NextBillion

“We thought that the only way to achieve large-scale impact was to build large commercial enterprises that could generate enough cash to support both organizational growth and market-level impact. But as we began investing more heavily and more directly in early-stage companies that targeted less advantaged populations in emerging markets, we began to notice the […]

December was a big month for impact investing, wrapping up an even bigger year. The momentum of our movement was on display at an oversubscribed GIIN Investor Forum in Amsterdam, where more than 800 investors and supporters of impact gathered for a two-day deep dive on the state of the industry. Nearly a decade in, […]

The knock on impact investing – both within and outside of the industry – is the lack of long-term data and platforms to observe deals in a more transparent way. The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) and Toniic, arguably the industry’s most influential trade groups, both released studies designed to turn around some of those […]

ImpactUs aims to simplify the process of impact investing through an online platform that allows investors to identify and invest in products that provide social impact. In this email Q&A with NextBillion Senior Editor James Militzer, Reginald Stanley, president and CEO of ImpactUs, explains how the platform works – and why it’s needed..   James […]

It hasn’t attracted much attention in the social investing sphere – far less than the ongoing stream of reports attesting to the sector’s competitive returns and growing momentum. But a new brief from the influential Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College could be significant – and not just because of its surprisingly bleak […]

Last month the UNDP and Impact Hub organized the first Social Good Summit in Geneva, bringing together impact investors, international organizations and entrepreneurs to discuss how to scale up and finance impact-driven ventures to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There was a great appetite at the summit to exchange ideas. Investors […]

The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) made headlines last month when it launched a rather audacious campaign to mobilize investors behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In an impassioned op-ed, GIIN CEO Amit Bouri declared that “this investment is not just for profit – but for survival,” asked that “every investor not already involved make at least one SDG-focused impact investment” – and called on them […]

As Silicon Valley has grown in influence in both the business world and the broader culture, a growing chorus of critics have leveled a similar critique: Why are some of the world’s most brilliant innovators and deep-pocketed investors focusing so much of their time and resources on solving petty problems, while ignoring countless more pressing concerns? Ross Baird, executive director of Village Capital […]

Editor’s note: NextBillion is collaborating with ImpactAlpha to highlight coverage of the top stories, leaders and trends in impact investing. In periodic NextBillion posts, their team will share the key stories and market activities that have crossed their desks in recent weeks. When global leaders launched the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 there was no well-developed way […]

In late June, the Second Vatican Conference on Impact Investing (VIIC) brought together leaders from the Catholic Church and impact investment communities to discuss the role of impact investing for the poor. Because the Vatican conference occurred during the Extraordinary Year of Mercy established by Pope Francis, the VIIC chose the theme “Making the Year […]

Editor’s note: NextBillion is collaborating with ImpactAlpha to highlight coverage of the top stories, leaders and trends in impact investing. In periodic NextBillion posts, their team will share the key stories and market activities that have crossed their desks in recent weeks.   Summer of Impact British voters have thrown a stick through the spokes […]

The basic principle behind network science is very simple: Things are connected, and the ways they are connected affect their individual and collective performance. Thus, the pattern of connections among neurons in the brain reveals the inner workings of cognition, just as gene combinations give us a clue about disease, or international trade between countries […]

Education may be the “silver bullet” of development. It is, as Nelson Mandela described it, the “most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Increase access to quality education for children and adults, and the knock-on effects can be profound – on health, women’s and girls’ opportunities, technology, and the growth of […]

In the early days of microfinance – before its dramatic evolution from development sector hero to over-hyped villain and back to somewhat chastened respectability – it captured the imagination of many anti-poverty advocates, among them Jeffrey Ashe. After a stint in the Peace Corps, Ashe spent 20 years designing, evaluating and managing microfinance programs in over thirty countries – but then […]

In February, The New York Times reported on the state of joblessness and resulting desperation among educated young people in rural Tunisia. This was the same demographic that protested in 2010, overthrowing the Ben Ali regime and sparking the Arab Spring. Five years on, an arid employment landscape (62.3 percent of college graduates are without […]

Impact investors collaborate to address funding gap for startups The emergence and rapid adoption of new technologies like the Internet, cloud computing and smartphones are transforming the way the poor and underserved access financial services. Startups are at the cutting edge of these innovations. They are catalyzing the next leap forward in financial inclusion by […]

Albrecht Dürer’s masterful woodcut, “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” is drawn from the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible’s New Testament. In it, the horsemen ride on red, black, white and pale horses, symbolizing war, famine, conquest and death. The black horse symbolizes famine ­– its darkness depicting the brute force of hunger. But this […]

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of three articles offering new methods in generating, comprehending and The definition of social impact dramatically differs based on the role we are referencing, e.g. impact investor, funder, program agency or practitioner. Though there is a plethora of standards, tools and frameworks, most organizations do not […]

When attempting to solve a complex development challenge, we often jump from creating ambitious goals to making plans, without first identifying who we need to reach with our goals, where those people reside, and what challenge and opportunities they face. This approach has numerous drawbacks: We often get surprised by obstacles we did not foresee […]

We live in the Age of Brand Management. The holy grail of “brand managers” is always the simple and compelling message, told by words, images, stories and evidence. In their constant quest, truth is both resource and constraint on what they can say, show and imply. There is constant tension between the subtle complications of […]

Editor’s note: The following is part of an ongoing series of posts about U.S. financial innovation enterprises and initiatives.    Since the market crash of 2008, financial recovery for some major American cities is still an uphill battle. Cities like Detroit and Atlantic City have faced an array of forces stifling positive growth, from crime […]