UNICEF USA’s Post

This morning, UNICEF USA's Impact Fund for Children and 60 Decibels published an Op-Ed in ImpactAlpha, continuing to build the case for #ChildLensInvesting by elevating impact on children in survey data across sectors that are not generally considered child-focused, like clean energy, microfinance and agriculture. This is an exciting yet crucial step in exploring how valuable business insights can be revealed when we consider children as beneficiaries.

This $100 million impact investment fund is being launched by World Vision USA and VisionFund International to help us empower 200,000 women. It will result in even better integration of our water and economic development efforts to ensure that when women are freed from carrying water they have the agency to make choices for themselves and their families. A big step towards addressing the global water crisis and global poverty https://bit.ly/46muty2

“Just start asking questions.” Director, Impact Management Caitlin Rosser's advice to asset owners on how to find out the impact of their investments on children. Rosser spoke with ImpactAlpha about the early stages of Calvert Impact's work on #ChildLens investing, including our data collection on how children are impacted indirectly by investments from our Community Investment Note. Learn more about UNICEF's new campaign to advance a framework for child-lens investing: https://bit.ly/46sb1QR #ImpactInvesting #ForEveryChild

As Cristina Shapiro put it, "All investor actions and decisions impact children directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally." And that impact on children goes "beyond the obvious categories of childcare, education and child nutrition. #Renewableenergy, for example, can power schools or health clinics. #Affordablehousing strategies have a direct bearing on children’s health. Clean cookstoves have benefits of improved air quality and reduced health burden for children." (ImpactAlpha) So how do we start to understand where our investments might #impact children, both positively and negatively? Just start asking questions. Seriously, getting started is as simple as that. You might be surprised at what your investees are already considering, and how you can further support them in understanding their impact on children and youth. #impactinvesting #impactmeasurement

The world is facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to poverty and inequality. To address these challenges, we need a new approach that brings together the best of the #businessandphilanthropic worlds. The SDG Loan Fund of $1B is a perfect example of this new approach (read more at the link provided in the first comment). This blended finance initiative is a collaboration between investment arms and Philanthropy Foundation. The fund aims to invest in loans that will help achieve sustainable development in emerging markets. The SDG Loan Fund is a win-win for both business and philanthropy. Investors get a competitive financial return as well as measurable impact, while companies in emerging markets access much-needed funding. This type of collaboration is a positive development in the field of impact investing. Let's recognize the growing power of bringing together the resources and expertise of the business and philanthropic worlds in finding solutions to the world's most pressing problems. #ImpactInvesting #Philanthropy #Sustainability #SDGs #Collaboration

Our Project Director, Dilys Kyeiwaa Winterkorn, today joined a panel at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)’s #NextFrontiers2024 conference, discussing the movement from private ownership to #CommunityStewardship - an important area of work to revolutionise the #Investment and #SocialInvestment spaces.    The Next Frontiers conference invites people from across the #Finance ecosystem to explore #TransformativeApproaches to #WealthManagement and #Redistribution, #Philanthropy, and #Investment. The participants at the conference are asking a critical question: where does wealth need to flow to, to better serve people and the planet? This is a question we all need to be asking, and Pathway is thrilled to contribute to this dialogue.    During her session, Dilys outlined how Pathway believes that we need to be chanelling significantly more investment into Black and Ethnically Minoritised communities, for #EnterpriseDevelopment as well as #AssetAcquisition, to ensure that we see our communities flourish - and to ensure that capital is in the hands of those that need it the most. Pathway's recommendations and sector-leading approach will:    🔵  Enable the 75% of Black and Ethnic Minoritised-led social enterprises, that are calling out for repayable finance, to grow and scale their impact in the communities they are serving.    🔵  Unlock £24 billion for the UK's economy.    🔵  And with that, forever change the fact that only 2-5% of social investment goes to Black and Ethnic Minoritised-led charities and social enterprises.    We're delighted to be there - and will be sharing further reflections on the discussions from this hugely important moment for the social investment sector.     #NextFrontiers2024 #SocialInvestment

Every day, the global financial system fails nearly two billion people. For the first time in decades, global inequality is on the rise. Conflict, climate change, cybercrime and inflation are pushing millions more below the poverty line. Now, global non-profit organisation Accion has announced the launch of the Accion Digital Transformation Fund (ADTx). The $152.5 million fund seeks to enable financial institutions to better meet the needs of small businesses that are currently excluded from the financial system by providing growth capital and strategic support for digital transformation. https://lnkd.in/djhC8JYu

We welcome Oxfam's excellent report Inequality Inc. and its support of social enterprises and cooperatives as “equitable business models” to “reinvent business”, recently covered in Pioneers Post. Social investors in the equality impact investing field can play an important role here - especially by targeting SEs and cooperatives that are explicitly equality transformative, i.e., those that aim to tackle the root causes, or structures of inequality, one of the five EII investing strategies. #equalityimpact #socialchange #philanthropy https://lnkd.in/gBpXSkay

Ethic is always on the lookout for organizations driven by values alignment. UNICEF USA is one such organization. I recently had a great dialogue with Michael J. Nyenhuis, the president and CEO of UNICEF USA, about the organization’s commitment to children’s rights and his thoughts on child-led investing, climate impacts, and corporate responsibility. What is child-led investing? What are some child- and family-friendly workplace policies that investors may want to consider when making investment decisions? Are there things the private sector can do or scale up to help youth access to capital? And how can we use storytelling as a catalyst for change? Michael answers these questions and more in this Ethic Insights article.

#Tolerance must involve intentional action - listening, understanding and opening our hearts and minds to the beautiful ways of being human. And then using our voices, our platforms, our power to amplify the interconnectedness and intersectionality of it all. 📌 Kindness and empathy comes in many forms. We here, at ENAR Foundation, are taking intentional steps towards building a systemically inclusive society. We're looking for like-minded, racial justice funders and donors to develop our Racial and Economic Justice Investment Fund so we can support and power up projects and initiatives across Europe that are systematically ignored, dismissed and discriminated against. 🔊 Spread the word, talk about our REJI Fund, share our initiative with your people and organisations you believe in. We need your help to make this a reality. #InternationalDayForTolerance #InclusionMatters #DiversityAndInclusion #BeyondTolerance #UnityInDiversity #EmbraceDiversity #InclusiveSociety #CulturalUnderstanding #OvercomingIntolerance #SocialInclusion #MakeRacismHistory #Funding #NonDiscrimination #REJI