In our history we’ve influenced more than 50,000 impact investors, federal policymakers, foundation leaders, economists, and pension fund investment managers. In 2017 we continued our thought leadership and field building efforts with active roles in working groups and initiatives including: World Economic Forum’s action group on evidence and cases for impact investing; GIIN’s Navigating Impact Project; partnering in the Impact Management Project to create a unified global approach to impact measurement, and serving as an External Reviewer for the Principles for Investment in Sustainable Wild-Caught Fisheries.
The demand for sustainable and impact investing is growing— as of 2016 investors consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors across almost $9 trillion of assets. We’re utilizing impact measurement to better understand what works to ensure that capital drives social and environmental good. In 2017 we published Invest Northwest, a pioneering report on how mission investing can create jobs with good wages and good benefits across underserved rural areas by measuring ten years of investments from the Northwest Area Foundation.
We also worked closely with clients including:
- Baillie Gifford, to refine their public equities impact strategy and reporting for the recently launched Positive Change strategy
- Community Housing Capital, refining an impact measurement and management framework
- CalPERS, evaluating the state-level social and economic impact of their $27.3 billion in investments across California
- Michigan Good Food Fund, conducting a developmental evaluation to support the program in promoting healthy food access, job creation, and racial and social equity through investments in good food enterprises across the Michigan food value chain
- Northern California Community Loan Fund and Boston Community Capital to develop impact rating tools and in conducting more rigorous impact due diligence
- An investment fund established by the MacArthur Foundation in connection with the Benefit Chicago initiative (Arc Chicago LLC) to help design and implement an impact measurement and management system for investments made by the Fund.