We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.
From one-off donations to long-term giving, or designing your personal philanthropic strategy, we work together to help you realise your giving ambitions.
DISCOVER OUR PERSONAL GIVING SOLUTIONS
You have the vision for making a difference. So do we. We help you plan how to give based on your goals.
DISCOVER OUR CORPORATE GIVING SOLUTIONS
Helping your charity or social enterprise become more resilient.
DISCOVER HOW WE SUPPORT CHARITIES
Discover the latest insights for donors and charitable organisations to help create a greater impact
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We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.
Find out more about CAF
Give charities and social enterprises access to the affordable, repayable finance they need to grow their social impact
Social investment is the use of funds to achieve a social return as well as a financial one. We lend to charities and social enterprises from money donated by individuals, businesses and other charitable foundations.
As the charities
repay us, we use the same money to lend to other organisations looking for affordable, flexible finance. This means that one pot of money can benefit many causes, multiplying the impact of those funds.
Due to the high-risk nature
of the loans we make, we estimate that we will return approximately 85-90% of capital to our funders in six years.
To ease cashflow, develop new services, and build capacity.
Grant funding usually restricts how organisations use the funds. Social investment doesn’t.
Most banks look to secure large loans on assets like property. We don’t.
We recycle the money that’s repaid, lending it to other organisations who need our support.
Organisations can become more resilient and do more good for more people.
Getting ready for social investment can bring more discipline, rigour and transparency to a charity.
Social enterprises are businesses that trade for a social or environmental purpose. They prioritise people and planet, using the the majority of any profit made to further their mission.
According to Social Enterprise UK's State of Social Enterprise
Survey 2023, social enterprises achieve more positive financial outcomes compared to other forms of business, while outperforming on social and environmental impact.
Yet persistent barriers are preventing the social enterprise model
from expanding. These include inadequate access to finance and grant funding, skills shortages and poor economic conditions. Just under half (48%) of social enterprises reported making a profit in the last financial year, while 26% reported making
a loss.
Our social investment fund supports organisations all over the UK, irrespective of cause area or geography. This is in line with our mission to support a fair and sustainable future for all.
We have launched the fund with £10 million of philanthropic capital and we’re aiming to increase the size of the fund to £20 million, thanks to our generous clients.
You can contribute to the fund and maximise the social impact of your giving through:
Different products may apply based on your funding type. Contact us to discuss repayable finance to help not-for-profits achieve a social purpose.
CONTACT USCAF was one of the first to launch a social investment fund in the UK in 2002.
Social investments have been made
has been lent or granted to social organisations
social organisations have benefited from our funds
donors have funded our loans
“CAF's social investment support has been pivotal to our sustainability and success in making a huge difference to the most isolated communities in Birmingham. Because of CAF, we have been able to make a difference to over 40,000 individuals."
Social Investment Principal
Senior Investment Manager
Investment Manager
Investment Manager
Legal & General’s (L&G) approach to charitable giving has changed during the last few years. The increased spend in this year’s report in part reflects that change in approach, which sees L&G focusing greater resources on fewer strategic initiatives.
Since 2019, Barratt has donated over £3.1m to OB, through Barratt Developments plc and the Barratt Foundation.
For the Skipton Group, their giving programme is a way to live their values and do tangible good in areas that are important to them.