This essay by Jacqueline Novogratz (who wrote The Blue Sweater which is present in our SISE Library at Tulane) provides in interesting discussion of impact investing. Here is a look at the essay:

Ten years ago, as the Stanford Social Innovation Review was getting off the ground, the idea of impact investing was also beginning to take hold. The early pioneers, including Root Capital, Omidyar Network, and Acumen Fund, set out to make philanthropic capital more productive in serving the poor. We had seen that neither markets nor top-down government nor aid alone solved problems of poverty. We were encouraged by significant investment and collaboration from the philanthropic community, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Skoll Foundation, and a group of forward-thinking people who saw the potential for impact investing to bring something new to the conversation on social change. We had no clear roadmap, so we just started and let the work teach us.

To read the rest, go here.