Comic Relief social investment fund, Red Shed, has launched a new report on changes that are required to make social investment more effective and sustainable in supporting social organisations and encouraging social innovation.

What’s in it For Us? Looks at social investment from the view of small and medium-sized charities and is based on engagement with 233 Comic Relief funded organisations. The research aimed to address a number of questions, including:

• The level of awareness around social investment
• What organisations are looking for from funding in general
• What the appetite is for social investment vs. grant funding
• What barriers organisations face when looking to take on social investment

Key findings from the report include:

• Many small charities have a limited understanding of how social investment works
• The long-term significance of social investment is unclear
• There are uncertainties around the cost 
• Small charities may be concerned about the risk factor