Illustration by Benoit Tardif When the Asset Owners Disclosure Project released its 2017 Global Climate Index last April, it came as no surprise that Canadian pension funds continued to lag behind their peers in addressing climate risks. No fund earned the designation of “Leader,” and nearly one quarter of the country’s largest asset owners were […]
For Real Estate Lender Groundfloor, It’s Slow and Steady and Open to All
Real estate has been one of the hottest areas of crowdfunding, although most of it is focused on wealthy “accredited” investors who put money into funds, known as REITs. (And let’s face it, accredited investors don’t lack investment options!) Just two platforms allow direct investing by unaccredited investors. One is Pittsburgh-based Small Change, which uses the […]
The Important Group of ESG Rankers for Institutional Investors Expands to a Significant Player — Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS)
Traditional Corporate Governance Focus Expanding to Encompass ISS Environmental & Social QualityScores for 1,500 Public Companies Coming in January… Expanding to 5,000 Companies in Q2… by Hank Boerner – G&A Institute Chair A significant new player is now entering the mix of the growing number of organizations providing institutional investors with ESG rankings and data. […]
Sustainable Investment in Europe at a Crossroads
An interview with Flavia Micilotta, Eurosif’s Executive Director Sustainable and responsible investment is helping mobilize and direct finance towards building a more inclusive, stable and greener European economy. We talked to Flavia Micilotta, Executive Director at Eurosif, to discover how. Eurosif is the pan-European sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) membership organization whose mission is to […]
Hummingbird puts farmers first in transforming a region’s food system
Tom Hunton, a third-generation Oregon farmer, was visiting a local school when he received an unexpected thank-you gift: a bag of muffins baked by fourth-graders. Accompanying the baked goods was a note that said, “Thank you, Mr. Hunton, for making the food that we eat every day.” The muffins were made from organic wheat Hunton […]
From Sundial and Unilever, an M&A Trend We’d Like to See More of
It’s been a busy few months for Richelieu Dennis, the founder of Sundial Brands. After selling Sundial, the personal-care products company he founded, to Unilever in late November, he kicked off 2018 by buying Essence, the storied black culture magazine, from Time Inc., returning the magazine to black ownership. “I’m very focused on giving back, investing and growing my community,” […]
The Brief’s Big 10: Local economy, conservation finance, the regenerative economy
The Brief Jan. 12, 2018 Greetings, ImpactAlpha readers! #Featured: The Brief’s Big Ten Inclusion generates opportunities. Impact investors are letting President Trump know. Building homes in Haiti. Leapfrogging energy grids in El Salvador and across Central America. Creating models on the African continent for 21st century skills and education, food and agriculture and financial inclusion. Countries overcoming […]
Community Impact Investing
From affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, to small business development Community Capital Management, Inc. (CCM) is a registered investment advisor, headquartered in Weston, Florida, with offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Charlotte, North Carolina. The firm manages just over $2.4 billion, $2.1 billion of which is in the CRA Qualified Investment Fund (CRA Fund). “CRA” stands […]
Is it Time to Finally Change Your Bank?
As the stock market reaches giddy new highs, it’s worth noting that it was just 10 years ago that a mortgage bubble and risky behavior fueled by the nation’s largest banks brought the economy to its knees. That experience—along with a backlash against the high, often unscrupulous fees charged by big banks—prompted many people to […]
Socially-Responsible Online Investment Platforms: The Current Landscape
As the socially-responsible investing (SRI), ESG, and impact investing movements have gained steam, so has the number of companies offering products aligned with investors’ values. Providing low-cost, low-effort personal investment options, U.S. robo-advisors currently have more than $100 billion in assets, and are estimated to reach $2.2 trillion by 2020. To differentiate themselves within the […]
The ImpactAssets Handbook for Investors
Practical guide to impact investing lays out how individual investors, family offices, financial advisors and foundations can generate social and environmental value through capital investing. With greater demand than ever for investments that provide social and environmental benefits as well as financial returns, ImpactAssets announced in December the release of The ImpactAssets Handbook for Investors: Generating […]
More Business Are Heeding the Call to be a Force for Good
Climate Change. Inequality. Political dysfunction and divisiveness. These are some of the monumental challenges we face in the year ahead. One encouraging note is that businesses are increasing stepping up and embracing the role of business as a force for good. The most visible sign of this is the B Corp. movement. Since its beginnings […]
7 Trends to Put on Your Radar
Large scale disasters, design thinking, and more will affect corporate social responsibility professionals in 2018 1. Large Scale Disasters will dominate headlines and bandwidth Warren Buffet has stated that natural disasters have a greater economic impact than terrorism. As an example, Puerto Rico’s economy is expected to shrink by 8% because of Hurricane Maria, […]
The Brief’s Big Five: tax bill opportunity, a greener New York, holiday #dealflow
The Brief Jan. 5, 2018 Photo credit: Ryan Johns Greetings, ImpactAlpha readers! Here’s a short roundup from a short week. #Featured: The Brief’s Big Five 1. A bipartisan morsel in the Republican tax bill (yes, we found one). We’re waiting for the fine print, but the “Investing for Opportunities Act” that is part of the bill could draw significant […]
