Filter Results:
(2,692)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(4,941)
- People (21)
- News (965)
- Research (2,692)
- Events (18)
- Multimedia (33)
- Faculty Publications (1,740)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(4,941)
- People (21)
- News (965)
- Research (2,692)
- Events (18)
- Multimedia (33)
- Faculty Publications (1,740)
Sort by
- December 2016
- Article
Impact Investing: A Brief History
By: Brian Trelstad
Over the last decade, impact investing has become an increasingly-discussed topic in the realms of both business and public policy. Impact investors are motived by a desire to advance social or environmental goals and an intuition that pursuing two goals at once -... View Details
Trelstad, Brian. "Impact Investing: A Brief History." Capitalism and Society 11, no. 2 (December 2016).
- 2024
- Working Paper
What Do Impact Investors Do Differently?
In recent years, impact investors—private investors who seek to generate simultaneously financial and social returns—have attracted intense interest and controversy. We introduce and analyze a novel, comprehensive data set of impact
and traditional investors to assess... View Details
Keywords: ESG; Socially Responsible Investing; Investment Decisions; Public Goods; Impact Investment; Investing; Investment; Private Equity; Venture Capital
Cole, Shawn, Leslie Jeng, Josh Lerner, Natalia Rigol, and Benjamin N. Roth. "What Do Impact Investors Do Differently?" Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 24-028, November 2023. (Revised November 2024. Revise and Resubmit, Review of Financial Studies.)
- 2021
- Working Paper
Accounting for Product Impact in the Pharmaceuticals Industry
By: Amanda Rischbieth, George Serafeim and Katie Trinh
We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the pharmaceuticals industry. We design a monetization methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates of accessible... View Details
Keywords: Product Innovation; Impact; Impact Investing; Impact Measurement; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; ESG Ratings; Social Corporate Responsibility; Corporate Social Responsibility; Social Impact; Pharmaceutical Companies; Pharmaceuticals; IWAI; Product Design; Product Positioning; Society; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Product; Safety; Pharmaceutical Industry
Rischbieth, Amanda, George Serafeim, and Katie Trinh. "Accounting for Product Impact in the Pharmaceuticals Industry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-139, June 2021.
- 2021
- Working Paper
Accounting for Product Impact in the Water Utilities Industry
By: George Serafeim and Katie Trinh
We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the water utilities industry. We design a monetization methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates of water... View Details
Keywords: Product Innovation; Impact; Impact Investing; Impact Measurement; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; ESG Ratings; Social Corporate Responsibility; Corporate Social Responsibility; Social Impact; Water; Utilities; Product Design; Product Positioning; Society; Product; Environmental Sustainability; Measurement and Metrics; Framework; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Utilities Industry
Serafeim, George, and Katie Trinh. "Accounting for Product Impact in the Water Utilities Industry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-104, March 2021.
- 14 Jun 2010
- Research & Ideas
The Hard Work of Measuring Social Impact
what that spending achieved. Yet there has been little agreement on a set of hard-and-fast metrics to measure social performance. How should a nonprofit manager respond when a significant donor asks for proof of his or her contribution's... View Details
Keywords: by Julia Hanna
- Article
Scaling Social Impact Strategies for Spreading Social Innovations
Dees, J. Gregory, Beth Battle Anderson, and Jane Wei-Skillern. "Scaling Social Impact Strategies for Spreading Social Innovations." Stanford Social Innovation Review 1, no. 4 (Spring 2004): 24–32.
- 09 Mar 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Impact Investing: A Theory of Financing Social Entrepreneurship
- September 2016
- Supplement
Health Leads: Reaching for Impact (B)
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Sarah Appleby
The (B) case documents the development of a strategy to achieve system-level impact in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape for a nonprofit focused on addressing patients' basic social needs through healthcare institutions. Founded in 1996 with a volunteer-staffed... View Details
Keywords: Scaling Social Impact; Scaling Social Enterprise; Health Care Delivery; Health Care Outcomes; Nonprofit Scaling; Nonprofit; Social Enterprise; Social Entrepreneurship; Health Care and Treatment; Nonprofit Organizations; Growth and Development Strategy; Health Industry; United States
Rangan, V. Kasturi, and Sarah Appleby. "Health Leads: Reaching for Impact (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 517-023, September 2016.
