The U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, an organization dedicated to building the impact investing ecosystem, today announced that John Palfrey will serve as the organization’s Advisory Board Chair, succeeding Darren Walker. Palfrey will be the third Chair of the Alliance, following Walker and Matt Bannick, former President of Omidyar Network.
“The Alliance plays a critical role in building the scale and success of impact investing,” said Palfrey, President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. “To meet the challenges of our time, foundations must deploy resources across the full spectrum of capital, including grants, catalytic capital, and endowment investments that align with mission and values. I look forward to working with the Alliance to continue expanding the reach and effectiveness of impact investing toward a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world.”
The MacArthur Foundation has been a leader in impact investing for 40 years, committing more than $800 million to over 200 mission-driven funds and enterprises in that time. It also advances the field of impact investing through grants totaling $5 million annually, including support for the Alliance and other investor networks. MacArthur has been an anchor funder and key member of the Alliance since its inception.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve as the Chair of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance,” said Walker, President of the Ford Foundation. “The impact investing movement is reshaping our economy and working to deliver a more just and equitable society. The Ford Foundation and our peers have been able to participate in this essential work precisely because of organizations like the Alliance, and I am excited to continue working with my colleagues around the world to deepen this movement further.”
Walker assumed the Chair position in 2016, having helped launch the Alliance with the goal of placing measurable social, economic, and environmental impact at the center of every investment decision. During his tenure as Chair, Ford Foundation announced its unprecedented $1 billion commitment to mission investing, which built on the organization’s history of using investment assets to advance its mission to confront inequality in all its forms. Walker will continue to serve on the Alliance’s Advisory Board, and the Ford Foundation will continue to support the development of impact investing in the U.S. and around the world.
“The Alliance and the entire impact investing movement owes a debt of gratitude to Darren Walker and the Ford Foundation,” said Fran Seegull, President of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance. “And while we will continue to look to Darren and his colleagues for guidance, we are incredibly fortunate to now work more closely with John Palfrey and the MacArthur Foundation. The continued growth of our movement will require the kind of bold and catalytic leadership that MacArthur is known for.”
About the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance
The U.S. Impact Investing Alliance (“Alliance”) is dedicated to building the impact investing ecosystem by bridging market gaps and addressing shared challenges. The Alliance’s long-term vision is to place measurable social, economic, and environmental impact alongside financial return and risk at the center of every investment decision. For more information, please visit www.impinvalliance.org.
