Ireland’s social finance landscape

The purpose of this study was to research developments in Social Finance in Ireland in order to answer the following question; “What is the social impact of the work being carried out by social ventures and how is it being measured in order to determine the difference being made in people’s lives?” The telephone interview approach, using a semi-structured format was chosen as the research methodology for the collection of data. Representatives from six social ventures were interviewed to; (i) discuss the social impact made by their organisations, (ii) discover whether or not they quantified the social impact being made (and if so, how) and (iii) identify the financial structures that they had adopted. The study concluded with the result that of the six social ventures interviewed, five welcomed an increased use of social impact measurement, as they believed this would attract more funding and ultimately lead to more financially viable social ventures. All six social ventures emphasised the need for government policies in order to support and direct future advancements of social ventures.