Giving Compass' Take:

• This Forbes post gives an introduction and overview of the impact investing world, keying in on the principles that could help address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Whether you're new to impact investing or a pro, there is plenty in this piece to mull over, including how to create better collaboration in the field overall.

• Here's the importance of women in impact investing.


Impact investment is capturing the growing attention of mainstream investors, and everyone is increasingly hearing and talking about it.

During the past 12 months, I have listened to people talk about impact investing more than in all the previous years combined.

There is a growing awareness and an emerging community in the UK and Europe, following on from the great work carried out in the United States so far. However, it is still visible that most times you talk to people about Impact Investing, they tend to look back asking: “Impact Investing? What is that?”

This situation is something that will start repeating itself as society discusses the future of investing, as the world evolves in order to become truly sustainable, regardless of being in the financial services business or any other business.

UBS have been active in impact investment with the launch of their first impact fund of funds that raised $51 million in 2015. They went on to raise a record $471 million in 2016 for an impact fund that invests in cancer research initiatives and converts them into commercially successful busines­ses.

The bank has committed to investing at least $5 billion of private client assets to Sustainable Development Goal-related impact investing, in a strategy that includes partnering with the Rise Fund — a new $2 billion social impact fund ...

The follow-up report in 2018 shares 5 lessons to help bridge the $5-7 trillion funding gap to achieve the 17 Global Goals:

  • Portfolios should consider including Multilateral Development Bank bonds.
  • There is no common convention on what "sustainable investing" means.
  • Financial firms must work together to close the SDG-funding gap.
  • Philanthropy is moving away from simply giving money to more measurable approaches.
  • Firms and social entrepreneurs should work together.

Impact investing is here to stay and to grow exponentially over the next decade and beyond. It is simple, our future depends on it and people are understanding this at last.

Read the full article about how impact investing can help save the world by JP Dallmann at Forbes.