This 2016 Social Finance white paper provides an updated of summary the 60 PFS-financed projects launched across the globe between 2010 and 2016. It also features perspectives from individual PFS stakeholders across service sectors and addresses several frequently asked questions about the model. Social Impact Bonds: The Early Years (PDF)
This 2015 journal article describes social impact borrowing as a new method for financing public sector, outlines contribution of benefit cost analysis (BCA), and discusses how social impact financing can promote scaling evidence-based programs like Child-Parent Centers and other early childhood programs. Citation: Temple, Judy A. & Reynolds, Arthur J. (2015). Using benefit-cost analysis to […]
The Institute for Child Success — an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and policy organization — provides guidance on PFS, targeted technical assistance (with support from the Social Innovation Fund), and organizes the only major national conference focused on early childhood PFS, held annually. Institute for Child Success Website
Established with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Social Innovation Fund, the SIB Lab conducts research on how governments can foster social innovation and provides pro bono technical assistance (TA) to state and local governments implementing PFS contracts. Harvard Kennedy School’s Social Impact Bond Technical Assistance Lab (SIB Lab)
This 2015 resource contains a summary from the Institute for Child Success about eight current PFS-funded projects across a range of policy areas/service sectors. These are about PFS projects that have been implemented in the Untied States as of December 2015. Golden, M., Garvey, M., Carolan, M. & Nagendra, B. (2015). Pay for Success in […]
This 2011 resource provides an introduction to social impact bonds (SIBs), a type of PFS funding model. It provides a general introduction to the model, and discusses the advantages, challenges, and criteria for implementing successful projects. Liebman, J. B. (2011). Social impact bonds: A promising new financing model to accelerate social innovation and improve government […]
This 2014 document provides guidance for PFS grantees, subgrantees, and evaluators for preparing a PFS evaluation plan and includes a detailed suggested evaluation plan outline (including implementation and impact evaluation plans). Corporation for National & Community Service. (2014). Social Innovation Fund evaluation plan guidance: A step-by-step guide to designing a rigorous evaluation. Washington, DC: Author.
This 2015 article describes some of the early PFS project in the U.S. and discusses some of the pros and cons of the model as currently being implemented. Citation: Rangan, V. K., & Chase, L. A. (2015). The payoff of pay-for-success. Stanford Social Innovation Review The Payoff of Pay-for-Success
This 2012 guide contains a set of common questions about Social Impact Bonds (a type of PFS model). Costa, K., Shah, S., Ungar, S., & Social Impact Bonds Working Group. (2012). Frequently asked questions: Social impact bonds. Washington, DC: Center for American Progress.
This nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing investment capital to drive social progress designs and manages public-private partnerships across complex policy areas (e.g. education achievement gaps, health disparities). Its sister organization in England, Social Finance UK, launched the first Social Impact Bond. Social Finance Website
