The Invisible Heart

Three centuries after Adam Smith coined the term “the invisible hand,” ‘The Invisible Heart’ tracks the birth of a new financial market, one that promises to solve society’s most complex problems. An unorthodox marriage between capitalism and charity, Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are an investment product designed to raise private capital to pay for social services. But what impact will for-profit investment in social programs have on society’s most vulnerable people?

With the backing of renowned philanthropies like the Rockefeller Foundation and buy-in from the world’s biggest investment bank, Goldman Sachs, SIBs are now operating in 24 countries. They have become the fastest growing social innovation in modern history.

From the halls of power to the struggling underclass, ‘The Invisible Heart’ follows an unusual cast of characters as they attempt to tackle everything from crime to homelessness to academic failure using Social Impact Bonds. How important will profit potential be in designing a program? Who will decide the payment trigger and rate of return? How will we know whether the programs we fund are truly improving lives?

Filmed over three years, ‘The Invisible Heart’ documents the most profound shift in charity, philanthropy and finance of the 21st Century.