Mohamed Osman, CEO of Spring Impact, on Scaling Social Innovation

Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

Mohamed Osman, CEO of Spring Impact, on Scaling Social Innovation.

Spring Impact was founded on the belief that social innovation must be scaled strategically and sustainably to meet the sheer magnitude of today’s problems. Rather than focusing solely on organisational growth, Spring Impact works with mission-driven organisations and funders to help them design pathways for scaling impact in ways that optimise resources, reduce dependency on unsustainable funding models, and embed solutions within larger systems.

Mohamed Osman makes a distinction between growth and scale. While growth is often linear — requiring a proportional increase in funding, staffing, and resources — he notes that true scale occurs when impact expands at a faster rate than the investment needed to sustain it.

The key challenge for social enterprises and nonprofits is ensuring that their interventions remain effective and sustainable as they reach larger populations. Too often, solutions that work well in a localised setting fail when applied to broader, more complex environments.

Spring Impact encourages organisations to stay focused not on any single solution but on the problem itself, ensuring that as they scale, their interventions remain relevant, adaptable, and aligned with community needs.

Funding remains one of the greatest barriers to scaling impact. To better understand how organisations overcome financial hurdles, Spring Impact conducted a research study analysing more than 100 nonprofits, with in-depth insights from 22 organisations that had successfully navigated the challenge.

One of the most striking findings was the role of long-term funding partnerships, particularly with governments. Many assume that once a nonprofit demonstrates proof of concept, it can transfer its solution entirely to government agencies, allowing philanthropic funding to exit. However, the reality is that long-term success often requires continued collaboration, with nonprofits shifting from direct service providers to advisory and mentorship roles. Philanthropic funding remains vital even after handover, providing the flexibility to adapt solutions, support implementation, and ensure that systemic change is sustained.

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