Introduction

In recent years, the concepts of social enterprise and social impact investment that advocate “the use of commercial means to achieve social objectives” have become high-profile topics in both academic and business worlds. In fulfilling its mission (i.e., “Advance good governance and public policy to promote China’s economic development and social progress”), the China Development Research Foundation (CDRF) has paid close attention to and has actively participated in both the research and practice of social impact investment. For this China Social Impact Investment Report (the “Report”), the CDRF and the China Social Entrepreneur Foundation (YouChange) aim to promote the concept of social impact and the practice of social entrepreneurship in China, to explore more possibilities for sustainable and efficient public welfare services, and to identify more paths toward sustainable economic and social development in China.