I have spent the majority of my professional career helping organizations of all shapes, sizes, and structures (for-profit, nonprofit and newer hybrids) raise money. That’s why I am particularly interested in the ongoing conversation about growing the sources of financial capital that support initiatives with a social/environmental benefit.

Great News: Impact Investing Options Expand Locally

by Geri Stengel on Jan 26, 2012 - 12:20am

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I’m a long-time advocate of impact investing. It brings new money to the nonprofit world, supports social enterprises, and can provide services and products that would otherwise be unfunded or unresolved.

Changing Investment Strategy Can Solve Problems, Generate Income

by Geri Stengel on Oct 18, 2011 - 12:20am

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Ripples in the investment world are massing into a tidal wave of change in how we finance social good. It is a wave that will encompass investment brokers and philanthropists, venture capitalists and foundations.

Five Reasons To Be Optimistic About Corporate Social Responsibility

by Geri Stengel on Jul 7, 2011 - 12:12am

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When a report comes out advising big corporations to ignore social responsibility and focus only on profit, I could get depressed.

The report argues that creating jobs is all the social responsibility that businesses need do; everything else will take care of itself if people have jobs. The report does not mention living wages or health benefits but that’s another issue.

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Bring Your Hard Heads to Social Investing

by Guest Blogger on Jun 29, 2011 - 12:20pm

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Last week’s second annual Social Impact Exchange conference was filled with high energy, creativity, and a sincere dedication to improving people’s lives by scaling up evidence-based or high-performing social interventions. While many in the room represented philanthropic foundations, individual donors have been and are still the largest source of funding for the nonprofit sector. How can we create markets that successfully tap these sources of wealth for greater social return?

Doors Are Opening For Social Enterprises Seeking Funding, Support

by Geri Stengel on Feb 24, 2011 - 12:15am

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Good grief! The future is already knocking on our door. Last October, I wrote about the need to find ways to make impact investment part of every portfolio. And I’ve been proselytizing for collaboration and networking since I started Ventureneer.

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Impact Investors: A New Source of Funding for Social Entrepreneurs

by Geri Stengel on Dec 9, 2009 - 12:41pm

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Financial Ingenuity

Ingenious financial solutions to the world's social and environmental challenges are becoming a global force for change.

The microfinance movement started in the '70s in Bangladesh. By 2007, the microfinance industry provided $15 billion in microloans to 106 million of the world’s poorest families, according to the Microcredit Summit Campaign. The campaign was to reach 100 million of the world’s poorest families, especially the women of those families, with credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the year 2005. That goal was very nearly reached and in November of 2006 the Campaign was extended to 2015 with two new goals: reach 175 million of the world's poorest people and ensure that 100 million families rise above earning $1 a day.

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