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| Yunus Social Business | |
|---|---|
| Name | Yunus Social Business |
| Type | Social enterprise |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Muhammad Yunus |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
| Key people | Karl Schultz; Muhammad Yunus |
| Area served | Global |
| Focus | Social business, impact investment, entrepreneurship |
Yunus Social Business is an international social enterprise network founded in 2011 by Muhammad Yunus to support social businesses, impact investment, and entrepreneurship in low‑income communities. The organization operates across continents, combining advisory services, investment vehicles, and incubation to scale enterprises that address poverty, health, and education challenges. It connects actors from the United Nations system, multilateral development banks such as the World Bank, philanthropic foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and private investors including Venture capital firms.
The organization was established after Muhammad Yunus received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work with the Grameen Bank and microcredit movement. Initial activities drew on precedents set by Grameen Bank, Grameenphone, and the Grameen family of enterprises, and benefited from engagements with institutions such as the European Commission, Skoll Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation. Early expansion included projects in Brazil, India, Colombia, and Rwanda, building on networks with national development agencies like Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. Over time, it launched investment funds, advisory arms, and acceleration programs reflecting influences from Impact investing, Ashoka, and Acumen Fund.
Yunus Social Business states a mission to create and scale social businesses that deliver measurable social outcomes while being financially sustainable. The model draws on principles associated with Muhammad Yunus and institutions such as Grameen Bank and Social entrepreneurship pioneers like Muhammad Yunus' earlier ventures. It combines elements of Blended finance, Social impact bond, and Venture philanthropy to deploy capital, technical assistance, and market access. Governance and adjudication of projects have referenced standards and frameworks from Global Impact Investing Network, B Lab, and OECD guidance on development finance.
Activities span advisory services, direct investments, incubation, and research. Programs include accelerator initiatives similar to those run by Techstars and Seedcamp, sectoral funds inspired by Acumen Fund and BlueOrchard Finance, and partnerships with corporations such as Unilever and Danone. The organization has run health and education projects linked to networks including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children, and engaged in policy dialogues with bodies like the World Economic Forum and United Nations Development Programme. Research outputs and toolkits have been disseminated alongside academic partners such as Harvard University, London School of Economics, and INSEAD.
Impact claims emphasize job creation, improved access to healthcare, and increased educational attainment through enterprises supported. Monitoring and evaluation have utilized metrics from Global Impact Investing Network, Social Return on Investment, and B Impact Assessment, and have been subject to external reviews by organizations such as KPMG and Deloitte. Comparative assessments reference case studies alongside Grameen Bank outcomes and evaluations by the International Labour Organization and World Bank independent evaluation units. Impact narratives have been featured in media outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, and Forbes.
Governance includes a board with figures from international development, finance, and academia, often interacting with institutions like European Investment Bank, International Finance Corporation, and national development agencies such as Agence Française de Développement and USAID. Funding sources combine philanthropic grants from entities such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation, investment capital aligned with impact investing norms, and fee income from corporate advisory engagements with firms like Mastercard and BNP Paribas. Financial oversight has followed standards used by Charities Aid Foundation and audit practices from the Big Four accounting firms.
The organization has collaborated with a wide range of partners: multilateral institutions like the United Nations Development Programme and World Bank Group; foundations such as the Skoll Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation; academic institutions including Columbia University and Stanford University; and corporate partners like PepsiCo and Nestlé. It has engaged with regional networks including African Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank and worked alongside accelerator and incubator networks such as Seedstars and Village Capital.
Critiques have targeted the broader social business model associated with Muhammad Yunus, including debates over the effectiveness of microcredit and questions raised by investigative reports in outlets like The Economist, Financial Times, and Bloomberg. Specific criticisms include concerns about impact measurement robustness, potential mission drift toward market priorities noted in analyses by Oxfam and Amnesty International, and governance challenges discussed in academic critiques from London School of Economics researchers and commentators in Stanford Social Innovation Review. Legal and reputational debates surrounding Muhammad Yunus and the Bangladesh business-politics nexus have also influenced public perceptions and media coverage.
Category:Social entrepreneurship organizations Category:Impact investment