Stories
Social Bonds and Racial Equity: The “S” Gains Prominence in ESG
The growth of the social bond market has offered a unique opportunity for nonprofit issuers, like Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), to connect with retail and institutional investors and expand the flow of capital to justice-focused work. In ImpactAlpha this week, LISC’s Annie Donovan and Anna Smukowski take a closer look at this lasting shift in how investors view the “S” in ESG and what it means for CDFI efforts to invest in equity and inclusion throughout the U.S.
Investing Patient Capital in Established BIPOC Businesses to Close the Racial Wealth Gap
LISC’s George Ashton takes a close look at why growth in the pre-pandemic number of minority-owned businesses has failed to narrow the racial wealth gap. The answer: existing BIPOC businesses don’t have access to the kind of growth capital they need to build their resiliency, expand their workforce and support next-generation success. "By expanding access to growth capital, we can make our small business ecosystem more diverse and robust, matching appropriate financing to the needs of community-based businesses," he writes in a piece for Impact Alpha.
Investing in Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
As part of an ongoing blog series, LISC’s Anna Smukowski looks at the way LISC is advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a range of activities supported by LISC Impact Notes, including investments that support Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
A “Quantum Leap” for CDFI Funding: The Potential of Securitization
In an introduction to a new LISC white paper on CDFIs and securitization, LISC’s CFO Michael Hearne outlines how our industry might unlock pools of capital that have yet to be tapped for the imperative work of community development.