Last fall, two separate groups of NGO representatives had impromptu gatherings at conferences on opposite coasts of the United States to discuss how they might get involved in impact investing. Such keen interest surprised organizers, and it signals a growing desire from international nongovernmental organizations to figure out their approach to investing for development outcomes.
As traditional sources of capital show no signs of growth, as donors are making a push to work with more local organizations, and as impact investing and the role of entrepreneurship in development have gained more attention, INGOs are exploring their options.
Part of that process is a fledgling working group facilitated by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs and InsideNGO. Already it has 30 members across a spectrum of engagement — from those already doing impact investing to those who are considering what role their organization could play in the emerging ecosystem.
Read more stories on impact investing:
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► Can new US Department of Labor guidelines open up new finance for development?
► The convergence of peace and capitalism
► 5 interesting findings from new impact investing survey
► New research points to growing appetite for impact, sustainable investing
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
