Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

Helping to accelerate investments and bring the public and private sectors together to deliver critical water projects across the country

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC), NeighborWorks® America, and Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham today announced the NeighborhoodLIFT® program for Birmingham and Jefferson County with a $2.55 million investment by Wells Fargo to boost local homeownership.

Many organizations are throwing aside the “go-it-alone” mentality in favor of working together to address complex challenges and scale their innovations.

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has published its 2016 Corporate Citizenship Report “Making a Difference,” detailing its commitment to a more inclusive and sustainable world.

Jenn's journey to be a CEO - When I returned from Gabon I made the decision to focus on finance. My experiences abroad alongside my education had led me to the thinking that capital equates to power, and is a key determinant of capability for individuals, businesses, and communities. Although now I know that finance is only one piece of the pie of life, I still maintain the important role that it plays.

For an industry that prides itself on mastering risk management, finding value and uncovering arbitrage opportunities, I think the financial services sector is falling flat. Why? Because most firms are overlooking one of the biggest investment opportunities ever: women.
An overwhelming body of research supports the business case for gender equality. Companies with more women in leadership have higher returns on capital, greater innovation, increased productivity, and higher employee retention and satisfaction.

At a time of division and acrimony in the U.S. and beyond, the annual Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF) Conference will convene top philanthropists, social investors, business executives, government leaders and activists to consider ways to rebuild societal trust and cohesion.

In the world of Sustainable and Impact Investing, few ideas have captured the imagination as quickly as Gender Lens Investing (“GLI”). In just the past few years, the number of Gender Lens solutions has grown rapidly. The premise of this approach is that every investment has a gender dimension and that understanding it uncovers both overlooked opportunities and hidden risks. GLI solutions are about investing for gender balance, inclusion and equity. GL investors are betting that all of society – both women and men alike – will reap social and economic dividends from women’s equality. Equally important is the passion this topic has generated among people interested in aligning their wealth with values. This also bodes well for the creation of new products and solutions.

In an interview with Bonnie Marcus at Forbes.com, UN Global Compact CEO and Executive Director Lise Kingo explains how the new Women's Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool can help global business leaders identify strengths, gaps and opportunities to improve gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace and within the markets and communities they serve.

How much of an impact can one million trees make? What about approximately $3.2 billion worth? According to a recent study from The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization, an investment in tree planting in 245 of the world’s largest cities could improve the health of millions by helping to reduce pollution-related deaths and lowering overall city temperatures.