CRA Podcast Episode: Impact Investing and How Powerful It Can Be For the Community

Impact investing, which seeks to generate social and/or environmental benefits while delivering a financial return, is expanding as a promising tool for both investors and philanthropists.   Stakeholders in community development have much to gain from learning more about this tool to fund mission critical projects in their communities. Some estimates value the current impact investing market at nearly $9 trillion in the U.S. alone.

Our guest for this episode is Richard Woo, retired CEO of the Russell Family Foundation.  During his tenure at the foundation, he learned first-hand the power of impact investing and shares his early explorations, community partnership and impressive ROI results. 

Richard starts with an overview of social impact investing and then shares the importance of curiosity and exploration as entities explore their roles in impact investing and the importance of aligning your portfolio with your values and purpose.  

And it is important to note, that while he outlines examples on how financial institutions, CDFIs and nonprofits are involved in this space, any investor, philanthropic, enterprise, individual, government entities, or commercial enterprises (banks, small businesses etc.) can engage in social impact investing.

Here are the links to the projects mentioned and follow up resources to learn more about social impact investing:

The Russel Family Foundation

The Russel Family Foundation – The Impact Investing Case Study 

LinkedIn-Richard Woo  

Mission Investors Exchange – Impact Investing, share deals and practices 

Confluence Philanthropy 

Greater Tacoma Community Foundation

Canopy – a group of 15 impact investing foundations from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and newly Hawaii 

Puyallup Watershed Initiative 

I leave you with these related questions: 

What do you value and what would like your capital to do in this world? 

What actions are you taking for the greater good? 

Is there a way to invest your financial capital to pilot, expand, and leverage for community impact?

Looking beyond financial returns, do you know where your personal 401k retirement accounts are invested and what impact they have in the world?