Simply put, mission investments are investments made by philanthropists and their foundations that are not just about the financial return, but take into consideration the societal or environmental impact of that return and in some instances, achieve a direct tangible social impact. These investments seek to add value to and support the philanthropic aims of the foundation or philanthropist.
Such investments fall into two key segments:
| Mission Related Investing (MRI). | Program Related Investing (PRI). |
| The practice of aligning the management of assets with charitable purposes while sustaining long-term financial return. Many larger foundations are adopting these methods for their endowments so as to achieve a positive social or environmental impact while contributing to the foundation’s long-term financial stability and growth | The practice of investing in loans, loan guarantees, linked deposits, impact investments, that directly support charitable activities alongside seeing a return of capital. These investments are a valuable addition to a foundations grant giving activity, utilizing all available resources in support of the end vision |