Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
Investing that aims to generate specific beneficial social or environmental effects in addition to financial gain. Impact investing is a subset of socially responsible investing, but while the definition of socially responsible investing encompasses avoidance of harm, impact investing actively seeks to make a positive impact – investing, for example, in non-profits that benefit the community or in clean technology enterprises.
Impact investing is defined as the placement of capital (into social enterprises and other structures) with the intent to create benefits beyond financial return.
Actively placing capital in enterprises that generate social or environmental goods, services, or ancillary benefits such as creating good jobs, with expected financial returns ranging from the highly concessionary to above market.
See Case Foundation’s Short Guide to Impact Investing
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