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Investing with social purpose

The JenLi Foundation shapes and funds capital projects and social programs,
to build vibrant communities.

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JenLi aims to reach more people and change more lives for the better by working at a community scale.

This means that:

  1. each community project will, by its nature, impact upon thousands of people;


  2. to prosper, these people will require ‘enabling infrastructure’ (the facilities and services necessary for everyday life), homes, schools, places of work and leisure. JenLi can sustainably allocate close to 100% of its Donated Capital to creating these assets, because property is a secure investment class;


  3. additionally, every £1 donated to JenLi results in £4 put to work in a deprived community, because JenLi leverages Donated Capital using Social Investment and Debt;


  4. JenLi provides a context for, and seeks out, partnerships with other foundations and charities, thereby harnessing their expertise and resources to address specific issues in the community.

Donated funds underpin the model, prioritising social gains and reducing financial risk, to enable worthy projects to benefit from cheaper loans, over a longer term and with more flexible repayment conditions.

JenLi is able to prioritise social return over financial return because it is a not-for-profit and charitable organisation. Financial surpluses which accrue to JenLi are used to grow the pool of donated capital and not distributed as profits. Accordingly, donors are entitled to tax relief on donations of cash, shares, securities or qualifying assets.

JenLi is able to reduce risk for Social Investors and Debt Providers. Consequently they require lower financial returns which reduces the cost of capital to community projects.

These projects, and urban regeneration particularly, usually require investment in land reclamation and infrastructure provision beyond that necessary for ‘greenfield’ sites. Holding this ‘enabled’ land over the longer term (>10 years) offers JenLi the opportunity to harvest the increased value created, thereby recouping its capital and recycling it for future projects. Initial donations can therefore be reused in perpetuity to further JenLi’s benevolent work.

JenLi is initially seeking to raise donations of £10m, and at least £100m over the first five years to create a diversified project portfolio where no more than 25% of the capital is invested in any one project.

28 Bolton Str, London, W1J 8BP, UK | +44 20 3239 4210 | info@jenli.org | Awaiting registration as charitable and not-for-profit organisation, Canton of Obwalden, Switzerland.