Presentation given during the Geneva Forum for Social Change conference on the 13th of June 2014

1. SHALL WE
INVEST IN THE
FUTURE?
AURORE BUI
GENEVA FORUM FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
JUNE 13TH

2. WHO AM I?

3. WHAT ABOUT SOFTWEB?
 First non-for-profit limited liability
company in Geneva
 Social incubator for non-profits,
NGOs, associations, social
entrepreneurs…
 Providing trainings on financing and
fundraising, innovative partnerships,
etc.
 Social innovation consultancy
 Website currently being redesigned to
prepare for great things… stay tuned!

4. DOING GOOD OR
DOING WELL?
Source: André Delafontaine, Go Beyond
“Impact investing is about do
well and do good, about
avoiding the dichotomy between
making money and
taking care about the
community.
The combination allows a real
sustainable investment with a
triple bottom line on society,
environment and finances.”

5. “Impact investments are investments
made into companies, organizations,
and funds with the intention to
generate social and environmental
impact alongside a financial return.”
 Intent to generate impact
 Expectation to generate a
financial return on capital and, at
a minimum, a return of capital
 Measurement and reporting of the
social and environmental
performance
IMPACT INVESTING AT
A GLANCE
Source: Global Impact Investing Network

6. SPECTRUM OF
IMPACT INVESTING
Source: The catalysts, « Making Impact Investing more powerful »

7. I decided to give a voice to organizations
and entrepreneurs from my network and ask
them…
Why should investors finance social
change?
Here are some contributions, facts and
thoughts…

8. HOW IS IMPACT INVESTING
PERCEIVED BY SE?

9. Social & Environmental Impact:
Getting unemployed people out of poverty, through
employment and training
Business model:
Innovative and ethic house cleaning services to
individuals and companies
Your next challenge?
Replicate in other cities to raise impact
CLEEN: CUTTING DOWN
PUBLIC COSTS FOR
UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE

10. How do you finance your project(s)?
Start-up capital: donations
Expansion through low-interest loans and
investments
Is your business profitable?
Self-financing: 80%-100% after a 4-year period
In terms of publics costs, reinserting unemployed
people has been 4 times most cost effective
through Cleen Services, with a 70% reinsertion rate
CLEEN: WHAT ABOUT
IMPACT INVESTING?

11. Social & Environmental Impact:
Organising events and installations that generate
powerful and participative experiences. Creating a
new a sense of community and belonging.
Business model:
Selling projects to cities, enterprises and creative
consulting
Your next challenge?
Extend reach to the whole of Switzerland and first
international dates
42(PROD): CREATING
HAPPY CITIES

12. How do you finance your project(s)?
Mandates from cities and private companies
Project-related fundraising
Is your business profitable?
We are able to cover our costs but need to
consolidate our structure both in number of
employees and salaries to insure sustainability and
increase impact
42(PROD): WHAT ABOUT
IMPACT INVESTING?

13. Social & Environmental Impact:
Raising awareness about the issue in order to
contribute to understand and free the oceans from
plastic pollution
Business model:
Scientific, educational, awareness and business
platforms to achieve the goal
Your next challenge?
Race for Water Odyssey: A Sailing Odyssey around
the planet connecting minds to learn, share and act on
ocean preservation
RACE FOR WATER FOUNDATION:
FIND SOLUTIONS TO CLEAN THE
OCEANS FROM PLASTIC

14. How do you finance your project(s)?
Start-up capital: donations and private investor
Expansion through: corporate support, crowd
funding, merchandising, fundraising mechanics
Is your foundation profitable?
Self-financing: 80%-100% was reached after a 3-
year period. However, we lack funds for R&D and
scaling-up of our innovative programs
RACE FOR WATER FOUNDATION:
WHAT ABOUT IMPACT INVESTING?

15. SHALL WE STAY IN CONTACT?
www.facebook.com/yoursoftweb
aurore.bui@yoursoftweb.org
Thank you to our contributors:
Nicolas Pidancet, Social entrepreneur
Sandrine Pache, Bénévolat-Vaud
Laura Venchiarutti-Tocmacov, Cleen Services
Dan Acher, 42(Prod)
André de la Fontaine, GoBeyond
Eric Messeca, Humain au cœur du numérique
Yves Zieba, Innovation consultant
Anne-Cécile Turner, Race for Water
Julia Beyer, TheFairTraveller