Social Impact Bonds

In this series

Compact View

Investing for Success Report
Social impact bonds are complex arrangements that require trusting relationships between a range of public, private, and nonprofit actors. (Flickr/Philip Taylor PT)

Investing for Success

The Council on Foundations and the Center for American Progress jointly held two roundtable conversations in 2013 with potential social impact bond investors that produced a series of key policy questions.

Kristina Costa

Networking for Success Report
As conversations about social impact bonds continue, it is helpful to understand what drives potential collaboration among investors. (Flickr/artist in doing nothing)

Networking for Success

The Council on Foundations and the Center for American Progress jointly held two roundtable conversations in 2013 with potential social impact bond investors, concluding that strong cross-sector relationships are key to social impact bond transactions.

Kristina Costa, Laura Tomasko

Social Finance: A Primer Report
Early Childhood Coordinator Jacki Wimmer reads to pre-K students at Iaeger Elementary School in West Virginia. Early childhood education is one program that could be supported using social finance mechanisms. (AP/Randy Snyder)

Social Finance: A Primer

Sonal Shah and Kristina Costa consider three prominent social financing mechanisms with the potential of unlocking new sources of capital and revolutionizing how an array of social issues are addressed.

Sonal Shah, Kristina Costa

Pay-for-Success Programs Could Help OMB with Grant Guidance Article
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the new director of the Office of Management and Budget, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 10, 2013, before the Senate Budget Committee hearing on her nomination. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)

Pay-for-Success Programs Could Help OMB with Grant Guidance

The Office of Management and Budget should utilize the power of Pay for Success and Social Impact Bonds when it determines how to allocate grant money.

Sonal Shah, Kristina Costa

White House Budget Drives Pay for Success and Social Impact Bonds Forward Article
Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Il) speaks to reporters in his office at the Illinois State Capitol. In the fiscal year 2014 budget, Gov. Quinn outlined plans for Illinois to become the second state to launch a Social Impact Bond program. (AP/ Seth Perlman)

White House Budget Drives Pay for Success and Social Impact Bonds Forward

New proposals in the Obama administration’s budget will help promote an innovative method to changing the way government does business and will provide a new approach to financing social programs.

Sonal Shah, Kristina Costa

Defending the Value of the Community Services Block Grant Article
People stand in line waiting to fill boxes with food at a Las Vegas  food pantry. The Community Services Block Grant supports many  community-based activities helping people transition out of poverty,  including access to food pantries for families who have lost their jobs. (AP/Julie Jacobson)

Defending the Value of the Community Services Block Grant

These federal grants provide enormous benefits to millions but face severe budget cuts in coming years, write Kristina Costa and Timothy Warfield, who suggest focusing on outcomes to demonstrate their effectiveness.

Kristina Costa, Timothy R. Warfield

What’s the Buzz About? In the News

What’s the Buzz About?

Jitinder Kohli, Douglas J. Besharov, and Kristina Costa explain the buzz about Social Impact Bonds.

Independent Sector

Jitinder Kohli, Douglas J. Besharov, Kristina Costa

Inside a Social Impact Bond Agreement Report
The Social Impact Bond agreement itself—the contract signed by the government agency and the  external organization—is critically important to the success or failure  of a Social Impact Bond. (Flickr/<a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/masshighered/7135676497/masshighered)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/sib_agreement_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/sib_agreement_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/sib_agreement_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/sib_agreement_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/05/sib_agreement_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />

Inside a Social Impact Bond Agreement

Jitinder Kohli, Douglas J. Besharov, and Kristina Costa lay out examples of what should—and should not—be included in a SIB agreement.

Jitinder Kohli, Douglas J. Besharov, Kristina Costa

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