The Philanthropic Initiative launched Invest for Better to make it easier for women to take action and invest with purpose by addressing their need for information, inspiration, community, and support. 

There are myriad ways to practice impact investing, no matter whether you have $25 or $25 million. The capital you use can come from multiple sources: it can be personal (perhaps from your own investments, your retirement fund, or a donor-advised fund) or institutional (perhaps you are on the board of an organization with an endowment, or part of a family foundation).

You can decide whether you’d like to focus on earning market-rate returns, or whether you’re open to earning lower financial returns, taking on higher risk, or investing for a longer timeline in order to achieve greater social or environmental impact.

There are all kinds of methods you can use to invest your financial resources in alignment with your values. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a great way to figure out which next step is right for you

Become an Activist:
  1. Use ESG Measures to Guide Your Investment Strategy
  2. Participate in Shareholder Activism
Make Your Cash and Fixed Income Impactful:
  1. Use Your Cash for Good
  2. Invest in a Community Investment Note or Community Development Financial Institution
  3. Buy a Green Bond
  4. Use Your Portfolio to Guarantee a Loan
  5. Invest in a Social Impact (Pay for Performance) Bond
Put Your Equity to Work:
  1. Find an Impact-Focused Fund
  2. Invest in a Crowd-Funded Project
  3. Become an Angel Investor

Read the full article about ways to engage in impact investing at Invest for Better.