An Interview With...Rodney Schwartz

‘An Interview with... Rodney Schwartz’:  The CEO of ClearlySo is positive about the future of social investment and the Big Society agenda, and reveals he prefers business over charity

13 April 2011

Rodney Schwartz, CEO of ClearlySo, voices concern that capacity that will be lost in the sector due to budget cuts in the latest edition of “An Interview With…” the monthly podcast series by The Social Investment Business. However, Schwartz believes, the decentralisation of decision making and more local people getting involved in their communities will be positive for the future of civil society.

Whilst Schwartz admits he is worried for the future of some social enterprises he is optimistic that the Big Society agenda will bring about organic, bottom-up development within communities and that critics are wrong to call it a “fig leaf” for cuts. Schwartz is confident that the social investment market will grow and that we will see a move from the debate stage to more action. He says the easiest way to encourage the financial sector to support social investment will be to create incentives.

Schwartz sees positive engagement with the social enterprise sector as a way for banks with damaged reputations to improve their image in the media and that they should see that loaning more to social entrepreneurs is in their interests. He also suggests financial products that offer Social Return on Investment as a possible way to engage with investors going forward. Additionally, Schwartz reveals a preference for business over charity in the quick fire quiz.

‘An Interview With...’ is a monthly podcast series from The Social Investment Business featuring short interviews with leading figures in social enterprise and civil society.

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1.  Listen to ‘An Interview With... Rodney Schwartz' and read the full transcript here: http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/aninterviewwith/

2.  For more information about ClearlySo visit: http://www.clearlyso.com/

3.  Check out the resources section on The Social Investment Business website: http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/resources/

4.  For further information or interviews, please contact The Social Investment Business press office:

Liz Banks - 0207 842 7726/ 07809 504072  liz.banks@socialinvestmentbusiness.org

Nicola Jones - 0207 842 7755 nicola.jones@socialinvestmentbusiness.org

5. The Social Investment Business, the fastest growing social investor in the UK, exists to help social enterprises, charities and community organisations do more of what they do best – supporting people and communities most in need. We help organisations prosper by providing innovative financial solutions, business support and long term strategic thinking.

www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org @TheSocialInvest

6. The Social Investment Business manages Government funds on behalf of the Office for Civil Society and the Department of Health. The Communitybuilders Fund, previously managed on behalf of the Department of Community and Local Government and the Office for Civil Society is now an endowed fund, owned and administered by the Adventure Capital Fund, parent-charity of The Social Investment Business.  We manage over 1,400 active investments ranging from £3,600 to help a small organisation bid successfully for a public sector contract, to £6.7million to help a large national charity establish and develop innovative new services for children and young people.