Social Impact Funds: Definition, Assessment and Performance

This book provides a detailed study of the social impact funds industry. In particular, chapters focus on: The contextualization of social impact funds within the social impact investment market; The exploration of features, investment strategy and classification of funds; An in-depth analysis of the emergent literature; An analysis of case studies of impact funds; A synthetic assessment of the industry, conducted through a cluster analysis; The exploration of investment strategy and mission consistency of funds active in the market aimed to show funds attitude to be defined as “impact-oriented funds”; The investigation of determinants of funds’ target performance. This volume will be useful to scholars, students from different academic disciplines such as economics, finance, political science, entrepreneurship, and practitioners who are interested in impact investing and in the financing of social impact programs through impact-funds.

About the Author

Helen Chiappini received her PhD cum laude in banking and finance at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. She is currently  honorary Assistant Lecturer in microfinance and ethical finance at the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, and honorary Assistant Lecturer in banking and finance at Marconi University of Rome, Italy. Helen is also affiliated to the Research Centre for Banking and Finance at Regent’s University London, UK, where she was previously a visiting Research Fellow. Her research interests lie in the areas of social impact investment, social impact funds and microfinance.