2015 seems like it will be the year of Pay for Success grants (otherwise known as social impact bonds). As noted in our Year in Review, Pay for Success (PFS) got some legs in 2014 with new projects launching in several areas of the country.
There is ever increasing public sector interest in using private investment to support social services. It has become more important than ever for provider organizations to understand the complexities of this funding model.
For the uninitiated: PFS projects use private capital to address some of the most persistent and complex social issues. In this model, a promising intervention delivered by provider organizations is funded up front with private sector and/or philanthropic capital.
If certain outcomes are met, the government pays back the investors with a bonus. If the project fails, the government does not bear any cost burden. The investors take all the risks, not taxpayers.
It is a new and untested approach to developing services for youth and other at-risk populations. But with tightening budgets at the state and local level, there is much hope that PFS models will prove the worthiness of new approaches.
So are PFS projects right for your organization? We will will be holding a one hour webinar on Tuesday, January 13, to share what we have learned about this emerging field.
Chronicle Money and Business Editor Judith Fenlon will lead the discussion, joined by Social Innovation Research Center Director Patrick Lester and Sithara Kodali of Third Sector Capital Partners.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!