Apply for social investment

Our social investment programme aims to further JRF’s overarching vision and strategy to support and speed up the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, where people and planet can flourish.

Our investments align to JRF’s current topics of research and exploration. Learn more about our approach to social investment and the social investments we’ve made.

At JRF, our application process includes two phases and typically takes between 4-6 months from initial inquiry to finalising the investment and disbursing funds.

1. Screening phase (1-2 months): Led by the social investment team, this phase begins with an initial inquiry form that applicants can complete in 10-15 minutes to determine eligibility. If successful, applicants will then be invited to complete an expression of interest form, providing detailed information on topics such as impact, financial position, and operating principles.
2. Investment application phase (3-4 months): Also led by the social investment team with oversight from our Social Investment Committee, this phase involves 2 or 3 stages depending on the investment opportunity. The social investment team will prepare papers in collaboration with applicant organisations and present the investment opportunity to our Social Investment Committee.

To make an initial enquiry about social investment please complete an initial enquiry form. This form will require about 10-15 minutes to complete.

The social investment team will review your initial enquiry form and aim to respond by email within a month. However, as a small team it may not always be able to respond this quickly when applicant numbers are high.

Make initial enquiry

Social investment is repayable finance. At JRF we seek a modest financial return from our social investments, with the minimum expectation that money can be returned so that it can be invested again. However, the overriding purpose of the commitments in this portfolio is to contribute towards the achievement of JRF’s vision and mission.

We recognise that this requires flexible and patient capital, so we work with investees and other funders to develop suitable funding structures. The range of financial instruments through which we have invested includes (but is not limited to) loans, bonds, shares, community shares, and limited partnerships.

Learn more about the world of social investment, the different types of financial instruments and other funders at Good Finance.

We make direct investments into charities and social enterprises and invest in funds managed by fund managers. We are looking to support organisations that:

• Deliver services, support users, and create social impact in the UK. Most of our investees are legally registered in the UK as a company or charity. We can invest in all legal structures but expect non-charitable companies to be mission-focused and include a mission-lock in their articles of association.
• Demonstrate a track record. Charities or social enterprises should be trading and generating revenue. Fund managers should have experience investing in social enterprises or being involved in the social enterprise sector, such as serving as intermediaries or advisors.
• Seek a minimum total fundraise from JRF and other funders of repayable finance. For charities or social enterprises the minimum raise should be £250,000 and for fund managers it should be more than £5,000,000.
• Contribute intentionally, through their core activities, to JRF’s vision of a more equitable and just future.

Given JRF’s historic and current ties to York and the North East, we are particularly interested in investment opportunities that are local or regional projects. However, this is not an essential requirement for applying for social investment from JRF.