Purposeful fundraising - by our partners at SeedTribe

Business is a powerful force. It connects people, systems and markets in a dynamic that drives innovation and progress.

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Last week, we ran our first fundraising workshop with SeedTribe at x+why in Whitechapel and the response was incredible. SeedTribe agree with us at x+why, that business can and should be used as a force for good.

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The desire for short-term profit gain has, for too long, taken precedence over a more prescient concern for future value. Chasing pure profit, with no accountability to people and planet has played a role in the number of unaddressed social and environmental challenges currently facing us. We are only just waking up to this reality.

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After years of business characterised by this ‘growth at all costs’ attitude, we are beginning to come to terms with the havoc wreaked across social and environmental systems. We are realizing that mindless consumption is, not only not the route to happiness, but also, comes at a cost far more horrifying than ever previously imagined.{{divider}}

The wake-up calls have become increasingly frequent and increasingly alarming. There is now a growing collective awareness that change must happen; and it must happen soon. Investors, governments, entrepreneurs and civil society are all, to varying degrees, highlighting the need to come up with better solutions.

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This movement towards positive change is growing. It has taken many forms from ocean clean-up projects and Netflix documentaries to the smallest of individual actions. It’s now time for the power of business to take a leading role.

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The force of business as a driver of change can go a long way to addressing some of our biggest and most pressing issues. The so-called ‘triple bottom line’ framework (people, profit and planet) is not only a way to create a better future through business, but also a sustainable and powerful means of value creation that pays dividends to all stakeholders, including our planet.

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Already, the ‘impact investment’ space has made significant strides with companies like Good Energy, Winnow and What3Words showing that business models combining profit/growth and concern for the planet and its people can be attractive propositions for investors.

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What do SeedTribe do?

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At SeedTribe, there is a collective believe that business can be our most powerful driver to enact meaningful and positive change in the world.

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Business as a force for good has virtually unlimited potential. But, despite reaching a market cap of $500bn and growing five-fold since 2013, the impact space is still in its infancy. Some investors still mistake investing in impact/business-for-good/profit-with-purpose as philanthropy. This could not be further from the truth. ‘Impact’ business do not seek to achieve an environmental/social purpose at the expense of profit, but rather, profit-creation is intertwined with achieving their purpose. As more people become concerned with the pressing issues of our time and realise that business for good has huge growth and profit potential, we expect the growth trend of this sector to continue. SeedTribe aim to support and accelerate this.

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‘With the right support system in place, we can build a better future and help change the way people view and carry out business.

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Businesses must be accountable not only to shareholders but also to the planet in which it operates. In our view, businesses that do this, offer the best chance at prosperity for themselves as well as everyone around them’ - SeedTribe

SeedTribe believes in collaboration and action.

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Collaboration is the most powerful tool we have for inspiring and empowering change. They connect individuals, startups, corporates, volunteers and governments to create unstoppable forces for enacting positive change through business. SeedTribe enable action by connecting the dots: helping each party or person find the right way to contribute. That way, they can get beyond all the noise and bluster, and allow everyone to take meaningful and positive action.

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During the 90 min work shop run by SeedTribe’s founder, Olivia Sibony, attendees were able to learn about finding support, expertise and funding by connecting with an invaluable network to help them scale. Here are the key takeaways from the session, which focused on how to impress purpose-driven investors:

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SeedTribe’s top 10 tips for impressing investors

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1. Speak their language, understand their perspective: empathise with your investor so they feel heard and engaged
2. Be genuine but also confident: first impressions are critical
3. Be organised (data room, know your facts)
4. Think of fundraising like a sales channel and track accordingly
5. Be ambitious but don’t lie or promise the moon
6. Do your research on each investor and appeal to their interests
7. Focus on quality over quantity when targeting investors
8. Ask questions: the interview should be a two-way process
9. Regular, clear, succinct communications
10. Impact entrepreneurs should put equal importance on impact metrics as on financial metrics with no compromise either way
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SeedTribe’s platform allows everyone to contribute positive action together according to their experience and competencies. They are the gossamer web (organic, obviously) that brings together the best, most talented, driven and passionate people, so we can all be the change we want to see in the world.

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The future we can create together…

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As one of the most powerful drivers of widespread, systemic change, business has a responsibility to motivate that change in a positive direction. As business people, our job is to accept that responsibility and, together, act upon it to create the future we all dream of, for ourselves, for our planet and for its future generations.

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Imagine a world where businesses contribute positively to people and planet, while creating profit; a world where businesses – and the people that power them – collaborate rather than compete for better outcomes; a world where businesses exist as a force for good.

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That’s the world we, at x+why, imagine and why we’re so proud to be working with SeedTribe as they share the same vision. In their words: ‘And we dare to dream it could be so. We dare to dream of working together to find lasting solutions to the great issues of our time and of a more prosperous future for all people’.

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Discover what you can do with SeedTribe’s support here.

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Get in touch to find out when the next workshop at x+why is or to book a free trial day to experience working from a space dedicated to helping businesses become a force for good: memberships@xandwhy.co.uk

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