decides if I receive a social investment loan?

    We hold a monthly investment meeting where the applications we write for you are reviewed and can be approved by a dedicated committee. The discussion will focus on understanding the social impact of your organisation and how our investment will help to increase it, as well as assessing the financial risks of the proposed loan. 

  • What happens if our application for funding is unsuccessful?

    If your application is unsuccessful we’ll do our best to signpost you to other potential sources of funding that may suit your needs.

Want to know more?

TALK TO US TODAY

Contact our expert team for an initial chat about social investment through CAF Venturesome

Get in touch with the team

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