Remove Community Development Remove Energy Remove Public and Social Policy
article thumbnail

From Impact Investing to “Impact-First” Investing—What Is the Field Learning?

NonProfit Quarterly

Image Credit: PeopleImages on iStock What does impact investingthat is, investing with social benefit in minddemand of investors? Many in the field have long held it demands virtually nothing, that an investor can have a social impact without sacrificing a penny of their own.

article thumbnail

How Guarantees Can Advance Community Development and Racial Equity

NonProfit Quarterly

While many foundations screen their endowment investments based on environmental, social, and governance factors, only a few optimize their investment strategies for mission impact. Financial guarantees are a powerful tool, yet they are underutilized in the social sector. One confounding challenge is low field awareness.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

??How Community-Based Public Space Can Build Civic Trust: Lessons from Akron

NonProfit Quarterly

That changed when a team from Reimagining the Civic Commons decided to reinvigorate public spaces in Akron’s systemically disinvested neighborhoods, including Summit Lake. Moving at the Speed of Trust Employing deep listening, engaging in meetings, and building one-on-one relationships with neighbors…helped inform public space design.

article thumbnail

Ancestor in the Making: A Future Where Philanthropy’s Legacy Is Stopping the Bad and Building the New

NonProfit Quarterly

2 It has been edited for publication here. The growth of these efforts required more access to nonextractive investment capital, creating a demand for public banks and democratic loan funds across the country.” With more local resources, child care became free, along with public school–provided breakfasts and lunches.” “How

article thumbnail

How do water shutoffs impact low-income communities?

NonProfit Quarterly

The Water Alliance is changing that question to, “How can utilities, communities, and policy makers work together to create an environment in which shutoffs for low-income families are not necessary?”. Guided by the alliance, the teams gathered data that would inform policy changes for water utilities.

article thumbnail

Economic Justice: Nonprofit Leaders Speak Out

NonProfit Quarterly

Often, the very same nonprofit that is advocating for social justice policy may pay its own workers poverty-level wages. Nelson Colón of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation, and Clara Miller, president emerita of the Heron Foundation—come from philanthropy. The reality is more complicated.

article thumbnail

Democracy in Peril: In South Africa, Will Philanthropy Back Economic Justice?

NonProfit Quarterly

Yet despite these challenges, global philanthropy has much to learn from South Africa on democracy, development practice, and social justice. According to Afrobarometer, between 2011 and 2024, levels of public satisfaction with the democratic state also plummeted to 39 percent from 60 percent. Some say he did his best.