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Social impact investing

August

Is rent-to-own a better option than build-to-rent?

Build-to-rent can provide housing at scale, but some like Sydney architect James Alexander-Hatziplis believe there should also be a pathway to homeownership.

  • Larry Schlesinger
Michael Traill, co-founder of For Purpose Investment Partners, and Qantas Super’s Andrew Spence.

This super fund creates positive returns – and social benefits

Within its $9b fund, Qantas Super allocated $600 million for social impact investing. This year it backed an aged care project, to improve quality of care.

  • James Eyers

June

Shaw and Partners Financial Services co-CEO Earl Evans. The firm has spent millions of dollars on sport.

Surf lifesaving in the Olympics? This broker says it’s no pipe dream

Shaw and Partners is all-in on wealth and health. But there’s more to its latest deal: elevating competitive surf lifesaving to the Brisbane 2032 program.

  • Zoe Samios

February

Francisco Widjojo is the head of his family office Arkblu Capital, an example of the younger generation of family offices.

Wealthy families are trying something new – ditching the secrecy

There’s a new breed of private investment vehicle for the super rich. And they’re less interested in managing money out of view than making more of it.

  • Primrose Riordan

November 2023

Richard Uechtritz, left, cold called Luke Terry to open a social enterprise in the Byron Shire.

‘No brainer’: Why this ex JB Hi-Fi CEO backed a Byron laundry

Businessman and Byron Bay local Richard Uechtritz has wrangled $12 million to open the Byron Shire’s only commercial laundry.

  • Tess Bennett
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October 2023

Melior co-founders Lucy Steed and Tim King.

Investors find value in championing social good

Impact investing is on the rise as more Australians seek to drive positive change as they reap financial returns.

  • Prashant Mehra

May 2023

Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers says impact investing can help deliver projects in disadvantaged areas.

Budget to aid social impact investing

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has flagged that Tuesday’s federal budget will include measures to harness private capital to help disadvantaged communities.

  • John Kehoe
Super funds need better guarantees on returns if the government wants them to finance social housing, according to new research.

Chalmers ‘must guarantee returns’ for nation-building super

This could include guaranteeing a minimum rate of return to investors, tax incentives or offering capital grants, new research commissioned by Rest suggests.

  • Hannah Wootton

January 2023

Michael Traill is championing social impact investing.

Banks ponder how to make a return on social impact

Banks are pushing to provide debt funding for a government-backed social impact investment vehicle, as Aware says it would rather go it alone.

  • Ayesha de Kretser and Hannah Wootton

Yes, you can get solid returns with impact investing

There’s a misconception that you can’t make a return on your investment as well as having a positive social or environmental impact.

  • James Wright
Jim Chalmers penned his essay at his home in Brisbane over the break.

Chalmers taps banks and super to fix social disadvantage

The Treasurer is working on plans to attract banks and superannuation funds to set up a social impact investing fund to tackle “entrenched disadvantage” in the May federal budget. 

  • John Kehoe

December 2022

Esther Kerr-Smith, of Australian Unity

Private capital eyes billions in social infrastructure projects

With $20 billion in projects waiting for private finance and super funds poised to help governments, investors are looking closely at social infrastructure.

  • Agnes King

November 2022

A DFAT fund has backed the Southeast Asian Women’s Economic Empowerment
Fund which will fund SMEs led by women in counties including Vietnam.

Andrew Forrest’s family office coinvests with DFAT on Asian investment

Tattarang and the Scalzo family’s private office have co-invested with the government’s Emerging Markets Impact Investment Fund to back female entrepreneurs in Asia.

  • Updated
  • James Eyers

October 2022

The big four banks could help the government establish a social impacting investment ‘wholesaler’.

Big four may back $400m social impact investment bank

The prime minister has reconvened the social impact investing taskforce, which has engaged with major bank CEOs on a co-funding model for social services.

  • James Eyers

January 2022

Michael Traill, chair of the social impact investing taskforce: “There has been widespread consultation and strong support around key recommendations.”

Government sits on social impact report for a year

Leaders of the nascent impact investing scene are frustrated that sensible policy proposals to bring private capital into social services haven’t got a response.

  • James Eyers
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October 2021

From left: Liverpool Partners managing partner Jonathan Lim, chief impact officer Katherine Walters and managing partner Brad Lancken.

Impact investing on the rise as Liverpool Partners launches new fund

The firm has raised $350 million from institutional investors for a new fund that will invest in unlisted assets.

  • Carrie LaFrenz

March 2021

Mr Lim called the impact investment strategy “En Vogue” but believes it will become more mainstream in the coming years.

High-net-worth families drawn to impact investing

Liverpool Partners, a private equity firm with an impact investing arm, says the socially conscious investor pool is growing among the nation’s rich.

  • Updated
  • Carrie LaFrenz

February 2021

Viridios Capital chief executive and co-founder Eddie Listorti.

Ex-ANZ commodities guru partners up with S&P Global Platts

Eddie Listorti, the bank’s former global head of fixed income, currencies and commodities, is back in the limelight.

  • Sarah Thompson, Anthony Macdonald and Tim Boyd

January 2021

Nicolai Tangen.

How to run a $1.7 trillion investment fund

The flashy former hedge fund manager that runs Norway's gargantuan sovereign wealth fund explains his decision-making process.

  • Richard Milne

November 2020

Alex Dunnin

Pandemic a real-time experiment on ESG investing

This year provided a real-time laboratory to test the effectiveness of ethical investing and for many investors the results confirmed their original beliefs.

  • Christopher Niesche

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/social-impact-investing-hyu