Impact Narrative Winners Announced
The winners of the Impact Narrative Awards, the first ever awards dedicated to outstanding communication that captures the imagination and puts impact investing centre stage, have been announced.
The awards were launched earlier this year by the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), Torino Social Impact and Social Impact Agenda per l’Italia, the Italian National Advisory Board, which promotes the development of impact finance in Italy. They aim to identify and honour best-in-class storytelling and communication used to persuade financial institutions and governments to put their full weight behind impact investing.
The winners in the category “best impact narrative aimed at the financial sector” were social impact and justice journalist, Meg Massey, and director of communications at Village Capital, Ben Wrobel, for their article “A Story About Power” based on their book Letting Go which highlights the “top-heavy” and “insular” nature of global foundations and impact investment funds and tells the story of those that have “chosen to cede decision-making power to people with lived experience of the problem at hand.”
The winner in the category “best impact narrative aimed at government” was GSG’s National Advisory Board (NAB) in Chile, which was represented by María de los Ángeles Ferrer. The Chile NAB produced a compelling two-minute video that explained how impact investing could help solve some of the globe’s most pressing problems.
The winners were announced to over 1,000 impact professionals during the GSG Global Impact Summit and win communications support from PR firm, Thinkshift, who will develop a communications strategy centred on the award-winning content.
By honouring narrative excellence, the Awards highlight the importance of communications that promote impact investing and the transition to economies that work for all people and the planet. The Awards also provide a platform to strengthen the narratives used to promote impact investing and help the movement to speak with one voice.
Cliff Prior, Chief Executive of the GSG, said:
“We need compelling new ways of communicating with people outside of the impact investing field to truly become mainstream. These winning submissions go a long way to encouraging financial institutions and governments to put their weight behind impact investing. We congratulate the winners and hope that the Awards shine a light on the importance of powerful storytelling in our movement.”
Mario Calderini, Spokesperson for Torino Social Impact, said:
“A compelling narrative is a key tool to foster stakeholder engagement among finance and government sectors in order to expand impact investing. This is why Torino Social Impact actively collaborated and supported the creation of the Awards, which have raised awareness about the importance of communication and to deliver effective examples. We therefore congratulate the winners and thank them for their important contribution for the achievement of the impact movement goals.”
We would like to congratulate all the organisations shortlisted for the Awards. The finalists included: Chi Impact Capital; Centre for Social Investment, University of Heidelberg; UniCredit Social Impact Banking; Bravo Charlie; Neev Fund; Open Value Foundation; and FAIR.
We would also like to thank the Awards selection committee for undertaking the challenge of evaluating the excellent submissions received for consideration:
- Dolika Banda, financial expert, GSG Ambassador, member of the CDC Board
- Elena Casolari, CEO of Opes Italia Sicaf Euveca, a pioneer in the impact investing space
- Tim West, communication expert, founder editor and CEO of Pioneers Post
- Sandra Stewart, communication expert, founder of Thinkshift Communications, which is offering probono consultancy to the winners
- Matias Kelly, former Secretary of State for Social Economy in the Argentinian Government and founder of Sumatoria, an Impact Finance firm
You can learn more about the Awards here.
LONDON – The GSG Global Impact Summit, the most influential impact investing event focused on delivering impact solutions for people and the planet, begins today and will run through 8 October 2021. Journalists can still register to attend the event. Please see below for details.
Leaders from the worlds of business, finance, government, and academia will address four themes: mobilising capital for impact, impact in emerging economies; green and social solutions for a just transition; and impact harmonisation and transparency.
Over 200 expert speakers and 1,500 participants from 75 countries are expected to join this year’s Summit. Speakers include:
- Dolika Banda, former CEO, African Risk Capacity Insurance Ltd., former Director, IFC
- Douglas Peterson, President and CEO, S&P Global
- Gonzalo Gortázar, CEO, CaixaBank
- Hiro Mizuno, Special Envoy of UN Secretary-General on Innovative Finance and Sustainable Investments
- Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia
- Marina Silva, Environmentalist and Politician, Sustainability Network Party (REDE) (Brazil)
- Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
- Sir Ronald Cohen, Chair, The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG)
The Summit features sessions on improving education through new financial models, the impact of the pandemic on gender equality, and the future of the impact sector. There will be opportunities to hear directly from Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek about its impact strategy, as well as the leaders of newly formed G7 Impact Taskforce (ITF) .
Please click here to view the Summit agenda in full.
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Notes to editors
Contact for media enquiries
Eva Barboni, media@gsgii.org
GSG spokespeople and select speakers will be available for interviews during and after the Summit. For more information, please email media@gsgii.org.
We are grateful to the GSG’s supporters, Summit sponsors and partners for making this event possible: LGT Group; Ford Foundation; MacArthur Foundation; Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; FCDO Impact Programme; Wietlisbach Foundation; Skoll Foundation; Hewlett Foundation; Omidyar Network; BNP Paribas; MeaningSphere; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; Open Society Foundations; The Rockefeller Foundation; Old Mutual; CaixaBank; Torino Social Impact; BlueMark; Bridgewater Associates; LeapFrog Investments; UBS Optimus Foundation; Be Inspired Films.
About the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG)
The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) is an independent global steering group promoting sustainable development and advancing education in impact investment. The GSG was established in 2015 as the successor to, and incorporating the work of, the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK’s presidency of the G8. The GSG’s National Advisory Boards (NABs) currently cover 33 countries. It has established strategic partnerships with leading global organisations such as UNDP and the Impact Management Project. The GSG brings together leaders from finance, business, philanthropy and governments to drive a shift towards impact economies. For more information visit www.gsgii.org and follow the GSG on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Impact Investing
Impact investments are investments made with an explicit intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. Impact investment optimises risk, return and impact to benefit people and the planet.