Invest with Values

The Investor's Gateway to Positive Change

The Investor's Gateway to Positive Change

ImpactAssets Adds New Private Debt and Equity Impact Investment Options to its Donor Advised Fund

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“Deep” impact investments enable clients to use philanthropic dollars to generate potentially significant social, environmental and financial returns. BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 28 /CSRwire/ – ImpactAssets today announced the addition of new lower minimum, high-impact investment options within the ImpactAssets Giving Fund, its donor advised fund. The four private debt and equity investments are managed by […]

Millennials and Sustainable / Responsible / Impact Investing — A New Force To Be Reckoned With!

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We Americans are fond of putting specific age cohorts in neatly assembled descriptors — the Silent Generation; the Greatest Generation; the Baby Boom Generation; Gen X and Gen Y. Now in focus:  The Millennial Generation, fast approaching the vaunted celebrity status of the post-WW II Baby Boom Generation.  You’ll recall The Boomers were born in years 1946 to 1964 […]

Rockefeller funds Startup to Build Nonprofit ETFs

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(3BL Media/Justmeans) – The estimated annual funding gap needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries alone is about $2.5 trillion. Global philanthropic funds and other aid agencies must pursue innovative finance solutions to attract more private capital for projects to create a more resilient and inclusive world. The Rockefeller Foundation […]

Why Investors are Still Missing the Mark on ESG Integration

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By Chat Reynders The notion that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analysis is a complement to – not a substitute for – fundamental security analysis is nothing new. However, ESG has now become a buzzword and a check-box across much of the investment industry. More investment products and managers are touting the fact that ESG […]

Supporting Small Farmers Through Sustainable Farmland Finance – Podcast

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Kevin Egolf is an impact investing professional focusing his efforts on socially responsible farmland investing. His passion for sustainable agriculture and extensive finance background naturally led him into the growing impact investing field and towards impacting agriculture. Through Iroquois Valley Farms, a leader in triple bottom line impact farmland investing, and Local Farms Fund, a […]

Impact Investments in Public Equities ~ Webinar Invitation

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Join Green Alpha’s CIO and COO for the live Impact Investments webinar to learn how to capitalize on the inevitable transition to a sustainable economy by investing in companies whose business models focus on creating innovative solutions to our greatest economic and environmental risks. Wednesday, August 23rd at 1pm Eastern CE credit available! Register here: […]

Morgan Stanley finds ‘record levels’ of ESG investors

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Interest in sustainable investing is continuing to increase as evidence mounts that investment choices can deliver positive social or environmental benefits. But the sector is still being hampered by the “myth” that sustainable investing requires a financial trade-off. That is one of the main conclusions from the latest survey on attitudes towards sustainable investment undertaken […]

Can Private Wealth Close the SDG Funding Gap?

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By Abha Malpani We are seeing a paradigm shift in consciousness that has the potential to mobilize private wealth for public good, and transform the social impact sector as we know it. According to a recent report by UBS, the size of the private wealth market is US$250 trillion. The UN claims that the annual […]

Which of the 17 U.N. global goals do impact investors prefer?

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2030 New data sheds light on popular (and not so popular) SDGs John Legend l Photo credit: GlobalGoals.org Impact investors are increasingly adopting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals as a guide to impact and opportunity. Yet little is known about which of the goals are getting the most attention. A new report from InvestorFlow, the fast-growing […]

Why Work in Impact Investing?

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Impact Investing Job Seekers: How Will Keyholders to Your Next Open Door Remember You? By: Jessica Loman I veered away from an impact investing career for some time because of two false assumptions, False assumption #1: I thought all investing was run by brutal capitalists centered only on the bottom line of making profit at […]

Is it Time for State-Based Crowdfunding to Shine?

