Research, Reports & Publications

A New Model for Building Social-Benefit Markets – Research by Jacqueline Corbett and Erb Institute Visiting Scholar, Wren Montgomery

Like all markets, social-benefit markets provide a platform for buyers and sellers to exchange commodities, but they are distinguished by their unique goal of improving social and environmental conditions. For example, most people are familiar with carbon trading markets, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Social-benefit markets are not only a promising strategy to combat pressing social and environmental problems; they are also contributing significantly to the world economy, with trading volumes estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2020. Still, the problems that these social-benefit markets address are large, complex and multifaceted; their development and sustenance therefore will require novel entrepreneurial approaches.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Summit Draws Major Investors With $30 Trillion in AUM to Map Out Next Steps on Tackling Climate Risk and Seizing Low-carbon Opportunities

More than 450 investor, company and capital market leaders convened at the Investor Summit on Climate Risk today to map out the next steps for increased action on climate change. The strong showing of leaders, who ranged from institutional investors to state and city pension fund fiduciaries to corporate executives, demonstrated the growing mainstream attention to the greatest threat of our generation.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Empowering Entrepreneurs: Interview With Gayle Grindley, Investing in Future Generations

Gayle Grindley, Natural Channel Sales Director for Unilever, has travelled with Whole Planet Foundation and met microcredit clients in Austin, San Diego, Phoenix, in Guatemala in Central America (pictured), in Paraguay, South America and in Togo, West Africa.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How Small Companies Can Compete on the World Stage

Small businesses play a critical role in the global economy, contributing to economic opportunity, diversity and the overall health of our communities. If current trends continue, however, we may soon wake up in a world where many of these businesses have closed and only a few of the very largest players remain open.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Millions of American Small Business Owners Feel Left Behind, and This Is How Tech Can Help

Small businesses are already the biggest generator of jobs in America. They make up almost half of private sector employment. Those of us in tech and in the public sector need to take the next step to rev that engine more.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Building Sustainable and Inclusive Economies in Indo-Pacific

Working together with policymakers, regulators and enterprises, GRI raises awareness and enhances reporting capacity on key sustainability issues in the Indo-Pacific region. GRI’s programs with the Australian government contribute to building a more inclusive economy that ultimately creates a higher quality of life.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Living on One Dollar A Day

What gift would you give for the holidays that costs $56? Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci lived on $56 for 56 days in Guatemala and filmed Living on One Dollar, a documentary that has raised over $300,000 for Whole Planet Foundation, funding 1,600 microloans for Guatemalans living in poverty.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Sustainable Growth: Barclays Launches New Range of Green Finance Products

Barclays has become the first UK bank to launch a range of green finance products to help its corporate clients fund low-carbon projects and investments.

Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Whole Planet Foundation | Dispatch From the Field – Crediting Field Officers

It’s the season of gratitude and a time to celebrate the impact of 2017. Whole Planet Foundation wants to acknowledge the achievements of our microfinance partners’ field officers, who are often the main point of contact between a microfinance organization and the entrepreneurs financing their businesses with microloans. In 2014 we piloted a new Field Officer Appreciation Award in the Africa & Middle East region of our work and this year, the foundation awarded its fourth year of awards to nominated field officers. In total, this region currently includes 28 partner institutions.

Sustainable Development Goals

Building Resilience in the Philippines Through Microinsurance

Microensurer Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions (CLIS) has joined Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to increase the number of Filipinos covered by microinsurance from 6 million in 2016 to 8 million in 2020, expanding insurance coverage to 60 percent of the country’s population.

Latest Campaigns

Drawdown Georgia

Informed by Project Drawdown, the world’s leading resource for climate solutions, Drawdown Georgia is the first state-centered effort to crowdsolve...

AEG's Commitment to Social Impact and Volunteerism

AEG embraces its responsibility to enrich the lives of people in the communities around the world where we do business, and to use business to create...

KeyBank's Community Investment

In states where Key has a presence, there are approximately 1.7 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Many LMI individuals don’t have bank...

Opportunity for All

At Trane Technologies, uplifting our communities and workforce is the key to our continued success. We focus on broadening access to education...

Aflac Stories

Get a closer look at the people, products and stories that make Aflac the company we know today.

KeyBank's Community Investment

In states where Key has a presence, there are approximately 1.7 million low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Many LMI individuals don’t have bank...

First Responder Programming

At Motorola Solutions, our customers are everyday heroes, and our philanthropic arm, the Motorola Solutions Foundation is dedicated to paying it...

Collective Action

Cascale shares updates on its efforts and initiatives geared toward activating its ecosystem to develop and scale solutions that drive collective...

Community Investment

all community engagement efforts (e.g., Teach for All, volunteerism, etc.)

GoDaddy | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Diverse teams build better products — period. At GoDaddy, we make apps and services that our worldwide community of entrepreneurs can relate to. Our...