Impact Investing

Positive social change. Competitive financial return. Both are possible with impact investing.

As impact investing has evolved into a more powerful tool for good, so too has National Philanthropic Trust’s impact investing platform. Today, NPT helps donors achieve their philanthropic goals by offering both thematic impact portfolios and private impact investing solutions for their donor-advised funds (DAFs).

Developed in partnership with CapShift, the preeminent provider of impact investment solutions, our platform offers donors two primary options:

Those who prefer the ease of a single investing solution may select from our thematic portfolios: Equity and Inclusion, Environmental Stewardship, Gender Lens and Broad Social Impact. These portfolios, which actively pursue social and environmental solutions alongside competitive financial returns, provide donors with a complete, diversified allocation strategy in a single investment vehicle.
For donors looking for a more personal approach to their investing strategy, NPT also offers customized impact investing portfolios that helps amplify your giving for the causes you care most about.

Thematic Impact Investment Portfolios

Equity and Inclusion Portfolio

Environmental Stewardship Portfolio

Gender Lens Portfolio

Broad Social Impact Portfolio

Equity and Inclusion Portfolio

Social Impact Goal:
Seeks to narrow inequalities in society by creating economic opportunity that advances equity and inclusion

Financial Goal:
Seeks long-term capital growth and preservation with moderate risk

Strategy:

Funds companies developing products and solutions for the least advantaged communities globally
Invests in companies and municipalities offering fair wages and benefits to employees
Screens out companies with poor track records in the way they treat employees, suppliers and the communities in which they operate

Environmental Stewardship Portfolio

Social Impact Goal:

Manages climate change risks and protects and conserves natural resources

Financial Goal:

Seeks long-term capital growth and reasonable capital preservation with moderate risk

Strategy:

Funds companies developing solutions to climate change challenges
Invests in companies that have reduced greenhouse gas emissions and overall resource consumption
Screens out companies and municipalities with poor environmental practices

Gender Lens Portfolio

Social Impact Goal:

Supports the advancement of women in the workplace and beyond

Financial Goal:

Seeks long-term capital growth and reasonable capital preservation with moderate risk

Strategy:

Invests in companies providing advancement opportunities for women and closing the gender pay gap
Lends capital to businesses that are led by women or promote the well-being of women and girls
Holds mutual funds with strong financial and social performance that are managed by women

Broad Social Impact Portfolio

Social Impact Goal:

Advances solutions to global challenges, including financial inclusion, climate change, conservation, access to healthcare, equity and inclusion and proper corporate governance

Financial Goal:

Seeks long-term capital growth and preservation with growth/higher risk

Strategy:

Funds organizations that lend to low-income families and small businesses that lack access to formal banking
Invests in companies developing solutions to aid the least advantaged and help conserve natural resources
Screens out companies with poor track records in how they treat employees, the environment and their communities

Customized Impact Investments

Donors who wish to build a customized impact investment portfolio to support their personal philanthropic vision may recommend private investments from our curated menu of pre-approved options. While NPT has offered impact investing funds since 2015, our new, industry-leading impact platform offers more choices and more potential to create the change our donors wish to see in the world.

We realize that grantmaking alone will not solve the most complex problems facing society. With NPT’s impact investing platform, our donors can amplify their impact by aligning their grants—in support of renewable energy, gender equity or affordable basic services in housing, education and healthcare—with investments that also champion solutions in these areas.

Please note that these options are available to DAF accounts of $500,000 or more; if you are a new donor, you will need to fund your new DAF account at this level to be eligible.

How to Invest in Thematic Portfolios

New Donors

You may select from NPT’s thematic impact portfolios when you complete the donor application in the section where you recommend an investment strategy for your DAF.

Current Donors

You may recommend a new investment strategy at any time and can easily allocate DAF assets into NPT’s impact portfolios. Log in to your DAF account via the donor portal and click on the Investments page to recommend a reallocation.