Calvert Impact Capital Joins Innovative Collaborative to Mobilize $1 Billion for Gender Equity

BETHESDA, Md., June 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Calvert Impact Capital, an impact investor dedicated to creating a more equitable and sustainable world, will lead the private debt strategy for the Equality Fund, a ground-breaking new collaborative that was recently awarded $300 million CAD from the Canadian government.

The Equality Fund is a Canadian-led multi-stakeholder initiative that combines an innovative investment strategy with international feminist grant-making and multi-sector philanthropy to transform and sustain funding for women's organizations beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) will also serve as a strategic investment partner to the Equality Fund, which is led by The MATCH International Women's Fund with several other partners including African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), Philanthropy for Advancing Women's Human Rights (PAWHR), Toronto Foundation, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), Oxfam Canada and Yaletown Partners.

As the leader of the Equality Fund's private debt strategy, Calvert Impact Capital will apply a holistic gender lens to $75 million CAD of private loans deployed primarily through funds and intermediaries. Leveraging their recently launched syndications business in service of this work, they will develop a pipeline of deals sourced from their extensive global network that provides intentional, measurable social and/or environmental return across a range of sectors and geographies, with a focus on emerging markets.

"The Equality Fund strategy will demonstrate the power of combining different types of capital for maximum impact, and we are thrilled to join this diverse group of like-minded partners," said Jenn Pryce, Calvert Impact Capital's CEO. "The $300 million award from the Canadian government represents a bold initiative that motivates new forms of collaboration to tackle age-old significant global problems. We hope their work inspires similar efforts around the globe."

Calvert Impact Capital is a recognized leader in gender-lens investing and author of "Just Good Investing: Why gender matters to your portfolio and what you can do about it," a report that examines the relationship between gender diversity in leadership and financial performance of their portfolio, and includes tools and lessons for investors looking to adopt a gender lens. Calvert Impact Capital works to encourage investors and businesses to approach gender inclusion as a business imperative and competitive advantage with the goal of creating a network of strong financial intermediaries and asset managers who understand and include women in their investment process, diligence and decision making.

"As a part of the Equality Fund, we will make significant progress towards our goal of moving gender-lens investing from a relatively niche practice to a standard part of all investing," Pryce said. "We look forward to the work ahead."

Calvert Impact Capital invests to create a more equitable and sustainable world. Through our products and services, we raise capital from individual and institutional investors to finance intermediaries and funds that are investing in communities left out of traditional capital markets. During our 24-year history, we have mobilized over $2 billion of investor capital. Calvert Impact Capital has recently expanded our services to include loan syndication services, where we originate, structure and administer loans for institutional and qualified lenders seeking high-impact private debt opportunities. Since the launch, we have syndicated and/or administered more than $200 million of capital across for impact-oriented transactions. More at www.calvertimpactcapital.org.

For press inquiries:
Cindy Stoller
Confluence Partners
917-331-0418

SOURCE Calvert Impact Capital

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http://www.calvertimpactcapital.org