Welcome to our monthly Impact News Roundup, where we highlight interesting news in
the impact investing industry along with insights from Oikocredit US. We are dedicated
to keeping our stakeholders informed and that starts here. Subscribe to our newsletter today!
Giving Money BACK to Donors
Our friends at Upaya have recently done something very exciting. For the first time, they were able to return funds to recoverable grant donors because their investment has returned capital to them. In our Alignment episode with Kate Cochran, she spoke of the powerful impact potential donors have when giving through a recoverable grant.
“What excites me, though, is the potential impact of linking together grants and investments, using philanthropy to tip market forces toward creating social impact.” - Kate Cochran, CEO of Upaya Social Ventures
Coops Come Together to Build a Better World
On July 2, we celebrated the 100th International Day of Cooperatives. In preparation for the occasion of #CoopsDay, Oikocredit US and Oikocredit Canada spoke with our peers and colleagues to discuss how cooperatives working in emerging markets are helping to build a better world.
New Framework for Identifying Responsible Investment Funds
The Canadian Investment Funds Standards Committee (CIFSC) has laid out its new framework to help investors and advisors find responsible investment funds. Their goal is to make it easier for investors to identify funds that are committed to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing and have made commitments to invest in a sustainable future.
“This framework is a huge step in helping Canadian investors find products that suit non-financial investment preferences. Moreover, having an identification framework recognized across the Canadian landscape will allow for easier comparability.” - Ian Tam, CIFSC chair, in a release.
Giving Microfinance a Digital Upgrade with a Climate Twist
A German startup, YAPU, is providing financing to smallholder farmers. With YAPU’s help, these farmers now have better access to the resources they need in order to adapt to the changing climate. Thanks to their work, microfinance institutions have moved $30 million into climate-focused lending.
ESG-conscious Companies Worth 50% More, Schroders Finds
Schroders, a British multinational asset management company, completed an analysis which concluded that environmentally conscientious companies are worth 50% more than other companies with the same earnings.
"This poses an intriguing possibility. There may be an additional valuation premium on offer if a company can be great across a wide range of sustainability criteria, rather than, for example, environmental considerations alone."
DFC and Mastercard Partner to Deepen Financial Inclusion in Central America
DFC (The United States International Development Finance Corporation, formerly OPIC) and Mastercard are answering Vice President Harris’ call to action to deepen financial inclusion in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. DFC and Mastercard today announced their first joint program to tackle this challenge by creating economic opportunity for individuals and small businesses. The initiative aims to reach previously underserved communities with digital tools to transact, get access to credit, and develop a credit history.
Comments