- August 2022
- Case
Southwick Social Ventures
By: Henry McGee, Mel Martin and Amy Klopfenstein
In 2021, the HBS Impact Investment Fund student team had found a promising potential investment in Southwick Social Ventures (SSV), a worker and management-owned trouser manufacturer. With a 100% immigrant workforce, the co-operative was focused on reviving... View Details
Keywords: Impact Investing; Entrepreneurship; Social Entrepreneurship; Finance; Investment; Goods and Commodities; Manufacturing Industry; United States; Massachusetts
McGee, Henry, Mel Martin, and Amy Klopfenstein. "Southwick Social Ventures." Harvard Business School Case 323-011, August 2022.
- May 2012
- Technical Note
Frameworks for Dialogue and Research about Social Impact Investing
Social Impact Investment is a rapidly expanding field, but terminology in the field is poorly defined and imprecise. This note suggests frameworks that help to clarify important dimensions of SII projects, distinguishing and clarifying key differences in approaches to... View Details
Keywords: Development Stage Enterprises; Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurial Finance; Financial Instruments; Performance Measurement; Balanced Scorecard; Investment Funds; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Research; Framework; Entrepreneurship; Financial Services Industry
Leonard, Herman B. "Dutch". "Frameworks for Dialogue and Research about Social Impact Investing." Harvard Business School Technical Note 312-091, May 2012.
- September 2016
- Case
Health Leads: Reaching for Impact (A)
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Sarah Appleby
Explores strategies to achieve system-level impact for a nonprofit focused on addressing patients' basic social needs through healthcare institutions. Founded in 1996 with a volunteer-staffed help desk at Boston Medical Center connecting low-income patients with basic... View Details
Keywords: Scaling Social Impact; Nonprofit; Healthcare; Health Care Outcomes; Health Care Reform; Health Care Delivery; Scaling Social Enterprise; Social Enterprise; Health; Nonprofit Organizations; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry; United States
Rangan, V. Kasturi, and Sarah Appleby. "Health Leads: Reaching for Impact (A)." Harvard Business School Case 517-022, September 2016.
- 2020
- Working Paper
Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer Finance Industry
By: George Serafeim and Katie Trinh
We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor credit card providers within the consumer finance industry. We design a monetization methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates... View Details
Keywords: Product Innovation; Impact; Impact Investing; Impact Measurement; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; ESG Ratings; Social Corporate Responsibility; Corporate Social Responsibility; Social Impact; Consumer Finance; Financial Services; Financial Inclusion; Product; Product Design; Product Positioning; Society; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Personal Finance; Credit Cards; Financial Services Industry
Serafeim, George, and Katie Trinh. "Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer Finance Industry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-061, November 2020. (Revised December 2020.)
- May 2025 (Revised June 2025)
- Background Note
Social Enterprise in Latin America
By: Brian L. Trelstad and Karina Souza
This research note provides an overview of the social enterprise ecosystem in Latin America, exploring current dynamics across key markets, including country-specific insights on Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Central America. In a region characterized... View Details
Keywords: Impact Investing; Developing Countries and Economies; Social Entrepreneurship; Emerging Markets; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Ownership; Social Enterprise; Business Strategy; Equality and Inequality; Microfinance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Information Technology Industry; Latin America; Brazil; Mexico; Argentina; Colombia; Chile; Guatemala; Central America; Peru; Uruguay
Trelstad, Brian L., and Karina Souza. "Social Enterprise in Latin America." Harvard Business School Background Note 325-117, May 2025. (Revised June 2025.)
