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

Monday, September 18, 2017

The world’s richest families are increasingly investing their money in good causes, giving a boost to the growing, if still challenged, impact investing space. More than a quarter (28%) of ultra-net-worth “family offices” are now putting money into social and environmental areas. And, as younger generations take the reins, that percentage is likely to rise significantly in the years ahead.

Campden Wealth, a specialist U.K. research group, and UBS, the Swiss investment bank, surveyed 262 family offices with average assets of $921 million. Two-fifths (40.4%) expect to increase their allocations toward areas like education, environmental and resource efficiency, conservation, agriculture and food, and healthcare and wellness in the next decade or so.

“This is an area that’s really worth watching. While we’re at 28% now, we could see a significant shift in impact investing over the next 10 to 15 years as the next generation takes control of the family wealth,” Rebecca Gooch, Campden’s director of research, tells Fast Company.

Photo courtesy of Pavel Ahmed.