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Sharing insights from SVA’s work and across the social sector to prompt learning and discussion about effective practice.

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Indigenous evaluation: how you do it is as important as what you find out

Indigenous evaluation case study: why the process was important, the critical insights and resulting implications for evaluators and the Indigenous sector as well as the client.

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Paying what it takes to create impact

New research from SVA and CSI has found that not-for-profit organisations across Australia are, in general, not funded for the actual cost of what they do. The result is less effective operations and reduced impact.

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Rethinking social networks for equity, excellence and flourishing

Researchers in social network theory and educational leadership provide an analysis of how SVA’s The Connection is using networks to improve education outcomes within communities experiencing disadvantage.

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Restoring the balance of power

Exploring what is required of non-Indigenous executives who hold positions of power in First Nations organisations.

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Building a sector-wide approach to measuring impact

Financial capability foundation, Ecstra, has designed a framework to enable a common approach to measuring impact for all its grant partners with the intention of creating long-term change across the sector.

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The art of supporting grief: have we lost it?

Grief support is core business: don’t outsource it as it’s critical to effective holistic care. +Podcast

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Showing: Impact investing
Recent Issues
to show that the SIB consists of three strong parties creating a strong structure to support Newpin program

Social impact bonds: a tale of three Newpins

The Newpin family reunification program has been deployed under the Social Impact Bond (SIB) mechanism in three states: one successful landing; one termination; one taking flight. What has SVA learned? +Podcast

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shows the tenant has the say about disability housing with contributions of money & building & ideas from others

Putting tenants first: how Synergis Fund is investing in disability housing

The new Synergis Fund is helping to fill a critical gap in the market by providing high-quality, long-term homes that meet tenants’ needs. How does it achieve this while still offering stable, risk-adjusted returns to its investors?

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Where to next for SDA?

How can improvements to the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) landscape be made to deliver high quality housing options for people with disability? +Audio

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Social impact bonds: a letter from the frontline part 2

Social impact bonds: a letter from the frontline – part 2

After seven years ‘in the trenches’ as part of Australia’s foray into social impact bonds, Elyse Sainty outlines her ‘thoughts and prayers’ for the future of social impact bonds. +Audio

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Illustration SIB letter from the frontline

Social impact bonds: a letter from the frontline

After seven years ‘in the trenches’ working on social impact bonds (SIBs), Elyse Sainty shares her insights around SIB myths and legends. +Audio

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Funding their vision: organisations share their stories

Four social purpose organisations describe how social impact investing has provided a flexible, mission-aligned and supportive approach to funding their vision. +Podcast

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How the Federal Government can help grow social impact investing

What steps can the Commonwealth Government take to help access more private capital for social impact investing to address some of our big social challenges? +Audio

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Yunus advocates social business as tool to stop increasing inequity

Micro-credit founder, Professor Muhammad Yunus urges us to consider social business as a tool to address the world’s increasing inequity, whether it’s getting rural Bangladeshis out of poverty or Australians off welfare. +Audio

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Once were SVA: where are they now?

In this special SVA Quarterly article, we catch up with six people who used to work with SVA to find out what they are doing now, and how their time at SVA shaped what they do.

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Sector trends: stories from the frontline part 1

Leaders in the social sector reflect on current trends and how their organisations are responding to be the most effective funders and service providers. Part 1 of 2. + Podcast

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Social procurement success: what it takes

Vanguard Laundry Services, the most recent social enterprise created by Luke Terry in Toowoomba, exemplifies how to benefit from social procurement opportunities. + Podcast

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Chuffed.org becomes a social benefit company, raises $1.1m

How and why did social enterprise crowdfunding platform, Chuffed.org create a new legal structure and what are the implications?

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New model for financing affordable housing

A housing finance ‘aggregator’ is one solution for attracting more private capital into the affordable housing market. How does it work?

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Do’s and don’ts of investing in Indigenous social enterprises

Insights from the two year Indigenous Social Enterprise Fund pilot provide some lessons about supporting Indigenous social enterprises to grow. +Podcast

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Implications of new growth phase in Australian impact investing

Impact investing in Australia has reached a significant milestone with a leading superannuation fund committing $30m through a dedicated trust.

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Is your program suitable for a social impact bond?

A practical guide to help you self-assess your program’s appropriateness for a social impact bond (SIB).

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Data needed to innovate and scale

Rob Koczkar, SVA CEO, describes how we can achieve improved social outcomes by applying business disciplines, particularly through improved availability and use of data.

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Developing affordable housing affordably

Community Housing Providers can viably develop affordable housing, however they need to have the right supports in place, and be capable of managing the inherit risks.

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Investing in social change

Michael Traill explores innovative ways to build an efficient capital market for social purpose – one smart and sustainable enough to solve today’s entrenched social problems.

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How to grow impact investing

What will it take for the Australian impact investing market to flourish? Brendan Ferguson takes a comprehensive look at the challenges and ways to overcome them.

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Putting the ‘ROI’ back into SROI

How to use Social Return on Investment (SROI) to compare social investments.

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Pinning benefit bonds down

The introduction of Australia’s first social benefit bond has brought the spotlight onto this innovative funding mechanism which allows investors to blend business with social change.

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Goodstart: a story of impact investing

While the buy-up of bankrupt ABC Learning relied on a new finance mechanism, the bedrock of the Goodstart deal was the collaboration between disparate players.

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STREAT’s ahead: funding social impact with equity

A look at social enterprise STREAT’s out-of-the-box approach to expansion which attracted equity investment and doubled its capacity overnight.

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