opinion

Policy Corner: Power Shifting Boosts the Potential of Impact Investments: Charitable Reform Policies Could Help

[Originally published in ImpactAlpha’s ‘Policy Corner’] — Maximizing the transformative possibilities of impact investments requires shifting power from individuals and institutions toward communities that have historically been kept at the margins. In the absence of such a power shift, well-intentioned investors have delivered status quo formulas for helping those without power – with mixed results.

Policy Corner: Global Standards for Sustainability Accounting Must Be Holistic and Inclusive

[Originally published in ImpactAlpha’s ‘Policy Corner’] When global leaders converge on Glasgow in November for the COP26 climate summit, all eyes will be on the pledges that politicians make to address the climate emergency. A quieter, but in many ways highly significant, announcement also is expected to be made at the conference. The International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, or IFRS, which sets reporting and accounting standards for companies in 166 jurisdictions worldwide, is expected to launch an International Sustainability Standards Board, and its first ever roadmap towards sustainability reporting.

There’s no building back better without investing in underserved communities

[Originally published in ImpactAlpha] — Between record levels of government stimulus, an unprecedented vaccination campaign and a buzzing economy, it’s easy to see reasons for optimism as America continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing crises. But if the United States is to fulfill the vision of the Biden-Harris Administration to “Build Back Better,” then no recovery can be considered just or equitable without the resurgence of Black, Brown, Indigenous, rural and other communities that for too long have been denied adequate access to economic development opportunities.

Why impact data and transparency are keys to the success of opportunity zones

(This article was originally posted to ImpactAlpha) Assets in impact investing continue to surge, buoyed by increasing investor interest in aligning financial goals with social and environmental objectives. Today such assets represent as much as one in five of all U.S. assets under professional management.

Opportunity Zones: Moving Toward a Shared Impact Framework

Opportunity Zones: Moving Toward a Shared Impact Framework

The tax bill passed in 2017 includes a provision creating various benefits for investors that move capital gains into designated low-income census tracts, known as Opportunity Zones, through special investment vehicles known as Opportunity Funds. This tax benefit has captured the attention of a wide range of stakeholders — from investors attracted by a new tax incentive to community development practitioners drawn by the promise of increased investment in low-income areas.