The Ford Foundation is one of the world’s largest private philanthropic institutions, with more than 80 years of experience advancing social justice and reducing inequality globally. Through its pioneering Mission-Related Investments (MRI) strategy, the Foundation has committed a substantial portion of its endowment – starting with $1 billion – to investments that align financial discipline with its core impact mission – signaling to peers that endowments can harness the power beyond traditional grants to maximise impact.

In this episode, the people who have been driving this very work from the inside, Roy Swan, Head of Mission Investments, and Christine Looney, Deputy Director of Mission Investments, share insights from their front row seats through the decades.

Listeners will gain insights into:

• Roy and Christine’s personal journey applying their years in traditional finance to shift market fundamentals in the endowment world.
• The process inside Ford: how they challenged industry norms by redefining traditional capital in its use for impact investing, paving the way for others to explore similar paths.
• How asset owners can measure success without “analysis paralysis,” by simplifying impact reporting.