Home
About Us
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:
- Solving our biggest social problems requires private capital
- Private capital has played an important role in social impact success stories
- 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.
The Impact Investing Case for Telecom Companies 
"We are so used to being almost permanently online that we don't really appreciate what we have and do not really know what to do when we're not," Joni Mitchell wrote in her 1970s song "Big Yellow...more
"We are so used to being almost permanently online that we don't really appreciate what we have and do not really know what to do when we're not," Joni Mitchell wrote in her 1970s song "Big Yellow...more
When Does Impact Investing Make the Biggest Impact? 
The concept of "impact investing" has taken off in recent years, with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. But a new study out of Harvard Business School suggests that while impact...more
The concept of "impact investing" has taken off in recent years, with more than $1 trillion in assets under management. But a new study out of Harvard Business School suggests that while impact...more
Svx Launches Major Update to Impact Investing Opportunity Database
"All investments are impact investments," says Adam Spence, CEO of SVX, a non-profit financial services firm that has just launched Canada's first index designed to measure the impact of investments...more
"All investments are impact investments," says Adam Spence, CEO of SVX, a non-profit financial services firm that has just launched Canada's first index designed to measure the impact of investments...more
5 Ways to Guide Clients on Esg and Impact Investing
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has gained popularity in recent years as clients seek to align their investments with their values and promote positive change in the...more
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing has gained popularity in recent years as clients seek to align their investments with their values and promote positive change in the...more
Leading Impact Investors and Philanthropists Convene for
Foundation: Silicon Valley Community Foundation, California Endowment
In 2024, Los Angeles will host the Mission Investors Exchange 2024 National Conference, an annual conference that brings together more than 750 philanthropy and impact investing leaders from across...more
Foundation: Silicon Valley Community Foundation, California Endowment
In 2024, Los Angeles will host the Mission Investors Exchange 2024 National Conference, an annual conference that brings together more than 750 philanthropy and impact investing leaders from across...more
Leading Impact Investors and Philanthropists Convene for Mission Investors Exchange 2024 ...
Foundation: California Community Foundation, California Endowment
Ava DuVernay financed her latest film with money from the Giving Pledgean initiative of the California Endowment, the largest US foundation to commit its entire $4 billion portfolio to social and...more
Foundation: California Community Foundation, California Endowment
Ava DuVernay financed her latest film with money from the Giving Pledgean initiative of the California Endowment, the largest US foundation to commit its entire $4 billion portfolio to social and...more
Leading Impact Investors and Philanthropists Convene for Mission Investors Exchange 2024
In what may be a first for a major US city, Los Angeles has been chosen as the site of the 2024 Mission Investors Exchange National Conference, a conference that will focus on "investing in social...more
In what may be a first for a major US city, Los Angeles has been chosen as the site of the 2024 Mission Investors Exchange National Conference, a conference that will focus on "investing in social...more
New Inclusive Creative Economy Strategy to Demonstrate That the U.S. Creative ...
Foundation: Marguerite Casey Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Skoll Foundation, Target Foundation, Ford Foundation, Philadelphia Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation
"The US creative economy was most recently valued at over $1 trillion by the National Endowment for the Arts," per a press release, "even before considering film, fashion, video games, beauty, food,...more
Foundation: Marguerite Casey Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Skoll Foundation, Target Foundation, Ford Foundation, Philadelphia Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation
"The US creative economy was most recently valued at over $1 trillion by the National Endowment for the Arts," per a press release, "even before considering film, fashion, video games, beauty, food,...more
The Growth of Social Enterprises €” For-Profit Businesses That Tackle a Social Problem ![]()
"Having a purposeful job actually does transform someone's life," says Edwin Walsh, who runs a social enterprise in Australia called Assembled Threads. "You actually are moving someone from...more
"Having a purposeful job actually does transform someone's life," says Edwin Walsh, who runs a social enterprise in Australia called Assembled Threads. "You actually are moving someone from...more
Westlock Community Foundation Helping Students Pursue Educational Opportunities 
A new scholarship fund in Canada will help high school students who want to further their education, the CBC reports. The Westlock Community Foundation in Alberta received a $26,800 donation from...more
A new scholarship fund in Canada will help high school students who want to further their education, the CBC reports. The Westlock Community Foundation in Alberta received a $26,800 donation from...more
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
Building a Million Dollar Company Where Everyone Counts
Ganesh Natarajan is the Founder and Chairman of 5FWorld, a new platform for funding and developing start-ups, social enterprises and the skills eco-system in India. In the past two decades, he has built two of India’s high-growth software services companies – Aptech and Zensar – almost from scratch to global success.