Economist Event – Investing for Impact
Save the date to join Economist editors and 200 financiers, institutional investors, policymakers, academics, impact investors and philanthropists at the second iteration of Investing for Impact: Risk, return and the future of the world. Thursday, February 15th, 2018, New York City. The discussion at this year’s conference will cover the ways in which the world […]
Investing for opportunities, alternative protein, 2018 optimism, immigration and population growth
The Brief Jan 2, 2018 Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, India l Photo credit: Dewang Gupta Greetings, ImpactAlpha readers! We hope you had relaxing and refreshing New Year’s break. ImpactAlpha is ready for an impactful 2018. Stay tuned to The Brief for in-depth coverage of impact investing. (And please add editor@impactalpha.com to your email contacts to ensure […]
2017 in Review: Making the SDGs a Reality Through Sustainability Reporting
This year has been challenging for sustainability in many respects, but there have also been exciting developments in the sustainability reporting landscape. In this short series, we look back at GRI’s efforts, and at what 2018 has in store. A recent report revealed that the world needs to pick up the pace if we are […]
Entrepreneurs: Looking to Raise Capital in 2018? Do This First.
Tired of bootstrapping and ready to raise money to expand your business this year? Congratulations. That’s the first step toward achieving your dreams. Too many of us, especially women, constrain our business’ potential by scraping by on a tight budget or maxed out credit cards. But before you dive in, it pays to get really […]
We Are Far Now From Milton Friedman’s Prevailing View on CSR in 1970 – Companies Are Showing The Way – Here Are 5 Examples
The stage was set in 1970 by Professor Milton Friedman, who wrote in a New York Times Magazine essay: The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. He famously said in conclusion: “here is one and only one social responsibility of business–to use it resources and engage in activities designed to increase its […]
CULTURE, SOCIETY AND NEXT ECONOMY – A LIFT Economy Manifesto
Growing the Next Economy are new organizations that operate with a distinctive ‘DNA’ from that of the current economy and for that DNA to propagate seems to imply a transformation of the DNA of human culture and human settlement. These are big concepts and ideas and this article will attempt to provide some additional context […]
Aspiration raises $47 million for “conscious banking”
Smarter Money Investors include Allen & Company, Omidyar Network, Capricorn Investments, actor Orlando Bloom, L.A. Clippers coach “Doc” Rivers and former Citigroup COO Deborah Hopkins PC: Aspiration Most banks profit from overdraft, ATM and other fees, or from financial products ill-suited to their customers. Los Angeles-based Aspiration lets customers themselves choose how much to pay in […]
Inclusive Economy: Year in Review. Overlooked assets, local ecosystems, economic revival
The Brief Dec. 20, 2017 “Focus” l Lake View, Chicago l Photo credit: Mikaala Shackelford Greetings, ImpactAlpha readers! Year in Review: Inclusive Economy Middle America is an engine of innovation. Low-income communities are investable. Immigrants are assets, not liabilities. Inclusive prosperity is a pro-growth strategy. In cities and towns across the U.S. and around the world, […]
Tax Reform: A Real Cohn Job
The seemingly well-intended (but integrity-dependent) tax break to attract our so-called best and brightest to public service has been exploited for personal gain under the gloss of “public service.” By John Fullerton, founder and president of Capital Institute It seems that Gary Cohn, a trader and former heir apparent at Goldman Sachs—a life-long Democrat, let’s recall—and […]
High Water Women’s 2017 Investing For Impact Symposium
By Laura Malo – GRI reporting analyst, G&A Institute On November 30th the High Water Women organization’s 5th Annual Investing for Impact Symposium in New York City drew a record crowd; I was pleased to attend as a G&A Institute representative (G&A was a sponsor of the event). Background: In 2005, High Water Women organization […]
Harvard Business Review – Increased Focus on Corporate Sustainability, Convening CEOs for Critical Conversations on the Theme
Harvard Business Review is one of the most powerful of external influences for the corporate C-suite. Ideas, concepts and themes appearing in the pages (digital and print) of HBR create important initiatives in American companies. HBR editors are focusing these days on corporate sustainability in various dimensions. Remember the debut of the “Shared Value” by […]
What’s New In Impact Investing? December Roundup
Impact investing is about using markets and money for social good. Impact investing is built on the belief that private capital can play a powerful role in solving the massive global challenges of our day, and that capital markets should work for good as well as profit. This vision is realized through investments made into […]
The Brief’s Big Ten: 2030 Finance, tax-cut casualties, investing in Detroit, Colorado and Virginia
The Brief Dec. 15, 2017 Good Friday evening, ImpactAlpha readers! #Featured: The Brief’s Big Ten 1. Introducing 2030 Finance, where ImpactAlpha tracks the global shift of capital. The tagline for our new sub-site, 2030 Finance: “Investors meet the global goals.” That’s both a description, as more investors find the Sustainable Development Goals and the global climate agreement […]
SRI Is Growing up Right Before Our Very Eyes
What was once considered the limited domain of environmental and social activists has grown to become an established force in the capital markets that should be ignored at your own risk. The space is expanding and evolving at an accelerating rate, and this trend shows no signs of turning. Over the past few years, we […]
Impact Investing: Temporary Trend or Paradigm Shift?
