U.S. Impact Investing Alliance

As we take a moment to reflect on the past year and our continued work to advance the field of #impactinvesting with integrity, we are thrilled to share some exciting highlights. From welcoming new leadership to advocating for inclusive policies and launching innovative research, 2023 was a year of significant achievements, none of which would have been possible without our partners and supporters across the field. Check out our 2023 highlights here: https://lnkd.in/eEgXNfPT #impinv

In this morning's brief,?ImpactAlpha shared how the impact investing?field is responding to the election results, two weeks later. Their?take: "It's time to lean hard into economic justice and systemic change." Fran Seegull reflected on the infrastructure the field has built to defend critical?progress in light of a challenging political environment, and Claire Mattingly shared, "Policy is a team sport. We need to be aligned.” Read more about how the field is leaning in here, featuring insights from the Alliance and many of our close partners:?https://lnkd.in/ermkTdME?

TOMORROW: Join?Mission Investors Exchange for an analysis of the impact investing public policy landscape?post-election.?The conversation will feature?Fran Seegull alongside?Cynthia Muller (W.K. Kellogg Foundation),?Brett Theodos?(Urban Institute),?Dafina Williams (Opportunity Finance Network) and?Katheryn Witt, MBA (Mission Investors Exchange). Register here:?https://lnkd.in/eEUqwyN4?#impinv

At the Impact & Transition Investor Summit: North America,?Fran Seegull, alongside Jack Moriarty of Lafayette Square Institute and Gayle Miller of Brookfield, explored the implications of the U.S. election results for the future of impact investing. As the group shared, the work of impact investors to build shared prosperity and a thriving economy for all continues. Now is the time to double down, defend progress made and identify opportunities where there is broad momentum, like the Inflation Reduction Act and employee ownership. Thank you to Laurie Lane-Zucker of Impact Entrepreneur for moderating this important discussion, and to PEI for hosting us.

“The results of the U.S. 2024 elections are a shock to the system – not just to our political system, but also in how our economy operates and our society functions. While the full implications of this moment will take time to understand, there can be no doubt that the communities across the country facing economic, social and environmental hardships need our support more than ever. The private sector must rise to the occasion – not just investors and financial institutions, but also businesses, philanthropies, nonprofits and other civil society organizations. For the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, our message to our partners and peers is that we need to double down on our work at this time, not to disengage. There is no other path but to move forward with conviction, knowing that together we can confront the challenges before us and create lasting impact. We remain committed to working across ideologies to uncover areas of agreement and alignment as we strive to create shared prosperity. We are confident that the investment community can and must play a leading role in advancing solutions and addressing shared challenges.” – Fran Seegull Read the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance’s statement on the election outcomes and the work ahead: https://lnkd.in/erpgSCAi And thank you to ImpactAlpha for gathering important perspectives from the impact investing field on the 2024 U.S. election results. Their latest roundup offers valuable insights into how leaders are navigating this pivotal moment: https://lnkd.in/eGuC6H74

We hope you'll join Mission Investors Exchange for a timely public policy discussion on 11/19, featuring Fran Seegull, Cynthia Muller and Brett Theodos. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eEUqwyN4

This week, I had the chance to attend?#OFN40?to learn from thousands of CDFI practitioners, investors, policymakers and leaders about the incredible growth and opportunity in the sector. CDFIs and MDIs have long been essential partners to impact investors, leveraging deep knowledge of communities across the United States - urban, rural, and tribal, large and small - to flow capital to where it is most needed. CDFIs are creating opportunity, combating climate change and ultimately forming the bedrock needed to invest in shared prosperity. At the?U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, it has been my honor to help support some of the key policy innovations that are fortifying and scaling the CDFI industry - ECIP, SSBCI, GGRF, and a modernized Community Reinvestment Act. Federal policymakers across the ideological spectrum have supported the industry for more than 30 years, because they recognize the unique and essential role that CDFIs play - creating affordable housing, supporting small businesses and so much more. But amidst the energy and optimism, there are real challenges on the horizon. CDFIs perform their essential work on thin margins, and they face a difficult funding environment. Political and regulatory uncertainty is being compounded by bad-faith litigation seeking to undercut any effort to close racial and gender wealth gaps. And, all the while this work is being done in the most difficult conditions - in communities facing persistent poverty, climate disasters and chronic underinvestment. When I had the chance to speak about these challenges, I said that impact investors are doubling down on their commitments to CDFIs and to investing in equity and opportunity for all - and I meant it. But more is needed.?Opportunity Finance Network has been leading the way for 40 years now, and over that time their members have shown that they are more than capable of rising to the moment. So, congratulations to OFN and its members on a momentous anniversary and a fantastic conference. Now it's time for the rest of us to show our support!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined our President, Fran Seegull, at last week’s Impact Entrepreneur event to discuss the future of impact investing. We were thrilled to engage with such a dynamic audience and explore how we can navigate both the challenges and opportunities ahead. During the event, Fran highlighted the role impact investing plays in democratizing access to capital, particularly across gender and race. Check out this video for more insights from the conversation:?https://lnkd.in/ggVPxVV2

The impact investing market has reached a remarkable $1.571 trillion USD according?to The Global Impact Investing Network's?latest sizing report! Congratulations to the GIIN on their 15th year anniversary -- 15 years defined by critical field leadership and important research such as this latest report. The report highlights policy as a key driver of this growth, with our president?Fran Seegull underscoring the importance of aligning private capital?with public goals: “Impact investing calls for the flow of private capital for public good. Alignment with policymakers on impact outcomes is therefore essential. Historic federal programs, such as the $27 billion USD Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in the U.S. and many others, are helping to direct government funds and private sector capital into the intersection of energy transition and local economic development.” Explore the full report:?https://lnkd.in/e22YGQME?#impinv

We're proud to have our president,?Fran Seegull speaking at the upcoming Impact & Transition Investor Summit in NYC! She'll be joined by Jack Moriarty of?Lafayette Square Institute and?Gayle Miller of?Brookfield Asset Management for a timely discussion?on the state of impact investing public policy opportunities post-election. Learn more here, and use the code?impactgs24-speaker?for 10% off your pass:?https://lnkd.in/gySsDfu7