Impact Investment Summit, benchmarking survey, thought leadership
Message from IIA CEO
Welcome to this month’s update with news of our latest developments, as well as opportunities and insights shaping our sector.
We’ve extended the deadline for our Australian Benchmarking Impact Market Sizing Survey, so if you could spare 20 minutes to share your thoughts on the sector, we’d greatly appreciate it.
The Endowments for Impact Challenge, which IIA is managing, has announced the six finalists who will pitch their proposals to Australia’s leading philanthropic organisations for a chance to manage a $170 million investment pool. They’ll do this at next week’s Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific, where we’ll also host a frank panel discussion about the current challenges and future potential of Australia’s impact investing landscape.
Also included this month are thought leadership pieces on blended finance, global impact trends and how impact investors can help improve livelihoods for wage earners, plus an insightful GSG Impact webinar for institutional investors.
I look forward to connecting with many of you next week at the Impact Investment Summit.
David
David Hetherington, CEO
Impact Investing Australia
Deadline extended for Benchmarking Impact Market Sizing Survey – Your input matters
The deadline for our Australian Benchmarking Impact Market Sizing Survey has been extended to 31 March – giving you more time to share your valuable insights. If you’re an investor, advisor or stakeholder in the impact investing space, we’d love your input.
This survey, developed in collaboration with the Centre for Social Impact at UNSW, plays a crucial role in providing data that will help drive transparency and growth in the Australian impact investing market. Whether you’re already involved in impact investing or just starting to explore it, your perspective is incredibly valuable.
By participating, you’ll contribute to building a market that delivers both financial returns and positive social and environmental outcomes.
- Access the survey
- Review your eligibility
- Survey takes ~20 minutes
- Confidential and ethically approved
Thanks for your support!
Events
Join our candid discussion on impact investing at the Impact Investment Summit
IIA is pleased to be supporting the Impact Investment Summit Asia Pacific, taking place in Sydney next week, where expert speakers from around the world will discuss driving capital towards social and environmental solutions.
We’re hosting a panel on the second afternoon of the Summit that you won’t want to miss – Impact Unplugged: A frank and fearless discussion about Australia’s impact investing landscape. This is not your typical panel discussion. Our goal is to move beyond polite conversation and confront the real challenges facing Australia’s impact investing sector. We all know that despite growing global momentum in impact investing, Australia’s progress has not kept pace with international peers. Our panel will dive into the systemic barriers and structural challenges holding us back and discuss what needs to change to accelerate growth.
Key themes we will explore include:
- Deal flow dilemma: Is Australia’s impact investing pipeline too thin, or are we looking in the wrong places?
- Institutional inertia: Why have Australian institutional investors been slower to embrace impact investing compared to international counterparts?
- Limits of pioneer capital: How much longer can philanthropic foundations and family offices remain the primary drivers?
- Policy paralysis: Are there realistic pathways for better government policy engagement?
- Market-building challenges: Where are the gaps in intermediation and market infrastructure?
Our expert panel will provide a candid look at these topics, sharing insights, experiences and frustrations. This interactive session will also invite the audience to share their own perspectives and challenge the panel, creating a thought-provoking conversation.
- Moderator: David Hetherington, CEO, Impact Investing Australia
- Panellists:
- Richard Brandweiner, Executive Director, Australian Ethical and Chair, Impact Investing Australia
- Gillian Gordon, Head of Alternative Investments & Responsible Investing, JB Were
- Rachel Halpern, Head of Sustainability, JANA
IIA Summit discount
If you’re still to secure your place at the Summit, save 10% by using the IIA discount code: IIS25IIA.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Advisors compete for $170 million philanthropic investment pool
Also at next week’s Impact Investment Summit, six finalists in the inaugural Endowments for Impact Challenge will present their proposals to Australia’s leading trusts and foundations, which are seeking investment advice for a combined pool exceeding $170 million.
The Challenge aims to identify and support investment advisors best equipped to drive mission-driven investment, harnessing these endowments for impact.
The finalists, selected following a rigorous evaluation of 20 proposals, are:
Join us for the grand finale townhall event
Don’t miss the opportunity to see these finalists pitch their proposals at the Summit.
Where: Impact Investment Summit, International Convention Centre, Sydney – Cockle Bay Room 1 (level 3)
Date: Thursday 27 March 2025
Time: 2.00pm–4.00pm (note new time)
Cost: Free (registration required)
Register now via Humanitix to secure your place.
You can expect:
- Live finalist presentations
- Q&A sessions with the expert panel and attendees
- Announcement of the inaugural Challenge winner/s
- Cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award
- Invitation to attend the Impact Investment Summit key note addresses (after the townhall event)
- Network at the post-event drinks from 5.30pm
Blended finance: Accelerating climate action & impact investing
Blended finance is a valuable approach that brings together various funding sources – ranging from philanthropic grants to private investment – to support projects that create significant social and environmental change. In IIA’s latest piece for On Impact, our Board Director, Dr Catherine Brown OAM, explores the critical role blended finance plays in addressing climate transition challenges. Using real-world examples, such as clean energy innovations and sustainable housing initiatives, Catherine highlights how collaboration among different financial backers can speed up climate action globally.
International impact news
Navigating uncertainty: A strategy for the future of impact investing
In a world of global instability, with fluctuating aid budgets and shifting political priorities, GSG Impact CEO Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen, offers an insightful perspective on the emerging trends and opportunities in impact investing.
Elizabeth discusses the continued flow of capital into impact-focused funds, the need for transparent reporting, and the importance of demonstrating tangible policy results. She emphasizes the value of unity and the pursuit of both financial returns and social impact.
As Australia’s representative as a National Partner to GSG Impact, IIA shares Elizabeth’s belief in the power of collaboration and the importance of advancing policies and investments that create lasting change.
Unlocking the impact of institutional asset owners
GSG Impact, in collaboration with the GIIN, ran a session exploring how institutional asset owners (IAOs) can integrate impact into their investment strategies through holistic portfolio construction.
The session offered actionable insights to engage superannuation funds, insurance companies, and other IAOs, and covered:
- Applying an impact lens – How IAOs can tackle global challenges, while ensuring both financial and impact returns for beneficiaries.
- Practical toolkits – A step-by-step guide for implementing holistic portfolio construction strategies.
- Case studies – Successful examples of impact-driven portfolio management.
Watch the session (17 minutes)
How impact investors can improve lives and livelihoods for wage earners
With global wealth disparities reaching unprecedented levels, GIIN CEO and Co-Founder, Amit Bouri, explores how impact investors can address wealth inequality and help wage earners build financial security. Amit highlights three key ways impact investors can drive change:
- Create jobs with dignity – By investing in businesses that provide decent work and financial access, impact investors can help bridge the gap for underserved communities.
- Invest in affordable housing – Addressing the global housing crisis is vital, and investments in affordable housing are key to improving living conditions for low- and middle-income workers.
- Support an ownership economy – Investing in worker-owned businesses can provide a powerful means of reducing inequality and enabling socio-economic mobility.
As the world navigates uncertain times, impact investors can focus on innovative strategies that promote greater economic equality and build pathways to financial security for all.