Luke who is employed through the White Box Enterprises trial

Macquarie Group Foundation

Social impact investing

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Our social impact investing focus

Recognising that many people around the world face systemic barriers to employment, our social impact investments focus on supporting organisations breaking down these barriers and building effective pathways to economic security.

Our $A20m allocation to social, impact-first investments is expanding the impact and sustainability of our community efforts.

This catalytic funding aims to be patient, risk-tolerant and flexible. Any financial returns will be re-invested into future Foundation social impact projects.

Image supplied by the Growth Impact Fund (UnLtd, Big Issue Invest and Shift) and photographer Diana Hagues.
Image supplied by the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices.

The Amplifier global mentorship programme, Employment Track

We’re pleased to support three organisations breaking down barriers to employment in Asia through the Employment Track of the Amplifier global mentorship programme; BagoSphere, DeafTawk and Inclus.

Over one year, each mentee will receive up to $A115,000 in catalytic capital alongside tailored mentoring from Singapore-based Macquarie employees and other Amplifier partners.

The Amplifier global mentorship programme, which aims to support inclusive access to long-term, quality jobs, is delivered by the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance.

White Box: A new approach to solving long-term unemployment for people living with a disability

The Macquarie Group Foundation’s commitment to breaking down barriers to employment has seen it become one of three impact investors taking part in the White Box Enterprises Payment By Outcomes (PBO) trial. 

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In this video, hear from Kaleb, a young person living with autism and anxiety, who is employed as a digital marketing assistant by Yourtown, one of 15 social enterprises taking part in White Box Enterprises Payment By Outcomes (PBO) trial.

Current investment overview

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HeadquartersSydney, Australia
ReachAsia-Pacific
Overview

Small businesses are the backbone of emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific yet struggle to access funding and support. This problem is compounded for women entrepreneurs, who face discrimination and lack the same collateral, education and ownership rights as men. Macquarie's investment into the Good Return Impact Investment fund will finance SMEs in rural Indonesia and Cambodia, focussing on businesses which are women-led and generate jobs and income in low-income communities. The funding will also provide business skills and training and better access to markets for these businesses. The wider impact will be a more inclusive economy, where more businesses can play a role in building sustainable incomes for families, generating jobs and growing the economy. 

Read more about Good Return’s programs creating real, measurable change.
WebsiteGood Return

 

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HeadquartersLondon, UK
ReachUnited Kingdom
Overview

The Growth Impact Fund (GIF) provides patient and flexible capital to social purpose organisations (SPOs) founded by individuals from marginalised communities. By 2025, GIF is aiming to provide wraparound support to around 100 SPOs, to invest in around 60 of these, and provide greater access to capital to businesses which support people in communities experiencing acute poverty, inequality and marginalisation. 

Macquarie represents the first institutional capital into the investment layer, helping signal investment-readiness to encourage the ‘crowding in’ of other similar investors. Our investment takes the total capital commitments to around 40 per cent of GIF’s target fund size.  
WebsiteGrowth Impact Fund

 

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HeadquartersNew York, USA
ReachUSA
Overview

Founded in 2012, Pursuit seeks to equip selected low-income individuals with technical and leadership skills to secure and excel in long-term careers as software engineers at Tier-1 companies. Pursuit’s ‘Commit’ program provides three years of post-hire support for individuals transitioning to software engineering roles at Tier-1 companies.  

Macquarie’s investment provides mission-aligned working capital, alongside four US-based impact investors, to support sales and program delivery expenses required to scale Pursuit’s Commit program, targeting 1,100 Fellows supported in five years. 

Read more about the Macquarie Group Foundation’s first social impact investment in the United States.
WebsitePursuit Commit

 

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HeadquartersLondon, UK
ReachUnited Kingdom
Overview

Redemption Roasters is a social enterprise on a mission to reduce reoffending in the UK through coffee. The organisation provides professional coffee industry training for prison leavers and people at risk of offending with the skills they need to gain secure and meaningful employment. Redemption Roasters' coffee is roasted behind bars at HMP The Mount, and the organisation seeks to reduce reoffending by training and employing prison residents in their roastery, providing coffee training within UK prisons and the community, and employing prison leavers or individuals at risk of offending in one of ten Redemption coffee shops or within the wider network of partners.

Macquarie’s investment will help drive expansion in London and across the UK and aims to provide employment for 190 participants. 

Read more about the Macquarie Group Foundation’s social impact investment in Redemption Roasters. 
WebsiteRedemption Roasters

 

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HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
ReachAustralia
Payment By Outcomes trial

Over the next nine months, up to 170 people living with a disability will be supported into award wage employment with one of nine jobs-focused social enterprises selected to participate in a landmark Payment By Outcomes trial. As each person achieves milestones in their employment, the social enterprise employing and supporting them will receive outcomes-based payments at 6, 12 and 18 months, as well as additional payments when an employee chooses to transition to another employer. The payments will cover the costs of the wrap-around supports these businesses provide people living with a disability such as workplace capacity building, flexible work environments, social support structures, and career support. Macquarie Group Foundation, Tripple and Hand Heart Pocket Foundation have invested to fund the upfront costs and provide working capital to get the trial underway.

Read more about the Payment By Outcomes (PBO) trial.



Social Enterprise Loan Fund

The Social Enterprise Loan Fund (SELF) is a $A4.2 million patient capital fund providing flexible, affordable, impact-driven financing tailored to the unique needs of social enterprises. Through the provision of flexible loans of $A100,000 to $A500,000 with rates as low as 6.5% and terms up to seven years, the SELF is expected to support between 12 and 20 social enterprises, helping create over 200 jobs for people facing barriers to employment. Macquarie Group Foundation is invested alongside Westpac Foundation, the Australian Government Department of Social Services, the Victorian Government, the English Family Foundation, and the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation.
WebsiteWhite Box Enterprises

Current market-building activity

The Foundations Impact Investing Group (FIIG) is bringing some of Australia’s largest philanthropic foundations together to share practice around impact investing. The FIIG will share practice around impact investing, as well as streamline the process for social enterprises and other for-purpose organisations seeking investment finance.

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For Purpose Investment Partners (FPIP) is a not-for-profit social impact investment fund manager, created to pursue an important mission; bringing private sector capital and capabilities into sizeable businesses and projects to create significant social impact. As part of wider ecosystem-building activity, Macquarie provided a working capital loan to FPIP to fund operational expenses as the fund reached its first close.

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The Social Impact Investors Group (SIIG) exists to support foundations interested in starting or currently undertaking social impact investing. Members learn from each other and from more experienced foundations, allowing newcomers to build staff knowledge while reducing the costs of establishing a programme. 

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In collaboration with the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, the Foundation is funding three organisations to receive up to A$A115,000 in catalytic capital, as part of the Amplifier global mentorship programme’s Employment Track. The mentees will also receive tailored support from partners across sectors who will deliver workshops, industry advice and market insights over one year. The organisations will also benefit from mentor relationships from a range of Amplifier partners, including Singapore-based employees from Macquarie Group.

The three organisations, BagoSphere, DeafTawk and Inclus, aim to empower underrepresented communities and promote equitable employment opportunities.

Our social impact investing criteria

Organisation headquarters

in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Kingdom or United States

Investment size

of $A500,000 or above, with an expected financial return

Objectives

and metrics to demonstrate social impact

Organisation focus

employment, training and skilling

Download our social impact investing criteria

Expressions of interest

We welcome expressions of interest for our social impact investments. If your organisation meets our criteria outlined above, please complete the form and we will get in touch to learn more.  

Submit your EOI

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