Recent & Upcoming Projects
Announcing the Release of Launching the MicroBuild Fund, a First-of-its-Kind Impact Investing Case Study
Launching the MicroBuild Fund, developed in partnership with The Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship at NYU School of Law, explores the legal, business and policy considerations that arose in the creation of the MicroBuild Fund—a blended finance facility that was sponsored by Habitat for Humanity International to attract funding into housing microfinance on a global scale.
Announcing the Launch of the COR Methodology Website
The COR Methodology is designed to help founders of new startups and leaders of all types of organizations guide the ongoing cultivation of the organizational culture.
Mission Investing: A Framework for Family Foundations
Case Study Development
In partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Initiative developed Mission Investing: A Framework for Family Foundations, a case study on the evolution and impact of the foundation's visionary mission impact investing program. The case provides a guide for other organizations to increase or begin their impact investing practice as well as offers exposure to impact investing in the classroom from the philanthropic sector’s perspective. The foundation’s pioneering investment activity parallels NYU Wagner’s own pioneering role in being the first to train public service graduate students in the field of impact investing.
Market-Based Solutions for Social Impact
As the foundation’s experience in impact investing has shown, facilitating or amplifying market-based approaches to social issues can be highly effective. While social enterprises cannot solve all the needs of those who are underserved, they can play a vital role at the intersection of market opportunity, demand, and proper investment tools. This blog post, authored by Scott Taitel, Clinical Professor of Public Service and Director of Social Impact, Innovation & Investment at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, discusses theses concepts in an exploration of the Market aspect of the framework.
MISSION Investing Framework
To develop the case, SII analyzed more than 40 program-related investments made by the foundation to date and developed a MISSION framework to document the filters the foundation uses to evaluate potential investment opportunities. The framework represents Market, Impact, Scale, Sustainability, Incrementality, Organization, and Next considerations. Family foundations and others looking to begin or expand an impact investing practice may use the MISSION framework to analyze new investment opportunities.
Blog Series
In support of the publication of the Mission Investing study, thought leaders at the Initiative, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, and investee firms present their perspectives on concepts outlined in the case in a series of blog posts, available via the links below.
- MISSION Framework: What's NEXT? (December 20, 2018)
- MISSION Framework: The importance of Organization on impact (December 19, 2018)
- MISSION Framework: Impact investing for community returns (December 12, 2018)
- MISSION Framework: Sustainable businesses create sustainable impact (December 6, 2018)
- MISSION Framework: Growing momentum to achieve scale (August 15, 2018)
- Catalyzing markets to create impact in India by Geeta Goel, Country Director, India (April 23, 2018)
- MISSION Framework: Market-based solutions for social impact by Scott Taitel, Clinical Professor of Public Service and Director of Social Impact, Innovation & Investment at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service (May 2, 2018)
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MISSION Framework: Where Impact is not an afterthought (June 14, 2018)
NIIF: NYU Impact Investment Fund
In a joint project with the NYU Stern School of Business and NYU School of Law, students will develop, manage, and maintain an impact investing fund that aims to generate both financial and social returns.
Who Benefits? Symposium on Diversity and Inclusion in Social Finance
In partnership with the Ford Foundation, the Initiative hosted a day-long symposium that assessed the state of diversity and inclusion in impact investing in New York City, and defined an agenda for additional research, education, and advocacy to establish frameworks to fuel greater equity in social finance policy and practices. The symposium convened executive decision-makers from the social finance community.