This guide, updated in October 2015, is intended to help bring newcomers into the game. We hope it helps high net worth individuals, family offices and others to know some of the questions, if not the answers, to determine what’s right for them and what to do next to move toward meaningful, measurable impact.
We kept it short and, we hope, fun to read. We developed a flexible framework and a simple taxonomy to help people get their arms around impact investing. We have also included several profiles of impact ventures, funds and investors that you can see as a part of this series on ImpactAlpha.
The guide builds on the work of great champions for this movement. The Rockefeller Foundation, Omidyar Network and many others have been pioneers in supporting the development of the field.
Why Impact Investing?
The Case Foundation is inspired by the growing impact investing movement and its potential to drive new resources and new thinking to organizations that are driving social change. In an era in which communities are struggling and programs to support them are less and less effective, we need all oars in the water—philanthropy, government, and the private sector—to find new and more sustainable solutions to old problems.
We have always believed that the private sector can be a force for good, and we believe that impact investing represents a significant opportunity to bring the innovation, incentives, and resources from business to the social sector.
As in most new movements, there is more work to do to help grow the field. We need less talk and more action. We need better data on the financial and social returns that are possible; better stories to inspire investors and entrepreneurs; and more clarity on what we mean when we say “impact.” And we also believe that there is need for a clear framework for impact investing – we’ve put our vision forward in this Short Guide to Impact Investing.
We are supporting the impact investing ecosystem and providing opportunities to educate, inspire and activate potential investors.