SDS Capital Group Named to ImpactAssets 50 List for Fourth Consecutive Year

BETHESDA, Md., March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth consecutive year, SDS Capital Group (SDS) has been named to the ImpactAssets 50  (IA 50) Global Impact Fund list—the impact investing industry's leading database of private capital fund managers.

SDS once again earned its selection as an IA50 manager based on a competitive application process, which drew a record number of applicants this year. Now in its 10^th year, the IA 50 list is used by financial advisors, institutional investors, individual investors and family offices to assess funds that deliver social and environmental impacts as well as financial returns. 

Despite a tumultuous year, total assets under management (AUM) among selected fund managers jumped to a record $228 billion in 2020, up from $181 billion in 2019. SDS is one of 13 managers on this year's list to report assets exceeding $1 billion.

"It is an honor to be selected by ImpactAssets 50 for four years running," said SDS Capital Group CEO and Founder Deborah La Franchi. "It is very gratifying to see impact investing's heightened visibility among institutional investors. When SDS was launched in 2001, there was virtually no investor base for our impact funds. They were little understood and extremely challenging to launch. Interest in impact investing has grown considerably over the past few years."

Being selected as an IA 50 manager has become increasingly competitive. "The growth we've seen in the IA 50 over the past decade reflects the growth, maturity, and increased diversity of the impact investing industry as a whole," said Sandra Osborne Kartt, CFA, Director, Investments, ImpactAssets. "This year's IA 50 represents the vast array of impact themes and strategies available to impact investors today." 

SDS was selected for the IA 50 2021 class based on its commitment to meaningful impact, diversity of communities in which investments are made, diversity of staff, and strong track record of delivering market or above market rates of return. 

In addition to being an early entrant in the impact investing space, SDS Capital Group is noteworthy because it is 100% woman-owned – a distinction that sets it apart in the private equity real estate fund industry. According to private capital advisory firm Bella Research Group, just $3 of every $1,000 in assets under management in real estate funds is managed by a woman-owned firm.

SDS currently manages over $1 billion in impact assets. Its investments have helped create more than 8,500 jobs and nearly 3,000 units of affordable and workforce housing in underserved communities with an average poverty rate of 31% and populations that are on average 58% minority. 

"We're on track over just the next five years to achieve the same level of investment and impact that we achieved over the previous 20 years," added Ms. La Franchi. "The growth of SDS's existing and trailblazing new funds will help us accelerate the funding timeline and transform a growing number of our country's poorest communities."   

Of note, SDS recently launched its groundbreaking SDS Supportive Housing Fund in 2020. This first-of-its-kind private equity fund finances permanent supportive housing for Californians experiencing homelessness. The Fund, which has a goal of financing 1,800 housing units, is presently capitalized at $106 million and has made four investments. It serves as the sole source of capital for the developments it finances, which have a per-unit cost of $200,000 (less than half the typical market cost). The developments do not require taxpayer subsidy for land acquisition or construction. The Fund's housing projects also provide case management services to each tenant. SDS's innovative approach was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times and on KNBC-TV.

The lead investor for the SDS Supportive Housing Fund is Kaiser Permanente, which invested $50 million. As the nation's largest nonprofit integrated health system, Kaiser Permanente has a long track record of supporting efforts to end homelessness and making impact investments.

John Vu, Kaiser Permanente's national vice president for community health, said, "Two critical factors cemented our decision to invest $50 million with SDS Capital Group. The first was the firm's track record of strong financial diligence and stewardship of investor capital. The second was its deep commitment to investing in our nation's most underserved populations. We are excited to be a partner with SDS as they continue to grow their impact investment strategies."

Kartt and Jennifer Kenning, Co-Founder and CEO of Align Impact and IA 50 Senior Investment Advisor, led the teams that performed the application scoring and analysis process for this year's IA 50 list. 

See SDS's IA 50 2021 profile here.

About SDS Capital Group

Founded in 2001 by Deborah La Franchi, SDS Capital Group manages a platform of impact investment funds – each with a distinct geography and investment strategy. Every investment SDS makes is driven by the core mission of achieving financial returns while deploying capital in a manner that helps transform underserved communities by alleviating poverty and promoting economic prosperity. SDS has been recognized for the past four years by 'ImpactAssets 50' as one of the top impact managers globally. With six funds and finance products on its platform, SDS currently has over $1 billion in impact assets under management. For more information, visit www.sdsgroup.com.

About the ImpactAssets 50 
The IA 50 is the first publicly available database that provides a gateway into the world of impact investing for investors and their financial advisors, offering an easy way to identify experienced impact investment firms and explore the landscape of potential investment options. The IA 50 is intended to illustrate the breadth of impact investment fund managers operating today, though it is not a comprehensive list. Firms have been selected to demonstrate a wide range of impact investing activities across geographies, sectors and asset classes. 

The IA 50 is not an index or investable platform and does not constitute an offering or recommend specific products. It is not a replacement for due diligence. To be considered for the IA 50 2021, fund managers needed to have at least $25 million in assets under management, more than three years of experience as a firm with impact investing, documented social and/or environmental impact and be available for US investment.   

About ImpactAssets 
ImpactAssets is the leading impact investing partner for individuals, families and philanthropists tackling the world's greatest challenges by investing in the world's brightest ideas. We make it easy for our clients to "discover, connect and invest" in game-changing entrepreneurs and funds. Founded in 2010, ImpactAssets increases flows of money to impact investing with our 100% impact investment platform and field-building initiatives, including the IA 50 database of private debt and equity impact fund managers. 

The ImpactAssets Donor Advised Fund is an innovative vehicle that empowers donors to increase the impact of their giving by combining it with strategic, sustainable and responsible investing to build a sophisticated philanthropic endowment. The Fund currently has more than $1.4 billion in assets in 1,400 donor advised funds, working with 350 wealth advisors across 60 financial services firms. 

Learn more at www.impactassets.org.  

FOR INQUIRES PLEASE CONTACT

Erik Deutsch
erikd[at]excelpr[dot]com
(323) 851-2455 direct

Rathi Ramasamy
rr[at]sdsgroup[dot]com
614-607-2063

SOURCE SDS Capital Group