Hello from our CEO • Spring 2023
Only a couple of months into the new financial year, Sefa the incoming spring season has proven to be a springboard for the team to get involved in a colourful range of client activities and new exciting partnerships.
PRF Incubator participants sprinting towards the finish line
Mid August we had the second Sprint of the program focused on finance and growth strategies in person at Yirranma Place. Enterprises learned about different capital avenues and combinations and enjoyed peer-to-peer learning from other seasoned social entrepreneurs such as Rob Caslick from TwoGood about their wraparound services. Coaches and teams are now getting stuck into taking stock of achievements made thus far and setting enterprises up with individual roadmaps to creating greater social impact. Together with Sefa Partnerships, we look forward to welcoming them back one more time end of November to reminisce and celebrate before they will spread their wings with increased knowledge and confidence.
Covidence is on a mission to change how the world creates and uses trustworthy knowledge
We have been working with this purpose-driven AI platform since mid 2021 and have previously showcased the platform’s infinite potential to make sense of science for the public good. Over the past months, we successfully disbursed the first $2m of a $5m loan syndicate that will accelerate Covidence’s growth by investing into product and sales capabilities. But the team does not stop here. The platform has incredible potential to have a significant ripple effect across all areas of life – from social science and climate change to health guidelines and patient treatments by forming living evidence alliances.
On the back of this first successful Growth Capital transaction, the Sefa Board approved $2m from our Sefa Loan Fund towards backing similar earlier-stage organisations, with half of the capital earmarked to unlock Indigenous outcomes. I am proud that our capital offering continues to stretch and goes where not many impact investors play, trying to keep up with the change in demand from purpose-driven organisations.
Call out for housing insights from philanthropists
As part of Sefa's ongoing commitment to contributing to better and more affordable housing, we are seeking to understand the role that philanthropy does and could play in the affordable housing space in Australia. The current approach to financing is not unlocking supply for cohorts that are increasingly vulnerable and there is an opportunity for philanthropy to play a greater role in fit-for-purpose solutions whilst being conscious that the scale of the problem is such that philanthropic funding can only be part of a larger solution.
If you are a philanthropist, we are asking that you spend 14 minutes completing this survey.
Acknowledgement of Country sharing
Sefa is wholeheartedly standing behind and with Australia’s First Peoples on YES to a Voice to Parliament. In the final two weeks it’s important as ever to engage in open and curious conversations, and continue to learn from and with each other. This year, one of our business priorities is to explore with intention and crystallise Sefa’s own Indigenous identity. This is part of our overarching purpose of supporting diversity and inclusion, in particular in areas of structural vulnerability. You will hear more from us as we progress on this journey, first up will be our own story telling and education as part of Acknowledging Country in our weekly team meetings.
In the Sefa tent
The Sefa team continues to expand with the return of Alisha Twohill into the newly created role of Social Finance Engagement Manager that is well placed to bridge capital and capability, meeting the increased demand from purpose-driven organisations for investment readiness support. And we are starting a new series, “behind the impact” that brings Sefa team members’ daily work up close. First off the rank is our multi-talented, multi-hatted COO, Linda Carseldine.
To boost the energy in the office, I brought back from my recent trip to Europe a good amount of resupply for our ‘secret drawer’.
As we gear up for the challenges and opportunities ahead, I’m grateful for the resilience and ingenuity of our team, the impact we're having with our partners, and the surprises that our ‘secret drawer’ holds for us. Stay tuned as we continue to stretch boundaries and unlock more and more social impact, fueled not just by capital and capability, but by chocolate and shared enthusiasm.
With warm regards,
Hanna