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Social investment

Doughty Hanson is involved with a number of organisations in the philanthropic and social investment arena across Europe. All of these organisations apply the focus and rigour associated with the private equity investment model, which we believe can significantly increase the impact of the social returns they generate.

Bridges Ventures

Doughty Hanson has been a longstanding supporter of Bridges Ventures, a privately-owned venture capital company which funds businesses that generate strong social or environmental returns. The company raises money from the private sector to invest in deprived geographical areas, delivering financial returns for its investors in the process.

Bridges was founded in 2002 with support from three private equity firms, including Doughty Hanson. The organisation has two venture funds which invest in ambitious businesses in the most deprived parts of England. The funds aim to encourage entrepreneurship, create jobs and deliver strong environmental or social benefits. Doughty Hanson is an investor in both funds and a member of the Doughty Hanson team sits on their investment committees.

Bridges also runs the Bridges Social Entrepreneurs Fund, a fund targeting fast-growing social enterprises looking to scale up, and the Bridges Sustainable Property Fund, which invests in properties in regeneration areas and environmentally sustainable buildings.

More information on Bridges Ventures can be found at www.bridgesventures.com.

Doughty Hanson supports the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA), a registered non-profit association established in 2004. The EVPA is a network of philanthropic funds that applies venture capital business models to the non-profit and charitable sectors.

It currently has over 115 members from more than 20 countries. By combining financial contributions over a longer period of time with advisory services such as strategic planning, marketing, executive coaching and access to other networks, venture philanthropists seek to increase the social impact of the funds they donate.

The EVPA has two main aims: to support its members in carrying out their venture philanthropy activities and to promote venture philanthropy throughout Europe. To achieve this, EVPA’s activities include annual European conferences, country seminars, research projects on venture philanthropy activity in Europe and working groups exploring key issues for venture philanthropists. The EVPA also provides training workshops and peer learning events for its members.

More information can be found on EVPA at www.evpa.eu.com.

Doughty Hanson is a founder member of the Private Equity Foundation, a UK charity set up in 2006 with backing from a number of private equity firms and their advisers.

The Private Equity Foundation’s mission is to apply private equity capital, tools and investment techniques to make a significant positive impact on a major social issue.

The Private Equity Foundation currently works with 11 charities and is increasingly focusing its resources on a group of charities that provide support to NEETs (young people not in education, employment or training), and has raised £15m for charities working in this area.

In addition to the charitable donations it receives from its member firms, the Private Equity Foundation also provides pro bono expertise from members across the private equity industry, and the Foundation’s charities have received more than 4,000 hours of free professional services to date. It also organises an annual volunteer event each year.

More information on the Private Equity Foundation and the charities it supports can be found at www.privateequityfoundation.org.