Money where it matters with Theodora Hadjimichael, Responsible Finance

Send us Fan MailFinance and credit play a big part in our lives. Removing or preventing access to them is hugely disruptive, as today's guest explains.Without fit-for-purpose finance on fair terms, businesses and social enterprises can't grow, create jobs or deliver vital frontline services, and millions of households are prey for loan sharks.Community development finance institutions (CDFIs) address the damaging lack of appropriate finance faced by many people, businesses and social enterprises. Responsible Finance represents CDFIs, and CEO Theodora Hadjimichael describes the uneven financial landscape in the UK, and:how her members work to get the right finance to under-served businesses and financially excluded peoplewhy Responsible Finance is like a 'coach' for its membersmapping policy work to direct results, whether that's influencing Government, securing investment, working with partners and changing lives for 70,000 people every yearhow Responsible Finance measures its own and the sector's impacther own journey to becoming CEO of the organisation.What next?Responsible Finance's website is www.responsiblefinance.org.uk  Its latest impact report is at https://responsiblefinance.org.uk/2022/05/changing-lives  Its members are listed in full and with geographical and sector-specific (eg social enterprise, business, personal) filters at www.findingfinance.org.ukMore about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.ukSupport the showHi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast.  I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have. I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.  I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives. You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.