ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses social investment from the point of view of family offices and foundations. It highlights that family offices, trusts and foundations are often “first movers”, using new investment tools and innovating way before the mainstream. The chapter provides a unique snapshot of social investment and family offices’ motivation for using it. Social investment is seen as a particularly strong proposition for philanthropists as rather than just giving their money away, they can create blended returns on investment which mix both financial and social returns. High-net-worth individuals, family offices and their organisations are experimenting with new hybrid investment models and private–public partnerships to tackle the current global challenges and meet the expectations of a growing population. To be a social investment, some degree of financial return is essential, yet investors in this space often make some concession regarding return, to support the investee’s mission.