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What do Alaska, Florida, Texas and Vermont have in common? They’re among the 34 states that have passed state-based crowdfunding laws. When it comes to crowdinvesting, most of the attention goes to the JOBS Act, the 2012 federal legislation that gave us Regulation Crowdfunding, Regulation A+ and other provisions that make it easier for small companies […]

Growing interest in sustainable investing is turning into action

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Smarter Money Six in 10 Millennial investors say they’ve made at least one sustainable investment in the last year Growing interest in sustainable investing is turning into action. The trend is especially pronounced among Millennial investors, according to a new survey from the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing. In the survey, “Sustainability Signals,” 86% of active […]

Friends of ImpactAlpha, dance incubator, uncharted food access, sustainability signals, bitcoin’s…

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The Brief Friends of ImpactAlpha, dance incubator, uncharted food access, sustainability signals, bitcoin’s remittance boom Aug. 10, 2017 Photo by Nadim Merrikh Greetings, FOIAs! #Featured: Editor’s Note Dear Friends of ImpactAlpha. The new ImpactAlpha is wrapping up its first season and gearing up for a breakthrough fall and new year. As we head into a two-week August recess, […]

Morgan Stanley Survey Finds Interest in Sustainable Investing Stronger than Ever

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Investor Survey shows awareness and interest in sustainable investing continuing to climb steadily – 75% of individual investors and 86% of Millennials are interested in sustainable investing Three-quarters of active individual investors and 86% of Millennial active individual investors describe themselves as interested in sustainable investing, according to a new survey published today by the […]

Growth of responsible investment in Japan & Malaysia to constitute core case studies at Global Ethical Finance Forum

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Under the patronage of the Scottish Government and supported by the UK Government, the 2nd edition of GEFF will delve in-depth into two insightful case studies that focus on the growth of responsible investment in emerging and developed markets. Edinburgh, Scotland – 03 August 2017: Middle East Global Advisors, a leading financial intelligence platform spearheading […]

A Slow Money Journey: Eric Becker

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The idea was simple at the beginning, back in 2006: find a fund in which my clients could invest their money that would finance farms and businesses involved in sustainable agriculture. I quickly discovered that no such thing existed. Instead, the inquiry set me off on a rewarding decade-long journey of learning, collaboration, and co-creation. […]

The Prudent Woman

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The world of investing abides by various rules. Some are defined and articulated in formal legislation and regulations, while others are based on customs, common practices, and opinions expressed by jurists in court cases. The expectation of “prudence” in financial management is one such case.¹ This piece is a special collaboration by Leslie Christian and […]

To Fix the Gender Gap, Fix the Digital Divide

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It is no secret that women have unequal access to economic opportunities. Here’s what’s new: As digital technologies dramatically reshape our economies, they can either worsen the problem, or help fix it. Think about it: Most job growth will come from STEM fields, yet women make up only 12 percent of engineering students. Much of […]

Rockefeller Foundation seeds ETFs created by non-profits

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Smarter Money The foundation backs Impact Shares with a $300,000 grant Photo credit: MARKANG Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are bundles of stocks that trade in the public markets. Most track a specific stock market index. Rockefeller Foundation is putting up a $300,000 grant to Impact Shares, based in Dallas, to let non-profit organizations create their own ETFs. Organizations would […]

Impact ETFs, tech for the visually-impaired, education’s OpenTable, inclusion through inclusion…

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The Brief Impact ETFs, tech for the visually-impaired, education’s OpenTable, inclusion through inclusion, dark shadows Aug. 2, 2017 Greetings, ImpactAlpha readers! What will impact investing look like in 2030? Our friends at the Global Impact Investing Network are working on a roadmap to accelerate impact investing toward the next stage of market development. You can have your […]

RSF 2016 Annual Report

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It is with great delight that we share with you the 2016 Annual Report by RSF Social Finance. Last year was a full one for this organization, and our collection of client stories and financial results showcases just that. We hope the vignettes and visuals inspire you to seek new ways to engage with money and explore […]

The Future of SRI – Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing

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by Matt Patsky, CEO of Trillium Asset Management Eight years ago I received the call asking me to consider joining Trillium Asset Management as CEO. Since that time, we have seen more interest than ever in the field of sustainable investing from a wide variety of institutions, mainstream money managers, and families often driven by […]

Chan-Zuckerberg’s portfolio, J.P.

