Introducing Resolution Ventures

An introduction from our Director of Ventures

Today the Resolution Foundation launches a whole new section of our website: Resolution Ventures. Here we will be talking about the social investment and ventures work of the Foundation.

In 2017 the Resolution Trust started running a pilot social investment programme in workertech, in partnership with Accenture and Bethnal Green Ventures. The success of this experience led the Trustees to decide in 2019 to integrate and expand this work within Resolution Foundation. In early 2020, I was hired as Director of Ventures to lead this agenda and work with our Chair Gavin Kelly on taking it forward.

What we are doing

The purpose of setting up this new approach within the Resolution Foundation is to increase our overall impact, using social investment to complement our existing policy and analytical work.

In creating this new area of work, we are aiming to diversify our approach to creating social and economic change. A focus on policy makers is of course vital but it’s not enough – we also need to directly support innovative ventures who are making a difference on the ground; to acknowledge that changes at the top are only part of making an impact. To be most effective, we will be supporting ventures working on the ground, and aiming to change the system as well.

We are far from the first policy organisation or foundation to enter the world of social investment, and we are eager to learn from the pioneers of this sector.

We believe that RF’s analysis and insight, combined with our reputation and network, can accelerate the success of the ventures we work with. We also know that we will have much to  learn from  ventures that work directly with low-income households and low-wage workers, giving us new insights on the issues we work on.

Our ventures activity will span social investment, creating communities and networks of ventures and stakeholders in the areas we care about, and pioneering action-oriented research that bridges the gaps between RF analysis and  practical  solutions.

What we want to achieve

Our ambition is to make Resolution Ventures a central part of the Foundation’s activities, building an understanding of the role that social innovation can have in solving key challenges and joining that up with our established analytical and policy work. We hope to develop  social investment funds and catalyse activity from other organisations and foundations in the areas we care about. And we want to learn more about impact and effectiveness when it comes to new ways of addressing the issues of low paid and insecure work and boosting financial resilience.

What to do about this

We plan to start this new phase of our investment activities in the autumn of 2020. Please look out for our programme announcements and invitations to apply for support. We will continue writing about our learning and understanding. We will want to build connections with others who care about these issues and be part of a wider coalition seeking practical change.

Want to find out more? You can get in touch with our Director of Ventures via email and/or follow @louisemarston on Twitter. For the latest updates on the programme, please subscribe to our Ventures newsletter. and visit the Resolution Ventures webpage.