Dictionary of Terms
Sector Definitions

Venture Philanthropy

A type of philanthropy that applies the principles and discipline of the venture capital model to selectively fund and support innovative and emerging social programs with the aim of achieving widespread and lasting impact. SVA practices venture philanthropy when supporting the ventures in our portfolio.


Engaged Philanthropy

A more deeply engaged way of giving that allows individuals, private foundations and corporations to do more than just give money by enabling them to see the impact of their philanthropy and feel the passion and journey of the people involved in making change happen.


Social Entrepreneurs

Individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change. Rather than leaving societal needs to government or community alone, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution and persuading entire societies to take new leaps.


Social Ventures

Innovative, entrepreneurial non-profit organisations established to generate sustainable change for the better.


Social Enterprise

Social enterprises are businesses that trade for a social purpose. There are numerous definitions of social enterprise throughout the world and is it a much contested term.  

We believe social enterprises have the following characteristics:

  explicit social aims
  commercial orientation
  social ownership
  social accountability
  socially entrepreneurial drive
  use of profits for community benefit
  socially inclusive values base


Social Investment

A philanthropic commitment that generates tangible, measurable and enduring benefits to society.


Social Return on Investment

An estimate of the total social and economic value and community impact generated by a non-profit organisation.

Theory of Change

A theory of change refers to the causal processes through which change comes about as a result of a program's strategies and action. In a non-profit context it relates to how we believe individual, group or social change happens and how, specifically, our actions will produce positive societal results.