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Finance or philanthropy? Exploring the motivations and criteria of impact investors

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  • Philip Roundy
  • Hunter Holzhauer
  • Ye Dai

Abstract

Purpose - The growing prevalence of social entrepreneurship has been coupled with an increasing number of so-called “impact investors”. However, much remains to be learned about this nascent class of investors. To address the dearth of scholarly attention to impact investing, this study seeks to answer four questions that are central to understanding the phenomenon. What are the defining characteristics of impact investing? Do impact investors differ from traditional classes of investors and, if so, how? What are the motivations that drive impact investment? And, what criteria do impact investors use when evaluating potential investments? Design/methodology/approach - A partially inductive study based on semi-structured interviews with 31 investors and ethnographic observation was conducted to explore how impact investors differ from other classes of investors in their motivations and unique criteria used to evaluate ventures seeking investment. Findings - This study reveals that impact investors represent a unique class of investors that differs from socially responsible investing, from other types of for-profit investors, such as venture capitalists and angel investors, and from traditional philanthropists. The varied motivations of impact investors and the criteria they use to evaluate investments are identified. Originality/value - Despite the growing practitioner and media attention to impact investing, several foundational issues remain unaddressed. This study takes the first steps toward shedding light on this new realm of early-stage venture investing and clarifying its role in larger efforts of social responsibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Roundy & Hunter Holzhauer & Ye Dai, 2017. "Finance or philanthropy? Exploring the motivations and criteria of impact investors," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 13(3), pages 491-512, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:srjpps:srj-08-2016-0135
    DOI: 10.1108/SRJ-08-2016-0135
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Susan D. Phillips & Bernadette Johnson, 2021. "Inching to Impact: The Demand Side of Social Impact Investing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(3), pages 615-629, January.
    2. Noelia Franco-Leal & Carmen Camelo-Ordaz & Juan Pablo Dianez-Gonzalez & Elena Sousa-Ginel, 2020. "The Role of Social and Institutional Contexts in Social Innovations of Spanish Academic Spinoffs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-24, January.
    3. David Risi & Falko Paetzold & Anne Kellers, 2021. "Wealthy Private Investors and Socially Responsible Investing: The Influence of Reference Groups," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-24, November.
    4. Anirudh Agrawal & Kai Hockerts, 2019. "Impact Investing Strategy: Managing Conflicts between Impact Investor and Investee Social Enterprise," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Rosella Carè & Francesco Rania & Riccardo De Lisa, 2020. "Critical Success Factors, Motivations, and Risks in Social Impact Bonds," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
    6. Syrus M. Islam, 2022. "Impact investing in social sector organisations: a systematic review and research agenda," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 709-737, March.
    7. Eduardo da Silva Fernandes & Inês Hexsel Grochau & Carla Schwengber Ten Caten, 2023. "Impact Investing: Determinants of External Financing of Social Enterprises in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-21, August.
    8. David C. Heinz & Vivek K. Velamuri, 2024. "Intentionality and Decision-Making in Impact Investing—Understanding Investment Motivation and Selection Criteria of Impact Investors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-20, May.
    9. Koenigsmarck, Markus & Geissdoerfer, Martin, 2023. "Shifting the Focus to Measurement: A Review of Socially Responsible Investing and Sustainability Indicators," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 136617, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    10. Anthony Piscitelli, 2023. "Classifying responsible investors: Identifying clusters of Ontario investors," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(4), pages 1133-1144, December.
    11. Théophile Anquetin & Guillaume Coqueret & Bertrand Tavin & Lou Welgryn, 2022. "Scopes of carbon emissions and their impact on green portfolios," Post-Print hal-04144612, HAL.
    12. Cojoianu, Theodor F. & Hoepner, Andreas G.F. & Lin, Yanan, 2022. "Private market impact investing firms: Ownership structure and investment style," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    13. Irene Bengo & Alice Borrello & Veronica Chiodo, 2021. "Preserving the Integrity of Social Impact Investing: Towards a Distinctive Implementation Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, March.
    14. Tania Pereira Christopoulos & Pedro Verga Matos & Rafael Drumond Borges, 2024. "An Ecosystem for Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation: How the State Integrates Actors for Developing Impact Investing in Portugal," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7968-7992, June.
    15. Kunal Y. Sevak & LaKami Baker, 2022. "Need‐resource indicators and nonprofit human services organization density," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 93(1), pages 129-160, March.
    16. Annebeth Roor & Karen Maas, 2024. "Do impact investors live up to their promise? A systematic literature review on (im)proving investments' impacts," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3707-3732, May.
    17. Markus Koenigsmarck & Martin Geissdoerfer, 2023. "Shifting the Focus to Measurement: A Review of Socially Responsible Investing and Sustainability Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-24, January.
    18. Anquetin, Théophile & Coqueret, Guillaume & Tavin, Bertrand & Welgryn, Lou, 2022. "Scopes of carbon emissions and their impact on green portfolios," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    19. Uparna, Jayaram & Bingham, Chris, 2022. "Breaking “Bad”: Negativity’s benefit for entrepreneurial funding," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1353-1365.
    20. Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Ibrahim A. Elshaer, 2023. "Risk-Taking, Financial Knowledge, and Risky Investment Intention: Expanding Theory of Planned Behavior Using a Moderating-Mediating Model," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    21. Federica Bandini & Helen Chiappini & Francesca Pallara, 2022. "Fund managers acting as impact investors: Strategies, practices, and tensions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 1084-1095, July.

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