What Is Impact Investing and Why Should You Care?

The Bridgespan Group asks, "Why Do We Care About Impact Investing?" In a recent discussion, Bridgespan shares The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN)'s definition of impact investing as investment into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention of generating social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.

There are three takeaways why private capital is important for impact investing:


  1. Solving our biggest social problems requires private capital
  2. Private capital has played an important role in social impact success stories
  3. Now is a critical moment for the impact investing field


The discussion also plots different investment types based on expected financial return and the approach to impact, including Expected financial return and approach to impact. This impact exists on a spectrum from passive to evidence-based: passive, intentional, evidence-based, and none.

Many different stakeholder types are involved in impact investing. These include the following: asset owners and managers, enterprises, intermediaries, and communities.

Bridgespan believes enterprises with these types of characteristics tend to be well-positioned for an impact investment: mission-driven, impact is connected to a benefit, and the proposed impact or solution must be feasible and actionable.

Bridgespan also discusses how investors measure impact and provides examples of intentional and evidence-based impact investments, such as Rise Fund investment in Dodla Dairy, Investment in D. Light, Bridges Social Impact Bond Fund investment in West London Zone, and Root Capital. Read the Entire Article

Selected Grant News Headlines

A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.

'Many Kind People in S'Pore': Dignity Kitchen to Restore Fire-Damaged Premises as Donations Pour in

A woman in her 80s in Singapore pulled $20 out of her purse and gave it to the founder of a social enterprise that provides jobs for people with disabilities, the BBC reports. Koh Seng Choon,...more

Legacy Foundation Grants $25000 To Local Non Profits

The Legacy Foundation in Ottumwa, Iowa, is putting its money where its mouth is. The foundation has awarded $25,000 in grants to six local nonprofits, including $10,000 to the Cardinal Youth...more

Pee Wee Homes to Receive a $40,000 Grant from Secu

A tiny-home nonprofit in North Carolina is getting $40,000 over the next two years to build three new homes for homeless people. Pee Wee Homes will use the funds to hire a property or...more

Legacy Announces $25000 in Nonprofit Grants

The Legacy Foundation in Ottumwa, Iowa, is putting its money where its mouth is. The nonprofit has awarded $25,000 in grants to six local nonprofits, including $10,000 to the Cardinal Youth...more

Pressr: Weyay Bank Launches Podcast to Spark Conversations on Kids' Financial ...

A bank in Kuwait is trying to make it as easy as possible for kids to get their hands on money. Weyay Bank has launched a podcast called Jeel, in which kids between the ages of 8 and 14 discuss...more

Accelerating Government Efficiency through Advanced Technologies and Innovation

When it comes to getting a driver's license in the US, there's a lot of red tape. In fact, more than half of the country's DMV offices are still manual, according to a new report from the...more

7.4 Representative Jennifer Mcclellan Talks Climate Resilience and Environmental Justice ...

Virginia Rep. Jennifer McClellan is the first black woman elected to Congress from her home state, and she's also the first black woman to represent it in the House of Representatives. But...more

Editorial: Regional Projects Show Benefits of State Grant Money
Foundation: Lilly Endowment

Indiana is adding $500 million to its coffers and the Lilly Endowment is throwing in $250 million for community and economic development programs designed by communities themselves, the Columbus...more

Nonprofit Mission Statements: 30 Examples of Brands Who Are Crushing It [Infographic]

If you're in the market for a new website, you might want to check out this list of 30 nonprofit mission statements, rounded up by Nonprofit World. They're great if you're in the market for a new...more

How Reading The Morning Paper Inspired an Alumnus' Mission to Shape Ethical Leadership

"One day, he decided to do something about it." That's how Steve Bachand describes his $5 million donation to the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, which will create the Stephen...more





Here are the star companies that have succeeded in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. The companies were gathered by Civic 50, a national initiative to survey and rank S&P 500 corporations on how they engage with the communities they serve and utilize best practices in their corporate cultures.




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