I2I’s Heart-2-Heart on Investments vs. Grants, New Team Member Alert, & An Invite to I2I’s Annual Fundraiser
Happy Fall, Y’all! 🍂
Grab your PSL and get cozy for September’s Heart-2-Heart (H2H) — I2I’s monthly newsletter where we share what’s on our mind, in our hearts, and up our sleeves.
This month, we're keeping score of impact investments vs. grants, introducing you to Emma Hamrick, and officially inviting you to party with us in Portland!
This edition is bound to be as memorable as the 21st night of September.
On Our Minds
Impact Investments 🤝 Philanthropy Grants
Football season is upon us, and it got us thinking about two players on our social impact fantasy league: Impact Investments & Philanthropic Grants 🏈
Impact investments are like dual-threat quarterbacks: making calculated plays to score both social impact and financial returns. Philanthropic grants, on the other hand, are like goal-line defense: protecting the end zone by funding nonprofits and grassroots orgs, without expecting anything back.
While impact investors are looking for that perfect pass to scale market-driven solutions, grants are doing the important work of blocking so that conditions can be changed elsewhere on the field.
Here’s the real victory play: these approaches work best when they’re playing off each other.
In the past few years, we’ve been huddled up with foundations who are ready to expand their playbook — realizing it’s insufficient to give 5% of endowments and expect systemic change.
We’ve learned that the metrics used to measure outcomes of grants differ from those of investments. Oftentimes, with grants, we measure short- to mid-term outcomes: increased capacity, improved services, and positive changes for individuals and communities. With investments, we seek to measure immediate outputs AND (ideally) long-term impact.
Outputs of investments might include the number of customers or demographics of people reached. TBH, sometimes impact investment portfolios get a bad rap from MEL practitioners who think they’re just counting beans & punting on measurement of substantive changes. But the truth is, they’re laser focused on scale and sustainability. Beyond outputs, impact investors are poised to blitz, making big bets on systems change, and looking to measure environmental, social, and governance (ESG) indicators in the broader ecosystems.
Of course, this is not always the case. Grantmaking also spurs systems change. For example, trust-based philanthropy has resulted in more unrestricted, multi-year grants that have potential for long-term sustainability and systems change. As opposed to grantmakers, more often than not, impact investors are still prioritizing outputs (which has its merits) over measuring impact. As they say, you gotta walk before you run. 🏃
But trust us, the game of blended social finance is heating up, and there is Super Bowl-level potential in terms of impact. 🔥 So, MEL folks, this is your sign to get off the bench and get in the game.
Want to chat more about social impact measurement for investment portfolios? Or tell us where we fumbled this football metaphor? Our inbox is open.
In Our Hearts
The I2I Team is amped up to be welcoming another member to Team I2I. Meet Emma Hamrick, MPH!
As of September 9th, is officially I2I’s latest MERL Consultant. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, the I2I team now spans 3 states: California, Virginia, and Colorado!
Enjoy a preview into Emma’s world, via the Q&A below! You’ll be hearing a lot more from her in the months to come.
Q. What drew you to the field of evaluation & what keeps you in it?
A. I fell into the field of evaluation a bit serendipitously - before my career in evaluation, I had been working in program implementation, but was always interested in finding ways to be more efficient and identifying what works or what doesn't. I ended up shifting to MEL to pursue and cultivate this love of ensuring that approaches to social change are grounded in a strong evidence base and that the passionate leaders and changemakers I get to interact with are able to tell the stories of their impact. Being surrounded by folks who are invigorated by solving problems and wrestling with hard questions is what gets me up in the mornings and makes me want to stay in this field!
Q. What is one thing your true friends know about you?
A. This is a late breaking confession that I made to my close friends, but I recently read the book Shark Heart by Emily Habeck, which is about.... stay with me here... a man who is slowly turning into a great white shark. And unironically, it was one of the best books I've ever read. Trust me and read it! 🦈
Q. What are you most looking forward to this Fall?
A. I'm really looking forward to cooler temperatures for ALL the biking - I'm an avid cyclist but also a bit of a wimp about heat, so I thrive in the shoulder seasons. Crisp mornings for rides and dog walks bring me lots of joy! I'm also really excited to attend the American Evaluation Association conference and meet my new I2I crew in person!
Up Our Sleeves
Pay Her Forward Fundraiser
Headed to Portland for the AEA annual conference in October? Join us for happy hour + professional headshots for a worthy cause!
I2I is hosting our 4th annual Pay Her Forward fundraiser on Wednesday, October 23rd from 5-7 pm PT at this year’s American Evaluation Association Conference in Portland.
A suggested $30 donation includes a professional headshot (taken by Crystal Genes Photography) and light refreshments with excellent company! 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Women's Foundation of Oregon - an organization that seeks to dismantle sexism, racism, & structural oppression through the movement of resources & ideas toward gender justice.
Click here to RSVP by Friday, Oct 11, 2024! Address & more info will be emailed closer to the date. See you there!
Onward and upward, y’all!
You know, heart-2-hearts are supposed to be a 2-way street…
So comment below, what’s on your mind, in your heart, and up your sleeve? Hopefully a lil’ bit of good trouble. 😉
Subscribe to the newsletter here!
Until next time,
Intention 2 Impact
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