Beyond Grants: New Ways to Finance Lasting Social Impact
About this Event
Join us for a 'fireside chat' to discover how Purpose Pools can finance the communities that finance markets overlook.
Guest Speaker: Gregor Riss, Founding Partner & Managing Director, Relevant Ventures
Hosted by: Colin Habberton, Managing Director, Ethical Good
About this event:
Most of the communities, places and social issues that need investment the most, are sadly the very ones traditional finance overlooks. Small and growing businesses in underserved markets rarely fit the criteria of banks or conventional investors, while the charities and NGOs supporting them often rely on short-term, restricted grant funding.
The result? A persistent funding gap and impact that's difficult to sustain.
Join Gregor Riss in conversation with Colin Habberton as they explore practical ways to rethink how capital is designed, mobilised and recycled to create lasting impact.
Drawing on Relevant Ventures' pioneering work, this session will explore how organisations can:
- Attract blended and additional capital into underserved communities.
- Build Purpose Pools – revolving funds that recycle repaid capital to support future entrepreneurs.
- Develop earned income models that reduce reliance on restricted grants.
- Grow unrestricted funding and build long-term financial resilience.
The discussion will be grounded in a real-world case study: Relevant Ventures' partnership with the IKEA Foundation and SINA, supporting social enterprises in displacement-affected communities in Uganda.
What you'll learn:
You'll leave with practical insights into:
- Why conventional finance often misses high-impact organisations.
- How revolving funds can create self-sustaining investment models.
- Ways charities and NGOs can diversify income beyond grants.
- How revenue-based finance and peer-led investment decisions create more inclusive funding models.
- Practical approaches to attracting philanthropic, corporate and impact investment capital.
Featured Case Study: The SINA Purpose Pool (Uganda)
Since 2020, Relevants Purpose Pool has provided patient capital to graduates of the SINA Social Innovation Academy, with support from the IKEA Foundation.
Results to date include:
- $103,700 invested across 10 early-stage businesses
- 143 jobs created
- 80% of businesses secured follow-on funding
- 90% survival rate after more than two years
Source: Relevant Ventures, Capital Mobilization; and the report .
Who should attend?
- Charity and NGO leaders
- Fundraising, resource mobilisation and programme professionals
- Foundations and philanthropic funders
- Impact investors
- CSR, ESG and corporate social impact leaders
- Social enterprises and purpose-led businesses
- Anyone interested in innovative approaches to financing social impact
Meet the guest speaker:
Gregor Riss is Founding Partner and Managing Director of Relevant Ventures, a purpose venture catalyst that develops, pilots and scales enterprise and investment solutions for the people, places and issues traditional markets neglect.
He works with NGOs, foundations and investors to mobilise financial and non-financial capital, designing revolving funds and pooled investment structures that make impact financially sustainable. His work includes scaling Relevant Ventures' Purpose Pool model with partners and helping mission-driven organisations build earned income streams and grow unrestricted funding.
Your host:
Colin Habberton is Managing Director of Ethical Good, an impact collective that works alongside businesses, charities and public sector organisations to design and deliver practical, measurable initiatives that create positive outcomes for people, planet and profit.
Colin is also a founder of Relativ Impact, who deliver Impact management, resource mobilisation and strategic communications to purpose-led organisations.
Arrival information & logistics:
Please arrive via the RSA's main entrance and report to reception.
From there, make your way to The Steps, located next to the Coffee House, where our team will welcome guests from 9:00am.
You're welcome to arrive a little earlier to purchase coffee or breakfast from the RSA Coffee House before the event begins.
Following the discussion, there will be time for refreshments, networking and further conversation before we close at 11:00am.
You are very welcome to stay on after the event to work and network at the RSA.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