An Interview with Joan Trant of TriLinc Global Q: Joan, do you see Impact Investing as a time-sensitive fad or a paradigm shift that is changing the way investment managers and investors allocate capital? A: The evidence is clear that impact investing – deploying capital to achieve market-rate returns alongside positive social, economic, and environmental progress – […]
In Toronto, a Long-Awaited ‘Social Stock Market’
Social impact investment platforms are cropping up to help connect investors with investment opportunities. The latest, a platform for accredited and unaccredited investors called Social Venture Connection (SVX), recently launched in Toronto. An earlier version of SVX, introduced four years ago, served accredited investors only. “We really see this as a game changer for impact investing in Canada,” […]
My 2018 Outlook by Amy Domini, Founder, Domini Impact Investments
As simplistic as it is, I believe that when attempting to predict the market action for the year ahead, it is necessary to first review the secular environment. Over the past century, our stock market has tended to take a staircase steps approach to progress. We see roughly 15 years of flat followed by roughly […]
How a green bank could finance New Jersey’s clean-energy economy
New Jersey has the U.S.’s fifth-highest solar installed-capacity, but only 5% of the state’s power comes from renewables Even many Jersey voters might not know that Governor-elect Phil Murphy’s clean-energy platform aims to put the Garden State on a path to 100% clean energy by 2050. New Jersey has the U.S.’s fifth-highest solar installed-capacity, but only […]
SRI Continues Move to Mainstream
Regular readers of Justmeans will recall several articles about how socially responsible investing is moving from its marginal niche into the wider universe of the investment sector. Increasingly, institutional investors, asset managers, and analysts are incorporating ESG factors into their decision-making. The US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment estimates that now more than a […]
Own Your Impact edition: Steve Case’s impact argument, gender lens culture shift, beyond complicity…
Own Your Impact edition: Steve Case’s impact argument, gender lens culture shift, beyond complicity, bottom-up revival Dec. 7, 2017 Good Friday evening, ImpactAlpha readers! #Featured: The Brief’s Big Eight: Own Your Impact Edition 1. SteveCase walks back his comments to The New York Times — onImpactAlpha. “I wanted to set the record straight: I absolutely believe that impact investing […]
The Case for Impact Investing by Small and Mid-Size Family Foundations
By Stacey Faella & Margaret Gifford Impact investing, or the idea of making money and doing good, is going mainstream and investors of all types are jumping into the marketplace—including foundations. But while some of the largest foundations have led the charge on impact investing, the movement is leaving many behind. Earlier this year, the Ford Foundation committed one billion dollars from its endowment to mission-related investments, opening […]
The 8000 Mile Walk Toward Making Happiness Our New Bottom Line
Paula is a co-founder & Vice President of Gross National Happiness USA (GNHUSA), and chief Happiness Walker. She has been enamored with the idea of an economy grounded in happiness since first learning about the concept in 2008. Soon after, she became one of the original organizers of Gross National Happiness USA (GNHUSA) and traveled […]
The (Typical) American Angel
Thanks to the investorflow.org reports, we have a good idea of the typical impact investor, so far for Angels, families, and fund managers. Back in the “traditional” startup investing arena, there wasn’t good knowledge of the typical Angel investor until just now. Thanks to the Angel Capital Association (ACA) we now know the typical American […]
Business and the Sustainable Development Goals: Why It Matters
In an increasingly interconnected, complex and turbulent world, business is navigating uncharted waters. Amidst this uncertainty, the global community came together in a global call to action to guide all stakeholders– including business– in building a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive society. While the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were designed for and approved by governments, […]
An Economy For Everyone: November Quality Jobs Recap
In order to build wealth and create opportunities in and across America’s underserved communities, and reverse the troubling trends we’re seeing in our economy, we no longer find it defensible to focus on job creation alone. It’s clear that job creation does not itself equate to lasting economic change. And so, we must shift our […]
Free Webinar Demystifies Impact Investing for the Individual Investor
BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 28 /CSRwire/ – Conscious Company Media is hosting a free webinar Wednesday, December 6 at 10am PT that breaks down the myths and misconceptions around impact investing with the goal of empowering anyone to approach their own portfolio through this lens. In partnership with the Chudom Hayes Group of Morgan Stanley, the […]
Aavishkaar closes $95 million for India’s largest impact fund
Aavishkaar’s five previous funds have cultivated early-stage social startups in India PC: Aavishkaar Aavishkaar-Intellecap Group reached the first close in its planned $200 million Bharat Fund, Livemint reports. Bharat Fund could double Aavishkaar’s fundraising to date. Aavishkaar’s five previous funds have cultivated early-stage social startups in India; half of the Bharat Fund will back later-stage companies. Aavishkaar […]
Innovative SRI Method Attracts Investors
Institutional investors are pioneering another pathway in the still evolving field of socially responsible investing. “The recent launch of indices and funds offering smart beta incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations indicates there is investor appetite out there. . .These allow investors to integrate a responsible investment approach alongside smart beta factors that hunt […]
Brain gain in Latin America + LatAm’s women VCs, Zurich boosts climate-investment pledge, Bamboo…
The Brief Brain gain in Latin America + LatAm’s women VCs, Zurich boosts climate-investment pledge, Bamboo backs First Access, small biz for big goals Nov. 27, 2017 Valparaíso, Chile l Photo credit: Olivier Chatel Greetings, ImpactAlpha readers! #Featured: Impact Voices Brain Gain: Impact investing in Latin America’s new wave of startups. Here’s a provocative impact thesis: Supporting almost any […]
Why Locally Owned Shops Deserve Our Business the Rest of the Year, Too
Americans are voting with their dollars. Sandwiched between the frenzy-inducing duo of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday has quietly become a force. Last year on Small Business Saturday, an estimated 112 million Americansspent a combined $15.4 billion at independent neighborhood retailers and restaurants, up 13% from 2015. The figures are not in yet […]
Latin America’s Top 100 Sustainable Companies
Indexed as one of the Top 100 companies in Latin America, the Spanish utility Iberdrola has brought sustainable electricity to this Brazilian family many thousands of others through its Luz para Todos (Light for All) program, a joint initiative with the Brazilian government. (Photo courtesy Iberdrola) Posted for media use By Sunny Lewis November 24, […]
Transform Finance: Bridging the Worlds of Finance and Social Justice
Impact investment has the potential to transform economies and societies, say its advocates. But the growing field is littered with examples of good intentions gone wrong—often the result of a “top-down” approach. How can impact investors avoid unintended consequences and ensure that their investments are aligned with the goals and needs of the people and […]
Designing a global financial system fit for (sustainable) purpose
2030 Finance A roadmap for climate- and SDG-finance from the United Nations and the World Bank reflects a shift that’s well underway Photo credit: Getty Images Anti-globalists could have a field day with the new “Roadmap for a Sustainable Financial System” from the World Bank and UN Environment. The bankers and bureaucrats are aiming at nothing than […]
If We Can’t Align Investment With the SDGs We Won’t Achieve Them
The headline to this article is a sobering assessment, but it’s accurate. In a nutshell, companies tend to publish voluminous annual sustainability reports, chock full of contextual information, while investors tend to want this data boiled down to a short list of points that are easy to process, analyze and compare. With an estimated $90 […]
Nearly two-dozen public gender-lens investment vehicles hold $910 million
Women Rising The tally of public- and private-equity assets invested with a gender lens now tops $2.2 billion Nearly two-dozen public gender-lens investment vehicles hold more than $910 million. That’s up 41% from $645 million in 19 vehicles last year, according to a new analysis from Veris Wealth Partners and gender-lens investing expert, Suzanne Biegel. The public […]
U.N. Secretary-General: End fossil fuel investment and put a price on carbon
Climate Finance Guterres calls for the world to honor its $100 billion (per year) pledge to finance the low-carbon transition U.N. secretary-general António Guterres l Photo credit: UNclimatechange / Flickr António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, gives it to you straight. In his speech at the global climate conference underway in Bonn, Guterres called […]
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