This Week in Impact

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How some LPs are going ‘beyond the check’ to help their GP impact managers survive the fundraising drought; enabling US retail investors to back solar projects in Africa and Latin America (8:05); and, at “He for She,” recognizing men who champion women in asset management (13:40).

Check out this week's stories:

• “⁠Ten ways LPs are going ‘beyond the check’ to help impact managers survive the fundraising drought⁠,” by Erik Stein.
• “⁠Solar projects in Africa and Latin America pay dividends to US retail investors⁠,” by Lucy Ngige.
• Listen to "⁠Women Changing Finance⁠"

The lyrics to Kat Taylor's re-write of "The Times They Are A-Changin'":

Come gather around people wherever you roam
and admit that the dangers around you have grown
and accept it that soon you'll be cut to the bone
if your time isn't spent saving,
we better start swimming or we'll sink like a storm
for the times they are changin'.
Investments they come and investments they go
without purpose of fixing the mean status quo
until voices left out become voices we know
at the ballot the lectern on Wall Street's beggars row
take back your impact through your almighty toll
For investors, they are changin'.
Come Senators, Congressmen, please heed the call.
Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall.
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled.
But that outside it is raging
will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
for the times they are changin'.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Highlights from this week's star-studded call on the real returns of impact-first managers; why some investors are raising permanent capital to keep affordable housing affordable, permanently (10:00); and, how Lendable is showing that asset-backed financing in emerging markets can have institutional appeal (17:10).

Story links:

• "⁠These fund managers are finding novel solutions by seeking impact first⁠," by David Bank, Dennis Price and Isaac Silk
• "⁠Raising permanent capital to keep housing affordable, permanently⁠," by Roodgally Senatus and David Bank
• "⁠Lendable returns to asset-backed lending for the green transition⁠," by Jessica Pothering and David Bank

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: In an impact fundraising drought, novel strategies and private credit stand out and, yes, size matters. Joseph Blasi's strategy to give workers a stake in AI’s upside through state and federal ‘permanent funds’ (10:45). And, the social-impact of popular movies and television (17:00).

• “⁠In impact fundraising drought, novel strategies and private credit stand out and, yes, size matters⁠,” by Jessica Pothering and Lucy Ngige.

• “⁠Joseph Blasi: Give workers a stake in AI’s upside through state and federal ‘permanent funds'⁠,” by Roodgally Senatus and Amy Cortese.

• “⁠Making, and measuring, a family dinner as an impact investment⁠,” by Dmitriy Ioselevich.

Watch the ⁠Nonnas trailer⁠.

⁠BTNewsroom story⁠ on Roosevelt High School walkout

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Impact investors chart a path for Latin America after the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Why working capital might be the biggest barrier for next-gen fund managers (6:15). And, why some insurers are looking for new risk transfer tools in the face of accelerating climate impacts (13:20).

• “⁠Now what? Like Venezuela, Latin American fund managers start to map a way forward⁠,” by Erik Stein, Amy Cortese and David Bank.
• “⁠Working capital is the missing link for next-gen managers⁠,” by Regina Green and Sabrina Bainbridge.
• “⁠Innovations in 'risk transfer' for climate-vulnerable communities⁠” by ImpactAlpha contributor Taylor Kate Brown.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Why LP might stand for Leadership Potential, in addition to limited partner, as asset allocators contend with an increasingly complex world; how new approaches to the ownership economy are helping to both increase and share the pie; and, amid a pullback in official aid, how African asset owners and fund managers are creating their own pathways to growth.

Story links:

• “⁠In volatile times, some impact investors try to show LP means ‘leadership potential⁠,’” by Amy Cortese and David Bank
• “⁠Impact LPs and GPs search for solutions in a tough year to raise and deploy capital⁠,” by Amy Cortese and Erik Stein
• “⁠Beyond affordability to ownership, wealth-building and economic security⁠,” by David Bank
• "⁠African asset owners and fund managers chart local ‘pathways to growth’⁠," by Lucy Ngige and Jessica Pothering

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: How the Sierra Club Foundation is leaning into system-level investing with its $200 million endowment; the 1803 Fund’s ambitious plans to restore historically Black neighborhoods in Portland; and, how financial advisors can meet clients’ demand for impact investing opportunities, and other takeaways from this week’s Agents of Impact Call.

Story links:

• “⁠Sierra Club Foundation is dumping managers, innovating indexes and embracing ‘system-level’ investing⁠,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus.
• “⁠In Portland, the 1803 Fund is rebuilding Black neighborhoods, zip code by zip code⁠,” by Roodgally Senatus.
• Agents of Impact Call 75 ⁠recap⁠ and ⁠replay⁠.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: The ambitious strategy behind New Mexico’s $67 billion sovereign wealth fund; How the residential solar industry plans to stay competitive by eliminating dealer fees; And, how cities are building durable capital stacks for climate action, as federal support evaporates.

Story links:

• “⁠How New Mexico’s $67 billion fund is using oil and gas revenues to build a clean energy economy⁠,” by David Bank.
• “⁠With tax credits expiring, cutting ‘dealer fees’ could keep solar affordable⁠,” by David Bank.

• “⁠PosiGen bankruptcy highlights solar industry woes — and puts Brookfield in the hot seat⁠,” by Amy Cortese.

• “⁠Building durable financing for the energy transition and climate action in local communities⁠,” by HIP Investors’ Nick Gower.

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Beyond investments and guarantees, how Encourage Capital assembled the necessary pieces to unlock capital flows for the global clean energy transition; The missing markets for local builders and buyers of health, wealth, and vibrant communities (09:30); And, how European pension funds learn to stop worrying and love the companies making bombs (12:35).

Story links:

“A case study in unlocking lending to small businesses to accelerate solar in India,” by C3's Harvy Koh

“Making missing markets for local builders (and buyers) of health, wealth and vibrant communities,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus

“European pension funds said ‘no’ to defense investments. Then came Ukraine… and Trump,” by Danielle Rossingh

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: Instead of 50 year mortgages, actual solutions to make homeownership affordable; The case of the missing $54 billion in climate finance; And, highlights from this week’s call, on plugging the financing gap for growth businesses in Africa.

Story links:

• “⁠From affordable home ownership to ‘fair-share appreciation’ and generational wealth⁠,” by David Bank and Roodgally Senatus.
• “⁠The case of the missing $54 billion in development banks' climate financing⁠," by Jessica Pothering.
• All of our call roundups: ⁠https://impactalpha.com/calls/⁠

Host Brian Walsh takes up ImpactAlpha’s top stories with editor David Bank. Up this week: In the lead up to the COP30 climate summit, the state of climate blended finance is a mixed bag; the private credit jitters that are putting even impact investors on edge (10:55); and, a preview of next week's Agents of Impact call on mobilizing growth funds for growth firms in Africa and Asia (16:10).