Invest for Impact: Maximizing the Impact of W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Mission Driven Investment Portfolio

A report by KKS Advisors documents W.K. Kellogg Foundation's (WKKF) journey moving its assets to mission-related investments and introduces the Invest for Impact Framework, a management and governance tool created to help mission-driven investors in four ways. First, as an assessment tool for systems-level impacts during investment due diligence. Second, as a diagnostic tool post investment to understand portfolio level interactions and synergies across investments. Third, as a monitoring tool for assessing whether investees are delivering the expected impact. Fourth, as a collaboration tool where different teams working across investment and grant making teams could have a platform for cross-learning, information exchange and collaboration.

 

The report identifies promising pathways to align mission and investments while still maintaining financial return and showcases the approaches in action by following the case of three  WKKF's mission-related investees. The framework and case study can enable all types of mission-oriented investors to better weigh up alternative opportunities for impact in the marketplace. Although originally developed for WKKF's Mission Driven Investment Portfolio, the learnings and approach are designed to be applicable to any impact investor.