Global Impact Investing Network

Global Impact Investing Network
Name	Global Impact Investing Network
Formation	2009
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	New York City
Region served	Global
Leader title	CEO
Leader name	(See Governance and Organizational Structure)

Contents

Global Impact Investing Network The Global Impact Investing Network is a nonprofit organization established to accelerate impact investing by connecting investors, Foundations, Development Bank, Philanthropy practitioners, Asset Managers, Institutional Investors, Family Offices, and High-net-worth Individuals. Founded by a coalition including Rory Stewart-era development advocates, early supporters from Rockefeller Foundation, Omidyar Network, JPMorgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs, the organization operates within global finance, coordinating with institutions such as World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, United Nations Development Programme, European Investment Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank.

History

The organization originated in the wake of conversations among actors from Rockefeller Foundation, Omidyar Network, Skoll Foundation, Ford Foundation, and leaders from Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase after the 2008 financial crisis and the 2009 G20 London Summit. Early initiatives drew on methodologies from International Finance Corporation and best practices promoted by United Nations initiatives like the United Nations Global Compact and Sustainable Development Goals. Over time, the group convened practitioners from Calvert Impact Capital, Kellogg Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Acumen Fund, Omidyar Network, Schroders, and Triodos Bank to build market infrastructure, publishing frameworks paralleling work by Global Reporting Initiative and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. Milestones include partnerships with United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, collaborations with European Commission forums, and input to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development policy dialogues.

The organization's mission centers on scaling capital toward measurable social and environmental outcomes, aligning with targets set by Sustainable Development Goals and frameworks used by United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Objectives include developing standardized metrics used by International Finance Corporation, enabling transparency demanded by Securities and Exchange Commission-regulated entities, and fostering pipelines of investable enterprises similar to those supported by Acumen Fund, Root Capital, Calvert Foundation, and Omidyar Network. The body advocates for alignment between Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Endowments, Foundations, and impact intermediaries such as Social Finance UK and Bridges Fund Management.

Governance is typically overseen by a board composed of representatives from Foundations, Asset Managers, Family Offices, and impact practitioners from organizations like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, BlackRock, Schroders, Triodos Bank, Calvert Asset Management, and Newday Impact Capital. The executive team liaises with advisory councils including leaders from United Nations Development Programme, World Economic Forum, Global Reporting Initiative, SustainAbility, and regional networks such as Asian Venture Philanthropy Network and African Venture Philanthropy Alliance. Committees often mirror governance models used by Charity Navigator, B Lab, and Independent Sector, while legal and compliance functions reference standards from Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Conduct Authority, and Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada).

Key programs echo earlier efforts by Skoll Foundation and Ashoka to professionalize social innovation, offering initiatives comparable to Acumen Fund fundraising platforms and incubators like Echoing Green. Programs include investor convenings similar to World Economic Forum meetings, capacity-building workshops modeled on Harvard Kennedy School executive education, and collaborative funds co-created with European Investment Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. The network supports thematic initiatives in sectors addressed by UNICEF, World Health Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Labour Organization, and promotes instruments such as blended finance vehicles used by Global Innovation Fund and Convergence.

The organization developed metric frameworks akin to Global Reporting Initiative and complements standards from Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Its flagship taxonomy and measurement tool, IRIS+, builds on performance metric efforts by Impact Reporting and Investment Standards advocates and parallels reporting platforms used by CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), GHG Protocol, and Principles for Responsible Investment. IRIS+ is designed for compatibility with databases maintained by World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, and data platforms like Bloomberg ESG terminals, enabling asset classes tracked by Morningstar, MSCI, and S&P Global.

The organization partners with multilateral and bilateral institutions such as World Bank, International Finance Corporation, European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank. It engages with standards bodies including Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, and collaborates with philanthropic networks like European Venture Philanthropy Association, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network, and African Venture Philanthropy Alliance. The network’s influence extends to policy dialogues at United Nations, OECD, G20, and market forums hosted by World Economic Forum, shaping practices among Pension Funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Endowments, and Asset Managers including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase.

Category:Impact investing organizations