GIIN in the news Press releases

  • What to watch in development finance in 2020

    via Devexby Adva Saldinger

    February 28, 2020

    Summary

    In this article, Adva Saldinger explains that “…most capital invested today is not aligned with the SDGs” and that harmonization of metrics within the finance community will be essential to spur progress and create impact. “While we see volumes growing, inconsistencies are emerging, and it is important to get that right.” She notes that “the Global Impact Investing Network has seen this growing demand for impact measurement and management from mainstream financial institutions” and quotes GIIN CEO Amit Bouri about how . The GIIN is currently working with DFIs to agree on common metrics and aims, to help meet this demand for simpler, more uniform ways of measuring impact, Amit Bouri, GIIN’s CEO, said.

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  • GIIN Survey Highlights Industry Development Milestones

    via AVPNby Rachel Bass

    February 28, 2020

    Summary

    In this article, the GIIN’s Research Manager, Rachel Bass, shares highlights from discusses the GIIN’s latest publication, the second edition of its survey of the State of Impact Measurement and Management Practice report. She notes that “…a significant development in the twelve-year-period since the term ‘impact investing’ was first coined” has taken place. “Investors now universally regard IMM as important for understanding whether one’s impact demonstrates progress toward one’s goals” and “IMM is used as a tool to drive impact performance and shape business decisions.” This consensus that IMM plays a defining role in impact investing indicates a market well-beyond its infancy – and a market whose players are realizing their shared characteristics and coming to terms with their identity.

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  • Two years after #MeToo put a spotlight on gender inequality, how is Asia investing in women?

    via Eco-Businessby Zafirah Zein

    February 28, 2020

    Summary

    In this article, Zafirah Zein describes how “…after the #MeToo movement made headlines and women’s rights became a front and centre issue globally,” the world of finance seems “to be waking up to the benefits of inclusivity.” She outlines how gender lens investing is creating “an enabling space for women-led businesses.” She also notes that while financial institutions are increasingly recognizing the large potential of gender lens investing, women remain heavily underserved and underrepresented in Asia.

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  • Impact investing moves money from 'do no harm' to promoting social good

    via The National Catholic Reporterby Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans

    January 23, 2020

    Summary

    In this article, Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans of the National Catholic Reporter dissects a variety of innovative financial initiatives in the global Catholic investing community and links these initiatives to the growing movement of impact investing, as defined by the Global Impact Investing Network. As Evans points out, “impact investing has broadened the choices available to financial managers” and broadened the community of investors, “attracting attention both from faith-based groups and secular organizations like pension funds and big financial sector players”.

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  • Finally A Way To Assure Sustainability And Impact: Vornado, Etsy, And LeapFrog Lead The Way

    via Forbesby Bhakti Mirchandani

    January 23, 2020

    Summary

    As the demand for sustainable and impact investing grows, efforts to prevent ‘green washing’ and ‘impact washing’ are paramount for safeguarding the integrity of the impact investing industry. This article explores how Vornado Realty, Etsy Corporation, and LeapFrog Investments are currently approaching the concept of ‘impact assurance’, which enables informed scrutiny by third parties and independent verification.

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  • GIIN Report: Impact Measurement And Management Are Front And Center For Investors

    via Forbesby Anne Field

    January 23, 2020

    Summary

    In this Forbes article, Anne Field covers the GIIN’s newly released survey, The State of Impact Measurement and Management Practice, Second Edition, emphasizing how accurate insight into impact performance is critical to the growth of the impact investing industry. According to GIIN’s Managing Director, Sapna Shah, “impact management is a requirement for all credible impact investors,” “it’s not optional anymore.” The growing interest amongst financial investors to step up “their expectations for reliable and comprehensive impact performance reporting” will offer enterprises the opportunity “to differentiate themselves.”

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  • Why capital can't be a coward: A disruptive take on impact

    via Pro Bono Australiaby Mehrdad Baghai, Sean Hinton, Jacqueline Novogratz, Alejandro Preusche and Shane Tedjarati

    December 13, 2019

    Summary

    This Pro Bono Australia article gives significant insights into the growing momentum of the impact investment movement, and provides an overview of what the authors identify as the, “core beliefs that could underlie […] a true Impact Revolution,” which they outline as: Equality of Humanity, Social Justice, Mutual Interdependence and Personal Transformation.  According to the authors, “revolution is not merely a reboot of capitalism into a more benevolent form. It is fueled by an entirely different philosophy and value set that is more conducive to the advancement of human civilization.”

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  • What’s slowing a wider adoption of impact investing?

    via ImpactPHL Perspectivesby Michael Cosack and Jeremy Bach

    November 11, 2019

    Summary

    This article by Michael Cosack of ImpactWise LLC and Jeremy Bach of Bach Capital Advisors examines the challenges of aligning financial and impact risk. Cosack and Bach argue that the slow adoption and the confusion about impact investing stems from the lack of “a common impact investment language” which leaves too many financial advisors that institutional asset owners rely upon without a full understanding of the impact investing space. Furthermore, they outline how the investment vehicles that the financial services industry offers are created in traditional investment terms that need to be adapted to impact investing.

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  • Ford Foundation’s Darren Walker: How to save capitalism from itself

    via FastCompanyby Darren Walker

    November 11, 2019

    Summary

    In this article, Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation, describes how he imagines “a more equitable 21st-century capitalism.” He argues that “the imperative of the 21st century is to build a new economy” because “solving today’s challenges requires unprecedented collaboration between business and philanthropy, private and public sectors.” He explains how the Ford Foundation is currently working to reimagine its philanthropic model to create “value in ways that better benefit society.”

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  • Why more asset managers are taking cues from UN sustainability goals

    via Financial Timesby Jennifer Thompson

    November 11, 2019

    Summary

    This Financial Times article highlights how and why more asset managers are embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and notes that they are becoming more ‘universal’ across sectors. Jennifer Thompson outlines a variety of global projects currently being steered by the UN to help channel private funds towards the goals but also cautions the risk that “companies might be taking what they’re doing and rewiring it in the language of the SDGs”.

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  • Faith-based investors are building a direct-investment pipeline to finance climate action

    via Impact Alphaby Jessica Pothering

    November 11, 2019

    Summary

    In this article, Jessica Pothering gives a substantial overview of the environmental focus within the investment portfolios of faith based investors. Beth Collins, who heads impact investing at Catholic Relief Services, explains that, although a significant amount of capital is being allocated towards institutional-quality investments, more capital must be allocated to “direct investing, blended finance, technical services and capacity building” to address the issues of climate change.

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  • What Does The Growth Of Impact Investing Mean?

    via Mondaqby Michael J. Preston and Michael James

    November 11, 2019

    Summary

    This article by Michael J. Preston and Michael James gives a substantial overview of the impact investing sector. Preston and James describe how “impact investments themselves adopt forms and structures familiar to private and growth equity and venture capital investing.” They argue that the near future “may witness something of a paradigm shift, with investors turning to larger buy-out or control deals” and highlight that “managers and investors alike need to give careful thought to the impact outcomes that they will seek from their capital, and to how they will define social impact in order to measure their success.''

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