Charity moving away from traditional giving to ‘social impact investing’

UK-Israel charity UJIA has said its donors are starting to move away from traditional giving towards “social impact investing” which delivers a financial return.

The new model, outlined this week by the group’s interim chief executive, invests donors’ money in a project delivering social and educational benefits in Israel then reinvests that money elsewhere when the project delivers a financial return.

“It is the gift that keeps on giving,” said Natie Shevel, acting CEO while the charity finds a permanent replacement for Michael Wegier. “It is a fundraising revolution.”

He said the new social impact investing would aid “engagement” in that it would create “opportunities for connection and partnership created between British Jewish donors and Israel, through the Israeli social enterprises we’re investing in”.

Shevel’s comments followed a visit to Israel of British donors who visited in their remit as members of UJIA’s social impact investment committee to see where their money was being invested.

This included the Bnei-Brak based Ampersand and its shared office space facilitating entrepreneurship and employment among the Charedi community, as well as Enosh, which provides support to Israelis with mental illnesses and their families. They also visited Hadarim, an urban regeneration fund focusing on run-down parts of Haifa.