NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, June 15, 2017

Impact investing, with its promise of both financial returns and measurable social benefits, is one of the hottest trends in philanthropy. But as more legacy foundations look to harness the “other 95 percent” of their capital to their mission, and as newer business-minded donors flood into the field, plenty of questions remain about where and how impact investing is likely to be most useful or effective.

Clearly, this tool has a lot to offer when it comes to capital-intensive challenges like housing, community development, and the creation of new drugs, such as vaccines. In these areas, there are acute limits to what can be achieved through traditional grantmaking and so there’s much excitement about bringing new financial muscle to bear.