A new investment platform, the Hony Social Impact Center (弘毅社会影响力中心), has just emerged in China.
In recent years, “Social Impact Investment” that tries to connect charity to commerce has been favored by many charitable organizations and social enterprises. A need was thus felt for an investment platform caring about social value that could maximize the benefits of this combination of charity and commerce. At present the center is still in its start-up stage, but two pilot projects have already been selected: “Hands on” and “Generation Bridge”.
The “Hands on” project is jointly sponsored by the 3D-printing Industry Alliance (3D打印企业联盟), Wiki Factory (维基新工厂) and other organizations working in different fields. The project aims to raise money for handicapped children in China. It will provide made-to-measure artificial limbs for children, particularly for ones with crippled palms.
The “Generation Bridge” project is mainly funded by the Shenzhen Social Impact Equity Fund Management Co., Ltd (深圳社会影响力股权投资基金管理有限公司). The project will create brand-new “big families” that can encourage strangers to live together. When the old are in need of basic care, the neighboring young people will give them a hand. In return, when young people go out to work, the old will look after their babies. In this way both the young and old generations can help each other out and find comfort.
