Social investment is a core part of our work to build a fairer London.
We provide flexible, low-cost loans to organisations tackling poverty and inequality. Unlike a bank, our focus is on impact – not profit.
Our loans are repayable, which means we can lend again and again. It's a way of making our resources go further for London.
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£22m
Invested in London since 2012 -
48%
of direct loans to organisations led by Black or minoritised groups -
58%
of direct investments to organisations receiving their first-ever loan
What is social investment, and why do we do it?
Social investment means lending money to create social change.
Unlike a grant, the money is repayable with a small amount of interest. But unlike a bank loan, profit isn't the priority – impact is. For us, it’s not just a coincidence that 'social' comes before 'investment'.
We use social investment to make our money work harder for London. Because it's repayable, we can recycle the same funds again and again. It also lets us support a wider range of projects than our grant programmes allow – including work that tackles poverty in but doesn't fit neatly into our grant criteria, like capital projects.
Most of our social investments come in the form of loans. This means we provide you with money that you pay back to us, at a small interest. As well as loans, we can also explore equity - which means we invest in your organisation in return for a stake in it, rather than expecting regular repayments. Please reach out to us, and we'll discuss options with you.
What about interest rates?
We charge a small amount of interest on our loans. This means you pay us back slightly more than we lent you.
We do this to protect the value of our fund, so we can keep supporting organisations long-term.
Because our focus is on impact, the interest we charge is low. Our rates are set at a case by case basis, based on what you can afford. They're typically about 3-4%.
Who is this social investment for?
Our social investment is for organisations based and working in London with a clear social mission.
You must also have been operating for at least a year, and be able to provide a business and financial plan.
We particularly want to invest in organisations that:
- Are led by people with lived experience of the issue they’re working on
- Have struggled to attract suitable finance elsewhere
- Can grow their impact
- Align with our grantmaking priorities: the housing crisis, racial justice, disability justice, the poverty premium, decent work and social security.
How much support is available?
We’re flexible about the size and length of loans we give – our main focus is on impact. In 2024 we gave loans ranging from £50,000 to £500,000, with an average loan of £190,000.
Projects we're funding
A selection of projects we've recently provided investments to.
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Ella's
A loan of £160,000 to purchase a new safe-house for female survivors of trafficking and exploitation.
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Branches Hostel
A loan of £300,000 to purchase premises to use as ‘move-on’ accommodation.
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Youth PWR Network
A loan of £30,000 and a grant of £10,000 towards the recruitment of a dedicated Sales Manager.
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Jerk Grill
A loan of £60,000 towards renovation costs, to help Jerk Grill open a restaurant in Hackney with a social mission.
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London Early Years Foundation
A loan of £1.1m to open a new purpose-built nursery in Greenwich.
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ARK Resettlement Services
A loan of £350,000 to help purchase a new property to provide accommodation to people who have been involved with the criminal justice system.
