How Access and our partners have helped charities and social enterprises become financially sustainable and reach more people
Our success hinges on working with partners to accelerate change, multiplying investment and improving the finance available to charities and social enterprises.
This blog looks back at 10 Years of Impact, pulling out some of the key shifts that have happened over the last decade as a result of the work of Access and our many partners.
1. Unlocking Investment for charities and social Enterprises. Over the past decade, our partners have deployed more than £162 million in investment to over 3,300 organisations, transforming the supply of small-scale, patient finance. Many of these organisations would have struggled to secure investment elsewhere — particularly those in underserved communities or at early stages of trading.
2. Breaking down barriers. Access to finance used to be a top barrier. In 2011, 44% of social enterprises cited access to debt or equity as their biggest challenge. By 2021, that had fallen to just 6%.
3. Creating a clear front door. More than 700,000 people have used Good Finance, which we co-founded with Better Society Capital, making it easier for organisations to explore if social investment is right for them. The platform has become a trusted and accessible resource for charities and social enterprises navigating a complex funding landscape.
4. Targeting underserved places. More of our money has flowed to the most deprived communities (24% of our investments are in the 10% most deprived areas in the country), and the borrowers in the poorest places are among the best at repaying, challenging assumptions about risk and financial resilience. Our place-based work has helped charities and social enterprises to access new markets.
5. Reaching where others don’t. We’ve shown that social investment reaches communities not otherwise funded by traditional funders and foundations – 44% of our investees do not appear anywhere else on 360 giving or BSC’s deal level data, highlighting the additional reach that blended finance can enable.
6. Backing new partnerships. Through backing first time fund managers and new partnerships we have created more ways for charities and social enterprises to access the finance they need, with partners who really understand the markets they are working in and the impact they are creating. Our Flexible Finance programme, for example, has delivered 3.5 times more investment (34%) to Black and Ethnically Minoritised-led organisations than other Access programmes.
7. Boosting Resilience through Enterprise Our programmes have supported organisations to test and grow trading models, build income streams, and reduce reliance on short-term grant funding. In the Enterprise Development Programme, 97% of participants reported a positive or very positive confidence to trade, and 96% reported increased ambition to trade.
8. A step up when needed. We have provided long-term support for charities and social enterprises seeking support to get ready to take on investment, delivered in partnership with 122 delivery partners, providing stability to a market used to stop-start initiatives. The Reach Fund has supported more than 1,100 organisations. Every £1 of grant unlocks £7 of investment which would not otherwise have flowed to those organisations.
9. Maximising Impact Through Our Endowment. Our total impact approach has delivered strong financial returns, beating market benchmarks while aligning investments with our mission. We’ve channelled capital into areas such as affordable housing, clean energy, and fair finance — showing that investing for impact and returns can go hand in hand.
10. Building the future together. We’ve invested in the infrastructure that holds the social investment market together — from the Connect Fund and Diversity Forum to new networks building expertise in blended finance, responsible investment, and enterprise grant-making. By sharing insight and convening decision-makers, we’ve helped shape how funders, investors and government think about social investment — securing £170 million of additional funding since 2019.
More on our impact over the last decade is detailed in our latest Impact Report, which highlights how our investment has supported organisations in underserved communities, enabled innovation, and strengthened the social investment market.
