News & Updates

March 2023: Our Mission Investing Institute and Other Upcoming Programs; Field News; New Members 

Newsletter: March 2023
Save The Date: Our Mission Investing Institute is Back

As our signature introductory learning program, the Mission Investing Institute is designed to help philanthropy professionals who have recently begun impact investing or plan to get started. We are looking forward to the return of the institute this fall with both virtual and in-person sessions, presented by MIE in partnership with the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Northern California Grantmakers, and SoCal Grantmakers.

Covering key concepts, strategies, and skills that every early impact investor should know, the program will include virtual learning sessions on September 14 and 18, interactive office hours on September 15 and 19, and in-person sessions and a networking reception on November 6 and 7 at The California Endowment in Los Angeles, CA.

Additional details will be announced shortly. Institute space will be limited, so express your interest now to get early access to registration. If you have any questions, please email Dan Goldberg or James Wahls.

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Upcoming Programs and Events
Mission Investors Exchange creates spaces for facilitating connection and learning for our members and the wider field. Here's what's planned for the weeks ahead.

Innovating for Equity in an Uncertain Economy: The State of Social Justice Impact Investing
Thursday, April 13, 2023
9am - 10:15am PT / 12pm - 1:15pm ET


In the aftermath of the pandemic, diverse entrepreneurship continues its rapid decades-long rise. However, due to systemic barriers, few diverse-led small businesses reach the mid-market, and traditional debt and equity solutions are not often a fit to help them scale. With the support of catalytic investors, a new generation of innovative impact investing funds are meeting the moment. 

Join us as we co-host a webinar with Founders First Capital Partners, Impact Alpha, and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, in which we will hear from leading courageous impact investors on their social justice impact investment commitments and lessons learned; learn about creative fund models and results from fund managers; and discuss how investors and philanthropists can stay the course amidst uncertainty and advance their double bottom line priorities. If you have questions, please contact Sophia Brown.

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Open Mic: Bank Crises - Access to Capital in a Constrained Lending Environment
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
11:30pm - 12:30pm PT / 2:30pm - 3:30pm ET


Join your fellow MIE members for an informal conversation to discuss the impacts of the week ending March 10, when Silicon Valley Bank–and subsequently other banking institutions–faced a lack of faith from their depositors that led to subsequent collapse. The impact investing community’s infrastructure came to the ready with a number of resources to bridge immediate needs. Foundations responded by working together with impact fund managers and entrepreneurs to find solutions. But what’s next? 

MIE members can register for this Open Mic by logging in. If you have questions or challenges accessing registration, please contact Zineb Touzani.

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Deep Dive on Deals: Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth
Thursday, May 4, 2023
10:30am - 12:00pm PT / 1:30pm - 3pm ET


Learn about our member investments through a new “Deep Dive on Deals” series, featuring Virtual Learning Opportunities and separate foundation member-only gatherings that will showcase the nuts and bolts of impact investing. To kick off this series, MIE will present the Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth, which offers Black/ African American first-time homebuyers access to no-interest down payment funds that can be used toward the purchase of a new home. Investors include Gary Community Ventures, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, Denver Foundation, and The Colorado Trust. 

Through a moderated conversation, we will hear from Dearfield’s investors on the problem that the fund addresses, investment structure and terms, investment scaling, due diligence and underwriting, legal and closing dynamics, and post-closing monitoring. 

This program is available to our foundation and affiliate members. We will also hold a related follow-on program, “How the Deal Gets Done–Internal Foundation Practices”, for our foundation members only on Friday, May 5. If you have questions, please contact Sophia Brown.

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Impact Investing: A Tool to Support Economic Mobility and Community Wealth Building
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
8am - 9:30am PT / 11am - 12:30pm ET


Confronting racial bias in asset building philanthropy is an important step toward realizing economic justice. By intentionally adopting race-conscious grant making, asset funders can better fulfill their missions and help advance a more fair and equitable economy that benefits everyone. How can funders move beyond the minimum 5 percent requirement of annual grant making and activate the entire foundation to support economic mobility and wealth building strategies in our communities?
 
Join us and our partner Carolinas Asset Funders Network (AFN) for this important conversation, which will continue to activate AFN’s interactive funder primer, On the Road to Racial and Economic Justice: Essential Questions to Address Racial Bias in Asset Building Philanthropy. If you have questions, please contact Sophia Brown.

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Field News and Resources
Highlighting the latest advancements in the impact investing field. 
The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) has launched a new tool for agriculture impact investment funds to measure the impact of their investments against others. PolicyLink in partnership with CapEQ and FSG developed the Investor Blueprint to catalyze investors on the imperative of integrating racial and economic equity holistically within their institutions. Arabella Advisors makes the case that foundations have a unique and powerfully influential position during uncertain economic times. ImpactAssets has released the ImpactAssets 50 2022 (IA 50) that features a diversified listing of private capital fund managers delivering social and environmental impact as well as financial returns.
VIEW FULL NEWS ROUNDUP
 
 
Welcome new members
 
BNY Mellon Investor Solutions, LLC
 
Providing institutional OCIO and multi-asset solutions to nonprofits, family offices, retirement plans, and financial intermediaries.
 
Bullhorn
 
Maximizing impact organizations' good work through confident visuals, clear language, and user-friendly websites.
 
Fund Evaluation Group
 
An independent investment advisor to predominantly nonprofits focused on creating long-term community change.
 
Nonprofit Finance Fund
 
A nonprofit lender and consultant with over 40 years of national and local experience, helping mission-driven organizations adapt, thrive, and drive positive change.
 
SJF Ventures
 
We invest in high-growth companies accelerating sustainability, enhancing opportunity, and improving health and wellness.
 
Zellerbach Family Foundation
 
Our Mission is to be a catalyst for constructive social change by initiating and investing in efforts that strengthen families and communities.
 
In Case You Missed It
“Impact is in every decision you make—operations, investment, grant-making, communications, culture, evaluation/learning, and leadership/governance.”

That’s one of the key takeaways of our February 27 Virtual Learning Opportunity (VLO) on the unique opportunities and challenges of small-staffed foundations in the field of impact investing. Our VLO brought together Alabama Power Foundation’s Strategic Initiatives Manager Hallie Bradley, Phillips Foundation’s Chief Impact Officer Catherine Burnett, Baltimore Community Foundation’s Chief Financial Officer Mike Campbell, and Arabella Advisors’ Senior Director of Impact Investing Cyrus Kharas to discuss roadmaps for how small-staffed foundations can design and implement investment strategy, originate transactions, and mature a portfolio.
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