A place for conversations from the University of Edinburgh community on topics around social responsibility and sustainability.
Investing for a fairer future: Q&A with Prosper Social Finance
Jasmine Lee-Tin and Aaron Jimenez explain how Prosper Social Finance aims to benefit students, society and our planet.
What is Prosper Social Finance? 
We are Prosper – a student-run socially responsible investment fund, offering University of Edinburgh students with the opportunity to learn and practice Socially Responsible Investing (SRI). Our mission is to facilitate positive social change alongside financial returns, through the investment of capital loaned to us by the University.
Having developed our own Environmental Social Governance (ESG) screen, our investment strategy encompasses a value-based approach that combines traditional financial analysis to ensure every investment generates sustainable financial and social returns.
How does Prosper achieve social impact?
Jasmine: There are five branches of impact generated by Prosper Social Finance. They are predominantly executed through providing students with the opportunity to lead teams and give pitches, alongside educating students via other students teaching and running the programmes we offer.
As Director of Social Impact, I am responsible for our Impact Grants, redirecting Prosper’s profits from our investment portfolio to local socially beneficial projects chosen by our Senior Analysts. We made our own social impact metric to track our investment success and assess how these opportunities with the local community can fit with our core values.
With our impact grants, we aim to:
- Develop long term relationships with communities
- Deliver financial and volunteering support for social impact
- Bottom-up selection process
- Evaluate our performance using our bespoke evaluation matrix
- Track our social impact
We have built a great network in the Edinburgh community thanks to collaborations with organisations such as ‘The Good Stuff Network’, and with other student-led initiatives.
Which organisations do you work with?
Jasmine: We currently collaborate with Invisible Cities, a social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own cities. We have committed to supporting Invisible Cities’ operations in Edinburgh through semesterly impact grants derived from the profits of our portfolio. 
We have built a great network in the Edinburgh community thanks to collaborations with organisations such as ‘The Good Stuff Network’, and with other student-led initiatives dedicated to producing positive social impact in Edinburgh.
What attracted you to Prosper Social Finance?
Aaron: I struggle to think of a more inclusive and collaborative environment than Prosper. Having come from a non-finance background, Prosper has provided me with an entirely new skillset, whilst also reaffirming my interest to work in sustainable finance upon graduating university. Since joining Prosper I have received several offers from top financial institutions for internships. I believe that Prosper has allowed me to showcase my skillset and dedication to a long-term career in sustainable finance.
Jasmine: Coming from an Economics and Politics background I had a relative interest in the finance realm, but never had exposure to socially responsible investments. Through Prosper, I have learned that investors can play a pivotal role in fostering positive social change by factoring ESG metrics into investment decisions and prioritising socially responsible investment. This way investors are able to support firms with sustainable ESG practices, which have the capacity to produce positive social change without neglecting financial returns.
Through Prosper, I have learned that investors can play a pivotal role in fostering positive social change.
What has been your most rewarding experience with Prosper?
Aaron: Prosper has undoubtedly been the highlight of my time at the University. My most rewarding experience so far has been being able to work with Invisible Cities and see how the decisions we made in pitching stocks can impact and help support the Edinburgh community. Prosper has developed my skills in collaboration, communication and leadership.
Prosper has undoubtedly been the highlight of my time at the University.
How do I join Prosper?
Aaron: Every semester, we accept students from all years, degrees and backgrounds to take part in our Analyst Training Programme and equip them with a range of technical and soft skills. Regardless of whether you are interested in pursuing a career in finance, every analyst at Prosper gains substantial amounts of experience. Many choose to continue their journey within Prosper Senior Analysts or as integral members of our Management Team.
To join Prosper Social Finance, or pitch for funding, reach out via our contact email or social media channels.
Thank you for providing this insightful Q&A session with Prosper Social Finance. It’s inspiring to learn about their approach to investing for a fairer future and the tangible impact it can have on society. Keep up the great work of promoting sustainable investing practices!