Hilary Olson

Bridging Research and Real-World Change

Hilary Olson and Gary Painter Price Center of Philanthropy and Public Policy Research Symposium on Philanthropy and Social Impact Los Angeles, CA, USA

Abstract

In this presentation, we evaluate the effectiveness of Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) as a financing tool for social innovation. By analyzing data from the Social Finance UK Database, the presentation highlights the varying outcomes of SIBs in the US and UK in driving social impact and scaling innovation. The findings reveal limited evidence of private capital contributions to social programs but suggest that SIBs do facilitate parts of the social innovation process, such as piloting and scaling. The presentation concludes by discussing the significant variations in social innovation ecosystems between the US and UK.