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The Brief Chan-Zuckerberg’s portfolio, J.P. Morgan’s clean billions, Patamar’s livelihood thesis, care-bots, Brief Quiz No. №25 Jul. 28, 2017 Photo by Kimberly Farmer Hello ImpactAlpha readers! #Featured: ImpactAlpha Original How Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg are investing their social-change billions. If and when the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative becomes one of the biggest private social-change funders in history, these early […]

What’s New In Impact Investing? July Roundup

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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 […]

Culture of transparency: Putting impact investing on the map

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Better Data Jean Case, our CEO, issued a simple clarion call in the Stanford Social Innovation Review last month: #ShareYourData. The time is now. The impact investing field has grown leaps and bounds since the Global Impact Investment Network first started tracking the growth of the field in 2010. Networks like Toniic and The ImPact […]

Social impact bond pays off, Helping Self Help, B Corps for big business, blockchain future

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The Brief Jul. 27, 2017 Hello ImpactAlpha readers! #Featured: ImpactAlpha Original Peterborough social impact bond becomes a proof point. Fewer prisoners are returning to prison in Peterborough, England. That represents a success for the city, the ex-offenders, and the investors who backed the world’s first social impact bond, which financed a comprehensive post-release program. Social impact […]

Sacred Sites Strategize for Impact Investments

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  LONDON, UK, August 1, 2017 (Maximpact.com News) – Representatives of sacred places and cities that attract spiritual pilgrims are working with highly placed conservationists to create a dedicated fund for their environmental protection by relying on the investment community’s growing commitment to ethical or impact investment. The altar at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral, September […]

Talking Sutainability Strategy and Governance with Dave Garofalo, President and CEO

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Goldcorp’s 2016 Sustainability Report was recently published, reaffirming our dedication to our vision of Together, Creating Sustainable Value. Throughout the year, we adopted important optimization measures across the organization; our commitment to sustainability remains unwavering. Dave Garofalo, Goldcorp’s President and Chief Executive, looks back on the strategic and governance aspects of the year and the […]

Blending finance for global goals, responsible robo-advisors, U.S.

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The Brief Blending finance for global goals, responsible robo-advisors, U.S. impact investing alliance, future of transportation in the U.K. Jul. 26, 2017 Rua Líbero Badaró, São Paulo, Brazil l Photo by Guilherme Cunha Hello ImpactAlpha readers! #Featured: ImpactAlpha Original Blending finance to unlock capital for the 2030 global goals. To build its $150 million private equity fund […]

Scaling Up Impact Investments to take centre stage at the Global Ethical Finance Forum

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 -Under the patronage of the Scottish Government, the 2nd edition of GEFF will spearhead an insightful panel session that focuses on the vast opportunity for investors in balancing risk and reward whilst creating impact for the greater good. Edinburgh, Scotland – 20 July 2017: Middle East Global Advisors, a leading financial intelligence platform spearheading the […]

Kiva fund will give refugees access to loans

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Inclusive Economics More than $9 million available for borrowing for refugees Photo credit: : Kiva The micro-lending platform’s latest fund is making more than $9 million available for borrowing by refugees and host countries like Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. There are 22.5 million refugees spread around the world; five million from the crisis in Syria. “Beyond direct relief, there needs […]

Mimicking Nature to Defeat Climate Change

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The free Cool Down B’More bus takes potentially overheated Baltimore residents to cooling centers. (Screengrab from video by Mimi Yang) ATLANTA, Georgia, July 20, 2017 (Maximpact.com News) – Five teams of entrepreneurs from around the world have been chosen to participate in the newest cohort of the world’s only business accelerator program dedicated to bringing nature-inspired […]

Responsible Investment Adds “Social Bonds” to Ethical Finance Products Glossary

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Add this term to your socially responsible investing vocabulary: “social bonds.” These are financial products aimed at addressing social issues such as access to education, crime, homelessness, and helping underserved communities and disadvantaged children. This market is small—just $3.5 billion of social bonds were issued in Q2 of this year—but the market is booming, according […]

GreenMoney’s 25 Year Journey – Influencing Capital and Corporations

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The inside story on the award-winning publication from its founder   by Cliff Feigenbaum, founder and managing editor, GreenMoney Journal and GreenMoney.com Twenty-five years. Is that possible? Have I been publishing the GreenMoney Journal for 25 years? When I realized that 2017 was upon us, and that 25 years had passed, I knew it was time to take […]

First Mover Banks Come Clean on Climate Risk

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Mark Carney, left, and Michael Bloomberg are authors of the final recommendations of the G20 Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. Carney is a Canadian economist who currently serves as Governor of the Bank of England and chairs the Financial Stability Board. American businessman, author, politician, and philanthropist, Bloomberg is a former […]

