What is the Social Impact Hub?
Social Impact Hub is a purpose-driven intermediary that teams up with a wide range of changemakers. Through advice, education, mobilising capital, and ecosystem building, it builds capacity to amplify impact. Simply put, it’s all about accelerating change by helping social purpose organisations design, demonstrate, and scale positive impact. It also educates and empowers current and future changemakers, mobilises capital for good, and builds a strong community within the Australian impact sector. This isn’t just a project—it’s a movement focused on making real, lasting change.
Main Benefits and Key Milestones
Over the years, Social Impact Hub has hit some pretty impressive milestones that showcase its growth and influence:
- 2014: Founded by Jessica Roth after her experience at a Harvard Law School legal clinic.
- 2014: First pilot with nine UNSW Law students working on three impact-focused projects.
- 2015: Started teaching the COMM3030 Social Entrepreneurship Practicum at UNSW Business School.
- 2015: Published the first Field Guide to Impact Investing for Charitable Trusts & Foundations and seeded the first Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific.
- 2017: Launched the Impact Investing Hub to connect investors with opportunities via a Live Deals Library.
- 2018: Delivered an incubator program at Macquarie University and inspired 500 changemakers through education.
- 2018: Launched Funding for Impact and the Australian Impact Investing Awards.
- 2019: Secured the Impact Investment Ready Growth Grant for the sixth time.
- 2020: Rolled out the Scaling Impact accelerator and RISE program to support social enterprises during COVID-19.
- 2021: Introduced the Scaling Impact Fellowship and Social Enterprise Legal Toolkit.
- 2022: Launched the Social Impact Playbook and engaged in the $50m Social Sector Transformation Fund.
- 2023: Delivered the RISE Women program and supported the UnCharitable Australia & New Zealand Impact Campaign.
- 2024: Took stewardship of the Australian Leadership Hub legacy.
Education and Empowerment at the Core
Education is a huge part of what Social Impact Hub does. It’s not just about sharing knowledge—it’s about empowering changemakers to take action. From teaching university courses to running incubator programs and launching online education modules, the Hub ensures that social entrepreneurs and leaders have the tools and confidence to drive impact. The Social Impact Playbook, for example, offers online modules across six key topics, making learning accessible and practical.
Mobilising Capital for Good
One of the standout features of Social Impact Hub is its role in mobilising capital for good. By connecting investors with impact opportunities through initiatives like the Impact Investing Hub and the Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific, it helps channel funds where they matter most. The Hub’s work in impact investing also includes publishing guides, running workshops, and supporting social enterprises to become investment-ready. It’s about making sure capital flows to projects that create positive social and environmental outcomes.
Building a Collaborative Ecosystem
Social Impact Hub thrives on collaboration. It’s truly about building community within the Australian impact sector. Whether it’s partnering with universities, government bodies, or other organisations, the Hub fosters connections that strengthen the ecosystem. Programs like the Scaling Impact Roadshow and the Social Sector Transformation Fund show how collaboration can lead to capacity building and strategic growth. The Hub keeps it real and pushes boundaries, always looking for new ways to support changemakers.
Project Impact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 1: No Poverty – Supporting social enterprises that address poverty-related issues.
- SDG 4: Quality Education – Delivering educational programs and resources for changemakers.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality – Empowering women-focused social enterprises through RISE Women.
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Helping social purpose organisations scale and create jobs.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Building inclusive impact investing ecosystems.
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Fostering collaboration across sectors to amplify impact.
Core Values Driving the Mission
At the heart of Social Impact Hub are four core values that shape everything it does. These values aren’t just words on a page—they’re lived every day:
- We have our finger on the pulse: Staying current and responsive to the evolving impact landscape.
- Truly collaborative: Working hand-in-hand with partners and changemakers.
- We keep it real: Being authentic, transparent, and grounded in reality.
- We push the boundaries of what’s possible: Constantly innovating and challenging the status quo.
These values fuel the Hub’s purpose and infuse its behaviours, making it a dynamic force in the social impact space.
