How Robert Wood Johnson And McKnight Are Rethinking ESG For Foundations

credit:

For some foundations, making ESG investments isn’t enough.

At least two organizations have gone a step further and set up separate pools of capital that can only be invested in accordance with their missions.

The McKnight Foundation set aside 10% of its $3 billion portfolio in 2014 for an impact investing pool. Four years later, that pool has grown to $200 million, with 40% of the endowment invested in investments that align with the foundation's mission, Fortune reports.

One example is McKnight’s investment in Arcadia, a utility company that helps both renters and homeowners in any state buy renewable power for their homes.
"We like that it creates an option for renters, who are often excluded from renewables," says Elizabeth McGeveran, the foundation's director of investments. "And in some markets, Arcadia can save you money on your utility bill, [while] in other markets it's about the same. They're building community solar to feed into the grid."

Another foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has set up a $200 million impact investing pool, and it's investing in everything from small businesses to research on social bond issuance, Fortune reports. "Every pension fund has exposure to social bonds," says Kimberlee Cornett, the RWJ's director of impact investing. "One of the things that the market doesn't easily make visible is who an issuance is benefiting and how that's being repaid."

Read the Entire Article

How's Your Community Doing?
Check Out it's
Community Vital Signs

Climate Tech Startup With Celebrity and Billionaire Backers Files For Bankruptcy

Climate Tech Startup With Celebrity And Billionaire Backers Files For Bankruptcy.The company, which grew out of fintech Aspiration, owes $30 million to billionaire Steve Ballmer's...more

Ai Is Transforming Climate Change Prediction and Mitigation

How AI Is Transforming Climate Change Prediction And Mitigation.Issues of fairness, responsibility and inclusive design must be part of the climate AI conversation, says Jess Reia, assistant...more

Agrospheres, An I.Lab Incubator Startup, Recognized Among Top Greentech Companies ...

AgroSpheres, a Charlottesville-based agricultural biotechnology company, has earned a spot on both the World's Top GreenTech Companies 2025 and America's top GreenTech companies 2025 lists.TIME and...more

Diu, Aukus Innovation Counterparts, Launch Second Trilateral Maritime Solution Challenge

The Pentagon's innovation arm is once again partnering with its counterparts from Australia and the United Kingdom.The goal is to seek solutions for accelerated scaling that would enable operational...more

Ameresco Celebrates Double Win For Innovative Projects in 2025 Environment+Energy ...

':"";if(r){var a=t.showYahooLogo?"":"yns-no-logo";r=r.replace("{notifOnboardBtnLabel}",t.promos.notifBtn),a.replace('{subscriptionTopic}',a).replace ("{noLogoClass}", a).replace "{promoLogo}",...more

Addressing the Challenges of A Society in Transition: The Cnrs At Vivatech!

The CNRS is returning for the sixth time to the VivaTechnology trade fair.Its stand will be a space for dialogue between basic research and the business world.Three thematic days will be dedicated to...more

Climate Realism Initiative Launch

The United States' historical approach to climate change is failing.Trade retaliation looms from Canada, China, Mexico, and the European Union in response to U.S.actions.The Climate Realism...more

Colombia's Coffee Farmers Try to Balance Innovation and Tradition to Adapt to Climate Change

Researchers and coffee farmers in Colombia are trying to adapt to unpredictable weather, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall.Climate change is disrupting Colombia's coffee industry by fueling...more

From Environmental Storytelling to Hydroponics, Student Cohort Crafts Solutions For A Better Future

Inaugural cohort of Global Futures Impact Scholars receive mentorship and up to $5,000 to fund a student-led experience.Students divided into four teams to work on smaller projects that help them...more

Unlocking the Potential of Nanotechnology to Combat Climate Change

Scientists from the public, private and philanthropic sectors have identified key research directions to maximise the impact of nanotechnology in addressing climate change.Nano4EARTH aims to mobilise...more