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To Truly Innovate, WASH Funders Need to Get Their Hands Dirty: Key Learnings from Five Years of Pioneering Impact-Linked Finance in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
The water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector faces a funding gap of around US $138 billion per year if it hopes to reach SDG 6’s goal of universal WASH access by 2030. According to Arnaud Alt and Annemarie Mastenbroek at Aqua for All, and Christina Moehrle, to address this shortfall, funders need to develop more hands-on financing approaches, working closely with entrepreneurs and organizations to better understand their context, challenges and needs. They explain why Impact-Linked Finance (ILF) represents one such approach, and share two key lessons from Aqua for All's "ILF for WASH" program.
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Demystifying Impact Measurement and Management Using a Systems Lens: Four Jargon-Free Webinars from Glocal Evaluation Week 2025
Want to start collecting relevant impact data on your business — or improve your existing impact measurement and management (IMM) practices? Applying a systems lens to these efforts can offer great value, and though the concept of systems thinking can seem intimidating, it’s actually quite straightforward. The William Davidson Institute will host four free public webinars June 2-5, which will explain core principles of IMM using a systems lens. Presented in jargon-free terms, the webinars will discuss real-world applications for businesses and other organizations working in areas ranging from healthcare and energy to entrepreneurship and empowerment.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise
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The Inverse Relationship Between Liquidity and Impact: Results from Toniic’s Groundbreaking 10-Year Study of the Practices of Top Impact Investors
There has long been a debate about whether impact investing must involve a tradeoff between social or environmental impact and financial returns. But as Adam Bendell at Toniic argues, there's a different question that has not garnered as much discussion in the sector: whether investors also face a tradeoff between liquidity and impact. He shares new data from Toniic’s T100 Project — a 10-year study of impact investors' practices and preferences — which shows convincingly that investors need to accept illiquidity for greater impact, and finds plenty of investor appetite for that tradeoff.
- Categories
- Investing
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Innovating in Impact Measurement: A Tech-Driven Platform Aims to Simplify Data Collection and Reporting
Studies indicate that around 65% of social enterprises engage in some form of social impact measurement. However, as Hana Stelzerova at Impactso points out, the depth and rigor of these measurements can vary significantly, and many organizations and initiatives struggle to implement more thorough and standardized evaluation methods. She discusses the challenges of measuring impact, and explores how innovative technologies can be leveraged to revolutionize the process for organizations across the sector.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
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UpEnergy Issues Africa’s First-Ever Electric Cooking Carbon Credits Under Gold Standard’s New Metered Methodology
UpEnergy is a social enterprise dedicated to channeling climate finance to fight energy poverty through decarbonization projects.
- Categories
- Environment, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Report: The Threat of Climate Inaction on Corporate Profits
For unprepared businesses, individual physical risks of climate change alone could put 5% to 25% of their 2050 EBITDA at risk, depending on sector and geography.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- Global
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Disrupting Waste Management in Emerging Markets: Four Lessons for Strengthening Businesses While Empowering Women and Communities
Early-stage companies in emerging markets whose workforces and value chains are dependent on women face several common challenges. According to Yaquta Fatehi at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and John F. Akwetey, these issues are especially relevant in the waste management sector. They share insights from a study of waste management businesses and practices in Kenya, which show the impacts of treating women’s empowerment and community engagement as integral elements of business strategies rather than peripheral concerns.
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Building Better Business Advisory Programs: Five Lessons from an Inclusive Marketing Bootcamp
Inclusive business models involve integrating low-income communities into the value chain as suppliers, distributors, retailers or consumers. As this approach has gained traction, advisory programs have emerged to help companies adopt and scale these practices. Beryl Oyier, Catherine Mwangi, Eyerusalem Mitiku and Rakib Hasan Rabbi at Bopinc share insights from an inclusive marketing program in Africa, highlighting five key lessons for designing more impactful inclusive business advisory programs.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise