Grameen Foundation Selected for the ImpactAssets 50

Impact Investing Showcase Features Fund Managers that Deliver Social, Environmental and Financial Returns

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Oct 22, 2014, 01:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Grameen Foundation has been selected for the ImpactAssets 50 2014 (IA 50), a free, online resource for impact investors and their advisors. The IA 50, now in its fourth year, is the first publically available database of private debt and equity impact investment fund managers.

"We are pleased to be recognized by ImpactAssets 50 for the third year in a row. Grameen Foundation is committed to expanding income-generating opportunities for the poor in rural or hard-to-reach markets through targeted investments in businesses ranging from microfinance in Peru, to mobile payments in Indonesia and honey production in Kenya. In addition, we have always prioritized rigorous impact measurement of impact investing by developing using, and advocating for tools like the Progress out of Poverty Index®, Taroworks™ and our MOTIV scoring model. Impact investments are especially critical for underserved communities and we thank ImpactAssets 50 for spotlighting leading organizations working in this area," said Alex Counts, president and CEO of Grameen Foundation.

Since 2010, Grameen Foundation has invested $6.7 million in 13 organizations in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America through its Pioneer Fund. The fund targets and provides patient capital to early-stage organizations that specialize in providing livelihood opportunities for the poor. The investments are designed to fill the "pioneer gap", where funding is most scarce and urgently needed in the impact investing sector. Additionally, wherever possible, Grameen Foundation's tools and solutions are used to help strengthen the social performance management, field operations and product offerings of the organizations.

The ImpactAssets 50 is the only free, public, searchable database of outstanding impact investing fund managers. The showcase includes a range of funds across the globe, spanning diverse issue areas and investment, with demonstrated and compelling social and environmental impact. Fund managers included in the IA 50 2014 manage a combined $15.5 billion in assets devoted to creating measurable, positive impact.

The IA 50 selection committee is chaired by ImpactAssets' Chief Impact Strategist, Jed Emerson, and includes experts from The CAPROCK Group, Labrador Ventures, Toniic, UBS, and other leading impact investors.

The IA 50 is not an index or investable platform and does not constitute an offering or recommend specific products. It is a not a replacement for due diligence. In order to be

considered for the IA 50 2014, fund managers needed to have at least $10 million in assets under management, more than 3 years of experience as a firm with impact investing and documented social and/or environmental impact. Additional details on the selection process are here: http://www.impactassets.org/impactassets-50/review-and-criteria.

About Grameen Foundation
Grameen Foundation is a global nonprofit organization that helps the world's poorest people achieve their full potential by providing access to essential financial services and information on health and agriculture that can transform their lives. Founded in 1997, it delivers solutions that respond to the needs of the poor, as well as tools that help poverty-focused organizations become more effective. It focuses on initiatives that can achieve widespread impact and uses an open-source approach that makes it easy for other organizations to adopt them broadly. Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and the Grameen family of companies, is an inaugural member of its Board of Directors, and now serves as director emeritus. Grameen Foundation is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in the U.S., Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information, please visit www.grameenfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter @GrameenFdn.

About ImpactAssets
ImpactAssets is a nonprofit financial services firm that increases the flow of capital into investments that deliver financial, social, and environmental returns. ImpactAssets' donor advised fund ("The Giving Fund"), impact investment notes, and field building initiatives enable philanthropists, other asset owners, and their wealth advisors to advance social or environmental change through investment.

Contact: Liselle Yorke
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202-628-3560, ext 128

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SOURCE Grameen Foundation