What we know about Bain Capital’s $390 million Double Impact Fund

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Smarter Money Former Gov. Deval Patrick: ‘We’re being closely followed, so we owe it to the field to do it well.’ Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, manageing director, Bain Capital Double Impact The tipoff that impact investing is indeed reaching a new stage in the capital markets came when Deval Patrick described the $390 million Bain Capital […]

UNCW and G&A Institute Announce The Certificate & Certification in “Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Strategies” Online E-Learning Course Offering Dual Credentials

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New York, NY/Wilmington, NC – July 10, 2017 – To meet the needs of professionals seeking knowledge about the dramatically-expanding fields of Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Sustainability, Corporate Citizenship, Sustainable Investing and related subject matters, Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. has partnered with the Swain Center for Executive Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington […]

The Reinvestment Fund tests the public bond market’s appetite for social impact

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Inclusive Prosperity The GSG honors Philadelphia community-development finance institution that connected capital markets and low-income communities Philadelphia, PA l Photo credit: Sam Horine For decades, Don Hinkle-Brown has fantasized about having access to the public markets to raise capital for childcare centers and charter schools, grocery stores and health clinics, energy efficiency upgrades and small businesses […]

Sustainable Investments Delivering Higher Returns in the UK

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(3BL Media/Justmeans) – Sustainable or ESG investing originally broke ground when fund managers began actively engaging with companies and started voting down inefficient governance decisions. Firms with weak ESG commitments started getting excluded from fund investment portfolios. The asset managers eventually began handpicking companies with a strong focus on ESG factors and socially responsible and […]

Your Money and Your Life Workshop

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The Money Barrier So often we get into an either/or with money. I can have money or I can do work that reflects my values. I can have fun or I can have money. Look into your life and notice where you may be riding with the brakes on. We have the brakes on when […]

WEBINAR: Economic Activism Starts at Home: The Impact of Community Investment Funds July 27, 2017 11 a.m. PT

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Work for or operate a nonprofit organization, innovation hub, accelerator, or incubator? Are you a community leader or economic development specialist? Do you want to learn about community investment funds and community capital raising? Join Cutting Edge Capital’s webinar on July 27th at 11 a.m. PT with Kim Arnone and Brian Beckon to learn in depth about community investment funds and how […]

Swiss Re to move $130 billion portfolio to track ESG indexes

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Smarter Money Equities and fixed-income products with high ESG ratings “have better risk-return ratios” Photo credit: AP The world’s second-largest reinsurer is done with legacy indexes that fail to account for companies’ performance on environmental, social and governance, or ESG, issues. The Swiss firm is already 90 percent of way towards shifting its portfolio to track ESG […]

Steering impact investing toward a 2020 tipping point

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Smarter Money ‘United Nations’ of impact investing in Chicago draws national advisory boards from 16 countries Chicago, United States l Photo credit: Austin Neill On the heels of the G20 meeting in Hamburg will come a summit of the Impact 16 in Chicago. That’s the number of countries, with the recent addition of Finland and Argentina, […]

G7 Backs Sustainable Finance Movement to Achieve Climate Goals

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(3BL Media/Jutmeans) – Sustainable finance is a rapidly accelerating global movement. Countries from China to France and the UK have launched initiatives to boost flows of private capital for climate and sustainability. The value of investment assets committed to the Principles for Responsible Investment is now over $73 trillion. The sustainable finance movement has now […]

An impact investing tent big enough for the problems we are trying to solve

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Smarter Money Mainstream asset owners are on a journey to make their investments a powerful force for good — let’s welcome them. New York, New York l Photo credit: Anders Jildén In the impact investing community, there is continuing talk about whether “the big tent” — created by the diversity of strategies and approaches pursued by investors– is too big. There are […]

Lok Capital returns $65 million to investors and raises $80 million more

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Inclusive Economics The venture capital fund is expanding into healthcare, agriculture, and housing Vishal Mehta, Co-founder Lok Capital Gurgaon-based Lok invests in financial institutions serving low-income Indians, and is expanding into healthcare, agriculture, and housing. Lok has exited four companies in the past 12 months, enabling the firm to return $65 million in principal from its second fund, […]