Following the 2006 Skoll World Forum, which focused on social capital markets, this Alliance special feature takes forward debates from the Forum and looks at the full spectrum of funds available for social change, from grant funding to fully commercial financial instruments. It is produced in conjunction with Postings, the new magazine of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.

While Steve Godeke looks at the US, the world’s most developed social capital market, Tony Wainaina suggests that in developing countries social enterprises need to compete in the mainstream capital markets and Sheela Patel argues that it’s time for community-level organizations in the South to start voicing their demands. This special feature also includes: Peter Wheeler wondering if we’re barking up the wrong tree when we talk about developing a social stock exchange; leading investment advisers talking about why more foundations don’t practise mission-related investing; and an interview with Rodrigo Baggio of CDI in Brazil.

The issue also includes Maria Chertok, Pavol Demes and Svitlana Kuts debating whether Western donors are partly responsible for the new Russian NGO Law; Douglas Rutzen and Catherine Shea on the increasing number of governments clamping down on civil society; and Rod Schwartz questioning the holier-than-thou attitude of the social enterprise world to for-profit initiatives like Justgiving