Think Big: Behind a Push to Unlock Billions in New “Catalytic” Capital for Global Development

Friday, August 9, 2019

By Liz Longley

If timing is everything, the Catalytic Capital Consortium—an impact investing initiative launched in March by the MacArthur Foundation and two other sector leaders—comes at the right time for investors who believe that greater, more creative use of financial capital is essential to solving the world’s most pressing problems.

Impact investing has been part of MacArthur’s work for more than three decades, but the foundation has raised its ambitions on this front in recent years. In an earlier interview with IP, Managing Director Debra Schwartz hinted at incubating bold, new endeavors to mobilize unconventional capital.

The Catalytic Capital Consortium, or C3, reflects these aims. It’s an investment, learning and market development initiative that brings leading impact investors together to help the sector realize its full potential and achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MacArthur created and leads the initiative, committing up to $150 million in investments on a matching basis. Omidyar Network and the Rockefeller Foundation are lending their expertise to the investment selection process. All three partners are collectively funding $10 million in grants to spur learning about catalytic capital in the impact investing community.

Photo courtesy of John Twohig.

Source: Inside Philanthropy (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Investing
Tags
global development, impact investing, philanthropy, SDGs