Top Resources: Impact Investing
Investing in creating social & economic inclusion.
By harnessing investing as a tool for positive change, alongside granting and programing, you and other foundations can maximize your ability to affect change. Large and small foundations around this country are already doing so. But more need to join in.

Foundations held about $123 billion in assets in 2020*. Most of that is invested in a traditional manner, without regard to social and environmental outcomes. But imagine the good that would be done if most of those assets were instead invested into positive change-making companies and social enterprises. Investing with the intention to support positive outcomes is a prudent, tested approach that can strengthen foundations while bettering the world. This guidebook addresses the what, why and how of impact investing.

This is a guide for foundations looking to align their portfolios for impact. It addresses some of the following questions: Where do we start? How do I align my Board and staff ? What is the legal opinion on impact investing? How are others doing this? What can we invest in?

Assessing an Investment Manager: Discussions with your investment manager will help you understand the degree to which they consider gender equity in their investment analysis and their current GLI practices, views, expertise and goals. Such discussions can happen when you are searching for a new investment manager or during a standard review of an existing relationship.

This session is an opportunity for Board members and Invest Committees of community foundations to learn more about investment strategy governance and management with a gender lens.