Services
How Deloitte can help with Impact Investment
At Deloitte, we are excited about the market opportunity and potential for scale. But we also recognize that challenges abound, from definitional issues to managing for a “double or triple bottom line” and competing with traditional asset classes.
The Deloitte Difference: From Blueprint to Scale
We are uniquely positioned to help our clients move from “blueprint to scale”. Our cross-sector expertise spans the investment value chain, and is concentrated in five key areas:
- Strategies for investors, social enterprises, intermediaries and field builders
- Innovative financing mechanisms and fund structures, including SIBs
- Bringing social enterprises to scale
- Performance measurement and reporting
- Strengthening the impact investing ecosystem
Key client engagements across the five areas outlined above include undertaking a strategic review with Calvert Foundation, help the Prince’s Trust, UK to better understand and develop a social impact bond, support the Rockefeller Foundation to scale impact enterprises, serving as a pioneer funder and preferred provider for B Lab’s GIIRS ratings, and helping a consortium of leaders in impact investing to build a “FASB and GAAP equivalent” for impact investing.
Developing dynamic impact investing strategies at the sweet spot of on the ground realities and projected growth potential is complicated. Practitioners at Deloitte member firms have global cross-sector expertise—and offer solution sets designed to help clients address their top of mind challenges across the investment “value chain”.
From Challenge to Solution
Developing dynamic impact investing strategies that account for the ground realities of the field while anticipating its future growth is complicated, regardless of where one operates along the investment “value chain”. Deloitte has a role to play in this emerging space as a leading global professional services organization. Practitioners at Deloitte member firms have global cross-sector expertise—and offer solution sets designed to help clients address their top of mind challenges and move from “blueprint to scale”.
Top of Mind Challenges
- Move beyond an early-stage ecosystem
- Establish and find “investor-ready” enterprises
- Prepare for the future and manage performance and risk
- Manage a “double or triple bottom line”
Solution Sets
- Strategies for investors, social enterprises, intermediaries and field builders
- Innovative financing mechanisms and fund structures, including social impact bonds
- Bringing social enterprises to scale
- Performance measurement and reporting
- Strengthening the impact investing ecosystem and “aligned action” services
Solutions
The Deloitte member firms can provide solutions for different issues in impact investment.
Strategies for investors, social enterprises, intermediaries and field builders
Successful strategies clearly articulate the investor’s goals and priorities, account for ground realities of today’s impact enterprise landscape, and anticipate future growth and evolution within the ecosystem. Having worked with some of the leading players in the impact investing field, Deloitte member firms’ practitioners offer strategic advisory services to help clients establish winning strategic roadmaps and achieve financial and societal leadership in a rapidly evolving field.
Innovative financing mechanisms and fund structures, including social impact bonds
Successful financing mechanisms match investors with different “risk-return-impact” appetites to impact investment opportunities. Steeped in practical insight into what it takes to launch innovative financial instruments, Deloitte helps design and launch products that align with clients’ impact and investment objectives. Innovative financing mechanisms include payment for success: products that incentivize innovation and allow governments to pay only if an initiative is successful.
Bringing social enterprises to scale
Many different models exist to establish social enterprises that operate at scale. Models range from prizes, accelerator models, or fellowships for starting entrepreneurs, to support for commercially-focused enterprises looking to assume a double or triple bottom line. Deloitte member firms worldwide have worked with social enterprises, intermediaries, and field builders alike to develop and implement scaling models that are most appropriate given the goals and unique context in which they operate.
Performance measurement and reporting
Recognized performance measurement and reporting standards allow an organization to report on its impact, return, and risk profile. If designed well, they also enable better management decision making and promote transparency and increased confidence in the information disclosed to the market. Leveraging deep experience with global financial and non-financial standards setters and ratings organizations, as well as with corporations seeking “impact transparency”, Deloitte supports clients in implementing rigorous, yet practical impact evaluation and reporting practices.
Strengthening the impact investing ecosystem and “aligned action” services
Successful strategies clearly articulate the investor’s goals and priorities, account for ground realities of today’s impact enterprise landscape, and anticipate future growth and evolution within the ecosystem. Having worked with some of the leading players in the impact investing field, Deloitte member firms’ practitioners offer strategic advisory services designed to help clients establish winning strategic roadmaps and achieve financial and societal leadership in a rapidly evolving field.
What we bring
As part of a global network, the Deloitte member firms are uniquely positioned to help our clients develop and deliver transformative social innovation strategies. Our practitioners bring:
Experience from “blueprint to scale”
Deloitte provides leading strategic advisory services, as well as a range of “downstream” support services, including world class data and analytics capabilities to clients spanning private, public, and non-profit sectors. Member firms around the world can offer support ranging from strategic advisory services (or “blueprints”), to the design and launch of investment vehicles, infrastructure development, and measurement services. This experience uniquely positions Deloitte to bring a strategic and aspirational view to the table that is rooted in a deep understanding of market realities.
A proven track record in impact investment, enterprise development and entrepreneurship
Deloitte has completed over 75 projects around the world with players across the impact investing ecosystem. Deloitte practitioners work across an array of sectors, including housing, financial inclusion, water, and agriculture in developing, emerging, and developed markets alike, a track record that delivers a broad view on the market and deep insight into leading models and practices.
A global delivery platform and network
Active presence in over 150 countries around the world equips Deloitte to deploy the right practitioners quickly, disregarding what your markets of focus are. In addition, a global network of internal and external impact investing professionals allows member firms to cross-fertilize best practices and models across markets.