Beyond Grantmaking: Defining an Investment Strategy to Support Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education

This members-only Education Finance Network event conducted on November 30 featured a discussion between Network members Michael Rieser from UBS Optimus Foundation and Alejandra Montes Saenz from Fundación Carulla. They shared their experiences in developing impact investment strategies in education and discussed how to leverage alternative financing instruments to fund innovative solutions that improve learning outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

Key takeaways from the event:

• Impact investing can help foundations maximize their impact and increase the sustainability of their endowments and programs.
• Succeeding in impact investment requires strong leadership skills and internal capabilities to provide financial and operational support to social entrepreneurs.
• Impact investing is not the solution for all problems – grantmaking remains an effective funding instrument, including for support to early-stage social enterprises and incubators.

If you wish to join future Education Finance Network discussions and are striving to create inclusive, high-quality education in low- and middle-income countries, we encourage you to apply for membership.