Hello from our CEO Spring 2021

For the last few weeks it seemed as if our personal lives were taking a time-out to prepare for the reboot now finally in sight for us as the finish line of 2021 starts emerging. In contrast, work life at Sefa has been humming along with four new team members joining. Meet Lise Genzo up close later in this newsletter who joined our Engagement Team with a wealth of social enterprise experience from the Westpac Foundation and have a look at who else is part of the Sefa social impact squad.

With the bolstered team in place, we are excited to sign up our first client, First Steps Count, under the Social Sector Transformation Fund advisory services we offer at no cost to eligible social service and health organisations in NSW. The ability to scale up our capability building efforts in an integrated and meaningful way with our capital knowledge underpins the core of Sefa’s purpose and work.

Together with Sefa Partnerships, we are thrilled to co-host The Funding Network’s virtual live crowdfunding event on 18 November. It spotlights the life-changing work of social enterprises supporting Australians in need, with raised funds matched by the English Family Foundation and the Snow Foundation. Sefa Partnerships contributes to the selection panel through their expertise with early-stage ventures and Sefa has pledged complementary investment readiness and organisational development for the three successful finalists. Don’t forget to register for an uplifting evening of laughter, fun, storytelling and generosity.

In the eco-system of diverse capital solutions, we are joining forces with another funding platform, LendForGood. It is a joint venture between StartSomeGood and Red Hat Impact that aims to activate the power of crowdlending to back purpose-driven ventures. Many Sefa capital puzzles have used different forms of funding from partners in blended or co-investment deals. This is another important piece in the toolbox to unlock social impact.

On the lending side, we proudly remain the only purpose-driven lender in the Treasury’s SME Scheme. The third Recovery phase is now open until 31 December to all small businesses that have been adversely economically affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic. 42 Adelaide, a non-fee paying coding school helping young people forge tech careers, is the most recent beneficiary of this scheme through Sefa. If your organisation needs capital to pivot or grow as a result of the pandemic and you think a tailored loan from Sefa could help you achieve this, please get in touch with our Social Finance team to start the conversation.