Impact Investing: Big investment, little financial benefits, more social impact... “What, Why & How?”

Impact Investing is a growing developmental tool. It can play a good role in the development of any country especially in developing countries. For example, the Impact Investor can invest their money for food production, preservation and food processing. In our world, there are many countries where sometimes food productions cross their needs and it is easy for develop country to export the excess foods or any other products in abroad.

But it is not always possible for the developing and non developed country to export the excess foods or other products, because there are no sufficient and modern preservation and processing advantages, rather poor communication and transport system are also big problems.

We know when production cross the demand then the prices decrease and many production wastes and the poor producer/manufacturer fail to get back their principal amount of money. If there, a big investor invest his/her money for food security and social good, willing to make little profit by his investment, then the scenarios must be changed. The producer and farmers can get financial benefits, improve their economic situation, some employment opportunities create, general people can buy those products in low price (because of little profits makes by the investor) and moreover, some positive social changes occur. Also, some investor can invest in health care to serve health service at free of cost or with very nominal cost for the poor. Lending Microfinance (Microcredit) and SME loan to the poor can play a vital role in poverty reduction if the lender really wants to make very little profits. In many countries many financial organizations are lending their finance to the people, but most of there, the investors have no intention to make little profit!!! In Bangladesh, Brac, Grameen bank, ASA, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and many other organizations lend microcredit to the poor, but the interest rate of lending money and the process and time-frame of refund systems are not friendly for the poor to properly reduce their poverty, so the interest rate should reduce for bringing positive social changes.

There are many products or area of work for impact investing. It is true that if anyone or organization wants to be a part of positive social change in any area, country or in the whole world, they should come with a positive mentality for mankind and with have no big desire for gaining big profit as traditional and commercial businessman.

We know investment always brings profit or loss. Only except philanthropist, when anyone or any organization wants to invest money then he or she must desires some financial profit or outcomes from their investment. Some practitioner and Academic think or pursue their opinion that there should be no scope of financial profit by impact investing. But is it possible to continue and broadly spread this type investment opportunity in whole over the world. Are the investors desire to invest for positive social changes when their investment will not bring financial profit for them rather it will be in a vulnerable position?  May be not! Every traditional businessman works for profit. If the investors gain some profit then many investors will come forward to invest their more finance for positive social changes. If there are much positive social impact come by impact investing then everyone should encourage and talk about this. It helps more than traditional commercial investment. So there are no problems of gaining little profit or only principal through investment when major predicted social outcomes are coming and strengthening the economy, reducing poverty and inequality. And we can call it as ‘Positive Impact Investing’.

So why not we encourage this types of investment when it is doing good for society and environment? Every Government of every country, especially developing countries, should take initiatives and build awareness to encourage impact investing. Its help the government to concentrate in their regular and other development works when the investors implement several types of development programs and play a vital role in empowering people, poverty alleviation, decreasing inequality, employment creation, community development etc and of course in economic growth of the country. Government, development organizations, civil society, everyone should raise awareness for the potential impact of this type of developmental tool.

 Here is a presentation (in pdf & pptx version) about Impact Investing for interested readers. 
Impact_Investing_What_Why_and_How--pdf version 

Impact_Investing_What_Why_and_How-- pptx version