Calvert Impact

We are excited to share our 2024 Community Investment Note® Impact Report, Taking Action for Communities and Climate. This report includes an overview of our impact and investing philosophy, and dives into each of our Community Investment Note® portfolio sectors. Our Community Investment Note® finances organizations creating positive social and environmental impact in communities around the world. The Note is invested across nine sectors, with an emphasis on climate solutions like renewable energy and environmental sustainability.  We’ve chosen in this year’s report to explore these nine sectors through the lenses of community and climate, but as Catherine Godschalk, Justin C., and Jennifer Pryce write in their introduction to the Impact Report:  “We know that impact doesn’t sit neatly in silos but is multi-dimensional and interconnected. Our climate work is essential to gender equity; our commitment to racial equity means a commitment to a deep understanding of affordable housing, small business finance, community development, and more. We embrace this complexity, knowing that real change doesn't happen in a vacuum.” As we enter our 30th year of operations, we want to especially thank our investors who enable us to change the lives of millions of people across the globe, and work towards positive impact every day.  A thank you from Calvert Impact leadership: “Your decision to invest in the Community Investment Note® sets in motion a powerful ripple effect that reaches beyond your portfolio – and ours. Without you, none of our work would be possible. So, from our entire team, thank you for believing in our vision, for fueling our mission, and for all you do for people and planet.”  You can read the entire 2024 Community Investment Note® Impact Report on our website here: https://bit.ly/4fe6vsX #ImpactReport #ImpactInvesting #ClimateSolutions #CommunityInvestment #AffordableHousing 

Since launching the Community Investment Note® 30 years ago, we’ve invested over $3 billion from over 20,000 investors. Check out our new Portfolio Management Overview to learn about how we build and manage the Community Investment Note® portfolio. https://lnkd.in/g6uun_5Q

Calvert Impact recently announced a $10 million investment in the eco.business Fund, an impact investment fund advised by Finance in Motion. The investment will support the fund’s efforts to promote sustainable business practices across Latin America’s agribusiness, forestry, and aquaculture sectors. This latest investment builds on Calvert Impact’s long-standing relationship with the eco.business Fund, which dates back to 2017. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eNsBPBU4

“In the face of climate change, projects like these are a 'critical part of the broader resilience that we need to be building,' Godschalk said.” Calvert Impact's Chief Investment Officer Catherine Godschalk was interviewed for a great article about how investors are financing projects to adapt to climate change from The Wall Street Journal's Clara Hudson and Yusuf Khan: http://bit.ly/45DpD0D

There are around 100 organizations in the Calvert Impact Capital portfolio doing incredible work around the world. One of our longtime partners is Self-Help Enterprises. Formed in 1965, Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is a nationally recognized community development organization whose mission is to work together with low-income families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Since their founding, SHE has impacted the lives of over 65,000 individuals. https://lnkd.in/g_EEpMfn Visit SHE’s profile on our website to read more stories from their work, and learn more about all of our Community Investment Note® portfolio partners and their impact here: https://lnkd.in/gn47rWWK Photo credit: Self-Help Enterprises

Congratulations to the Blue Forest team on launching their sixth Forest Resilience Bond (FRB) to fund forest restoration and protect critical ecosystems against wildfires. Calvert Impact is proud to have partnered with Blue Forest on the first FRB, which was completed in 2023 and helped serve as the model for subsequent FRBs. That project helped protect 15,000 acres of forestland in California's North Yuba River watershed. You can learn more about the first FRB here: https://lnkd.in/gx9PeQ4k

Last month, our CEO Jennifer Pryce wrote about the need for a shift within the impact investing industry to transform capital markets, not just deploy capital. Recently, Antony Bugg-Levine expanded on how the industry can help capital flow more freely to those who need it most: “The next step is building the clear ideas and consistent practices that make a field: codifying the practices, connecting the pioneers, and investing in the repeatable tools and trusted intermediaries to accelerate this work.” Check out his compelling article in ImpactAlpha: https://lnkd.in/gTCFVvmy

We had a busy start to the summer! Check out the latest edition of our monthly newsletter to read our CEO Jennifer Pryce's op-ed on market shaping, learn more about the Mission Driven Bank Fund's investment in Grand.bank, see our latest #SmallBusiness blogs, and more. https://lnkd.in/gx8s7WY4

The Mission Driven Bank Fund team recently volunteered at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Staff from Calvert Impact, Elizabeth Park Capital Management, and Strategic Value Bank Partners valued the opportunity to help support members of the Cleveland community and meet leaders working to fight food insecurity in the region.