Season 2 · Episode 1486
Why Governments Are Putting a Price on Literacy
Are we commodifying social change? Explore the shift from boutique social bonds to massive $500M funds targeting global literacy and poverty.
My Weird Prompts · Daniel Rosehill
March 23, 202620m 28s
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Show Notes
For decades, social impact bonds were small-scale experiments, but a new "wholesale" model is taking over. From the Education Outcomes Fund in Lagos to the UK’s £500 million Better Futures Fund, governments are shifting risk to private investors who only get paid when real results—like improved literacy—are achieved. This episode dives into the mechanics of "outcomes rate cards," the ethics of profiting from social services, and whether this market-driven approach can truly scale to solve the world’s most pressing human crises.