April 2021 | Field News & Resources
This page features this month's highlights, announcements, resources, and general news related to advancements in the impact investing field.
- In a profile with The New York Times, Nathan Cummings Foundation highlights a new report which details key learnings about aligning their family foundation with mission, from how they manage assets to who they invest in.
- The Russell Family Foundation (TRFF) announces $700,000 in environmental education grants for youth and $1.5 Million in Impact Investments. Each grant increases access to outdoor environmental learning opportunities in the Puget Sound region for approximately 44,000 youth, and advances TRFF’s mission to support the next generation of environmental stewards.
- In a 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl, Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, discusses how he's rethinking charitable giving to advance equity, impact, and justice.
- An article by Generocity highlights how The Barra Foundation revised its grant and investment strategy to better address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism and fostered opportunities for innovative solutions.
- Phillips Foundation announced its partnership with Impact Ventures, to seed the launch of its Dallas Inclusive Capital Fund, the first locally grown and minority-led Community Development Venture Capital (CDVC) fund for women- and BIPOC-led enterprises in North Texas.
- The Ford Foundation announced it is committing another $1 billion to its Building Institutions and Networks Initiative. The flexible grant is not tied to any particular program allowing the grant recipient to spend the money as it sees fit, a strategy that has proven successful particularly throughout the last year.
- A New York Times article highlights Social Finance’s Career Impact Bond with American Diesel Training Centers, an innovative model backed by impact investors in which training programs get paid if students get hired, not just if they enroll.
- The Bridgespan Group’s new report sheds light on the opportunities for impact-first impact investing with high-net-worth individuals, family office directors, fund managers, and intermediaries.
- BlackRock Real Assets achieved a $4.8 billion final close of the Global Renewable Power Fund III with commitments from over 100 institutional investors from over 18 countries. The fund series will invest in renewable power and supporting infrastructure to achieve both financial and environmental impact returns.
- Kiva Capital Management announced the final close of the $32.5 million Kiva Refugee Investment Fund (KRIF) that will invest in microfinance organizations in 13 countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The fund will expand access to financing, financial literacy training, and business development to refugees and internally displaced people.
- JUST Capital launched a Corporate Racial Equity Tracker as more companies take action against racial injustice and the devastating economic impacts of COVID-19 on communities of color. The tracker aims to hold companies accountable and encourage them to take meaningful steps to advance racial equity.
