All investments have impact. They may impact society, the economy, infrastructure or the shape of an industry. Investors are increasingly focused on putting their financial assets to work for more than financial return.

Over the past two decades, impact investing has evolved from a niche concept to a movement, with more than $1 trillion earmarked for investing with an intention for impact. This evolution represents a shift in the way some investors are thinking about the role of capital in addressing societal challenges while generating financial returns.

THE ORIGINS OF IMPACT INVESTING

The term “impact investing” was formally coined in 2007 at a gathering hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, but the practice has deeper roots in various forms of socially responsible investing that date back decades earlier. The early 2000s saw pioneering investors and foundations testing models that could generate both financial returns and their desired so