- February 2017 (Revised September 2017)
- Case
Akshaya Patra: Impact at Scale
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Sarah Appleby
Akshaya Patra, an Indian NGO, had set an ambitious goal of serving 5 million free meals daily to India's schoolchildren. Founded in 2000, Akshaya Patra had thus far opened 25 high-capacity kitchens in 10 different States to provide a midday meal to nearly 1.65 million... View Details
Keywords: Scaling; Public-private Partnership; Operational Excellence; Nonprofit Scaling; Social Impact; Social Enterprise; Growth and Development Strategy; Business and Government Relations; Performance Effectiveness; Nonprofit Organizations; India
Rangan, V. Kasturi, and Sarah Appleby. "Akshaya Patra: Impact at Scale." Harvard Business School Case 517-028, February 2017. (Revised September 2017.)
- April 2021 (Revised July 2021)
- Case
Public Equities Impact Investing at BlackRock
By: Shawn A. Cole, Vikram S. Gandhi, Michael Norris and John Masko
In early 2021, BlackRock—the world’s largest asset manager with $9 trillion in assets under management (AUM)—sought to become a leader in promoting environmental and social sustainability. Over the previous ten years, CEO Larry Fink had written an annual open letter to... View Details
Keywords: Impact Investing; Renewable Energy; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Equity; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Financial Management; Investment Funds; Investment Return; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Financial Services Industry; United States
Cole, Shawn A., Vikram S. Gandhi, Michael Norris, and John Masko. "Public Equities Impact Investing at BlackRock." Harvard Business School Case 221-066, April 2021. (Revised July 2021.)
- February 2018 (Revised August 2019)
- Case
The Rise Fund: TPG Bets Big on Impact
By: Vikram S. Gandhi, Caitlin Reimers Brumme and Sarah Mehta
It is March 2017, and TPG, a global alternative investment firm with $74 billion assets under management, has recently launched its inaugural impact-investing fund—the $2 billion Rise Fund. In an effort to “take the religion out of impact investing,” Maya Chorengel,... View Details
Keywords: Impact Investing; Impact Measurement; Equity; Investment; Measurement and Metrics; Financial Services Industry; California; San Francisco
Gandhi, Vikram S., Caitlin Reimers Brumme, and Sarah Mehta. "The Rise Fund: TPG Bets Big on Impact." Harvard Business School Case 318-041, February 2018. (Revised August 2019.)
- March 2021 (Revised April 2021)
- Case
Making Impact Investing Markets: IFC (A)
By: Shawn A. Cole, John Masko and T. Robert Zochowski
In 2017, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) faced the first big investment decision in its new Scaling Solar project. Founded in 1956, IFC was an international investment body with national governments as shareholders, whose mission was to promote economic... View Details
Keywords: Impact Investing; Development Economics; Developing Countries and Economies; Renewable Energy; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Borrowing and Debt; Credit; Equity; Bonds; Financing and Loans; Growth and Development; Emerging Markets; Non-Governmental Organizations; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Investment; Decision Making; Financial Services Industry; Energy Industry; Zambia
Cole, Shawn A., John Masko, and T. Robert Zochowski. "Making Impact Investing Markets: IFC (A)." Harvard Business School Case 221-061, March 2021. (Revised April 2021.)
- 2021
- Working Paper
Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer-Packaged Foods Industry
By: Amanda Rischbieth, George Serafeim and Katie Trinh
We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the consumer-packaged goods industry. We design a methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates on customer... View Details
Keywords: Product Innovation; Impact; Impact Investing; Impact Measurement; ESG; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Performance; ESG Ratings; Social Corporate Responsibility; Corporate Social Responsibility; Social Impact; Nutrition Database; Nutritional Information; CPG; Consumer Packaged Goods; IWAI; Product Design; Product Positioning; Society; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Nutrition; Product; Safety; Consumer Products Industry
Rischbieth, Amanda, George Serafeim, and Katie Trinh. "Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer-Packaged Foods Industry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-051, October 2020. (Revised October 2021.)
- August 2019 (Revised July 2020)
- Case
Participant Media: Social Impact in Hollywood
By: Mark R. Kramer and Brooke D. Biederman
Kramer, Mark R., and Brooke D. Biederman. "Participant Media: Social Impact in Hollywood." Harvard Business School Case 720-364, August 2019. (Revised July 2020.)