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Viewpoint: Foundation Impact Investing Is Gaining Steam. But Can Proponents Answer These Four Questions?
This week, it’s the Nathan Cummings Foundation making a move. And it’s going all in, pledging to “align 100 percent of our nearly half-billion dollar endowment with our mission.” NCF is the largest foundation to take this step, and it follows most directly in the footsteps of the F.B. Heron Foundation, which made the shift to 100 percent alignment under the leadership of Clara Miller. In contrast, the other major foundations engaged in impact investing—an increasingly long list—have mostly committed only small portions of their endowments to this approach.
- Categories
- Investing
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On Pioneering Capital, Mentorship and Accelerators: It Turns Out You Can Do (A Lot) More With Less
Less than 3 percent of impact investment funds made their way to early-stage ventures in 2017. Sachi Shenoy and Nathan Byrd of Upaya Social Ventures believe the impact investing sector must do better. After several years of investing pioneer capital in social enterprises, they offer several solutions that take advantage of a "less is more" philosophy.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise
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EarnUp Partners with Acumen to Tackle Financial Inclusion in the U.S.
EarnUp announced its partnership with the nonprofit global venture fund, Acumen. EarnUp is the first recipient of Acumen's financial-inclusion investment under the Acumen America portfolio. For more information visit www.earnup.com.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- North America
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Private Wealth Firm Abbot Downing Turns Focus to Social Impact
Abbot Downing, the Minneapolis-based private wealth arm of Wells Fargo & Co. for individuals and families with at least US$50 million in investable assets, is responding with a “social impact analysis” center within its revamped family governance practice, the Institute of Family Culture, according to Arne Boudewyn, head of the practice.
- Categories
- Investing
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing, philanthropy
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These Two China Banks Lent More To Global Energy Projects Than The World Bank
China's two development banks spent more money on global energy projects than the emerging markets lending arm of the World Bank, known as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Press release: Convergence Design Funding generates USD 116M of blended finance investments for global development
Convergence's grant program, Design Funding, is establishing itself as the nerve centre for the next generation of blended finance structures. Since 2016, blended finance vehicles supported by Convergence have raised about USD 116M of investments from public, philanthropic, and private investors.
- Categories
- Investing
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Press release: ImpactAssets Drops Investment Minimums and Fees on Private Debt and Equity Impact Investment Options, Adds New Funds
Industry's lowest investment minimums open "deep" impact investing to a new tier of donors who are using philanthropic dollars to generate social, environmental and financial returns.
- Categories
- Investing
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing
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Sick of Fundraising? This Tool Makes it Easier for Social Entrepreneurs to Find Opportunities
Fundraising. Just about every social entrepreneur loathes it. The drudgery of seeking out the right partner, in the right sector, at just the right time is a key reason why. Sweta Govani details the Global Innovation Exchange, a new type of technology platform that's being launched this week to help social entrepreneurs cut down on the grunt work and fundraise more effectively.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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