The Homeless Link Social Investment Fund
In 2017, the Homeless Link Social Investment Fund (HLSIF) was set up which invested in charities and social enterprises working to reduce homelessness. This was one of the first sector based social investment fund from a non-financial organisation, generating valuable learning.
HLSIF was created to test and learn where social investment can be most effectively used alongside other forms of funding to improve outcomes. It supported organisations to:
- increase the sector’s knowledge and experience of social investment
- develop new models for income generation and funding
- improve their long-term sustainability
The fund in the form of blended finance, with 20% grant funding and 80% repayable loan mix focused on the potential that smaller unsecured loans can have on creating change. The fund offered unsecured loans of £25,000 to £150,000, repayable over a maximum term of 48 months.
Through this fund, Homeless Link awarded £1.8million to 21 organisations.
Thrive Together Fund (also called Enterprise Growth for Communities programme)
The Thrive Together Fund provided unrestricted funding to unlock the growth of small and medium sized charities and social enterprises. This fund operated through a delivery partnership made up of Social Investment Business, the Architectural Heritage Fund, Co-operative and Community Finance, Fredericks Foundation, Groundwork and Homeless Link.
With £6m available, the Fund combined grant funding with repayable finance providing a funding package of loan (75%) and grant (25%) to eligible organisations in England to improve people’s lives, or the environment in which they live.
The Fund was supported by £3.6m from Access – The Foundation for Social Investment through the Enterprise Growth for Communities Programme, alongside a £3m investment by Social Investment Business Foundation.