Giving Compass' Take:

• AARP shares findings from a new poll, revealing that many U.S. adults in the "baby boomer" generation are motivated to make impact investments in health care, whether it's improving the system or finding cures to diseases.

• The trend actually runs across several generations (younger people also seem increasingly interested in impact investing). How can those in the field take advantage of this?

• Here's how the sector can address social determinants of health.


An increasing share of boomers are attracted to the idea of impact investing — putting money into stock-and-bond funds intended to have a positive influence on society. Most often they want their money to help improve health care, prevent disease and find cures.

Those are among the findings of a new poll of 1,005 U.S. adults — nearly a third of them boomers — conducted on behalf of global asset manager American Century Investments. In the survey, 44 percent of boomers said they find impact investments appealing, up from 32 percent in a similar survey in late 2016.

Fifty-two percent of boomers cited societal impact as an important consideration in where they put their dollars, while 45 percent said they wanted to invest in companies that align with their personal values.

When it comes to specific causes, 42 percent of boomers cited health care and 18 percent favored environmental protection or sustainability, while 12 percent wanted to help improve education. Eleven percent wanted to help curtail poverty, while the same share wanted their investments to align with their religious principles.

Read the full article about more boomers wanting to invest in health care causes by Patrick J. Kiger at AARP.