Growing Georgia’s Impact Investing Ecosystem

At the Georgia Social Impact Collaborative (GSIC), we believe every community in Georgia can grow thriving local economies if capital resources are aligned with & connected to investment opportunities throughout the state. That’s why we unite foundations, public & private sector investors, community development organizations, social enterprises, nonprofits, & other local leaders to unlock & deploy creative capital & impact investing dollars where it matters most. Since 2016, GSIC has served as Georgia’s only statewide impact investing network.

Our Why

For too long, traditional investment systems and paradigms have prioritized financial returns over social impact, neglecting the capital needs and investment opportunities present in communities. Left undisrupted, capital is invested along the “path of least resistance” through conventional markets, often leaving communities, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and more without the resources needed to thrive. Impact investing interrupts this outdated paradigm by embedding social and environmental impact into the investment equation.

Georgia is home to a diverse set of communities, each with unique strengths and challenges. We believe that impact investing can and should be a tool to bring more capital to communities throughout the state. However, without the statewide infrastructure to educate potential impact investors and coordinate investments, opportunities are often missed, and capital remains inefficiently allocated. GSIC exists to bridge these gaps by fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and providing essential resources to investors and investees alike.

Impact investing can be a powerful tool to help more capital flow to areas that Georgians care about – affordable housing, entrepreneurship, food systems, childcare, vibrant neighborhoods, community resilience, and more. Over time, we hope to grow a “high-functioning” impact investing ecosystem across our state.

What does that mean to GSIC? Check out our definition to the right!

Effective collaboration among investors, government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, community organizations, and philanthropies creates a supportive environment for impact investing. Stakeholders work together to align on regional or local goals, co-design projects, and pool resources, ensuring that capital flows toward impactful solutions. A high-functioning ecosystem is one where ecosystem stakeholders (Capital Suppliers, Capital Aggregators, Capital Seekers, and Capital Enablers) are known and in relationship with each other. Opportunities for individuals and institutions to form new relationships are possible.

A successful place-based ecosystem prioritizes deep knowledge of local needs, resources, and opportunities. This understanding enables targeted investments that address specific challenges, such as affordable housing, workforce development, or health disparities, making investments more impactful and relevant to the community. High-functioning ecosystems are ones that also identify local stakeholders (Capital Suppliers, Capital Aggregators, Capital Seekers, and Capital Enablers) working in specific community impact areas.

Impact-first capital is essential to fund projects that may be less attractive to traditional investors due to perceived risk or lower returns but provide significant social impact. A high-functioning ecosystem creates opportunities for mission-first investment and blended finance (or catalytic capital) approaches – combining grants, public funding, and private capital to attract investment in high-impact projects that benefit the community.

To center the needs of those without traditional capital access, a place-based impact investing ecosystem should emphasize inclusive decision-making by involving community members directly in planning and project selection, ensuring that investments align with their priorities. Additionally, developing accessible capital vehicles such as flexible loan structures, micro-investments, and pooled funds provides smaller, manageable capital options for underserved individuals and startups. By prioritizing community input and creating flexible financing models, the ecosystem can ensure investments are responsive to local needs and foster broader economic inclusion.

High-functioning ecosystems push for continual improvement. Impact investing is not a linear practice, nor is it achievement-based. There is always room for improvement and evolution. A high-functioning ecosystem encourages practitioners to employ transparent and standardized impact measurement frameworks to assess social and environmental outcomes. Clear metrics and accountability structures help ensure that investments produce the desired impact, build trust, and attract additional capital from investors who value measurable outcomes. Stakeholders are encouraged to consider new models, tools, and practices.

We play three roles to grow Georgia’s impact investing ecosystem.

Educator

Convening & Resourcing Georgia’s Impact Capital Ecosystem

GSIC is a centralized impact investing information & practice-sharing hub.

GSIC develops educational programs that responds to the evolving needs and interests of our impact investing ecosystem stakeholders. Whether it’s a hands-on workshops or interactive virtual webinars, GSIC’s programs break down the complexity of impact investing and bridge the gap between interest and action. Check out our upcoming programs to get a sense of what these programs look like!

Designed to empower everyone in the impact investing ecosystem, this comprehensive library offers a self-guided learning journey tailored to the unique needs of capital suppliers, capital aggregators, and capital seekers. Whether you’re a foundation looking to deepen your understanding of impact investing strategies, a community development organization searching for new investment models or approaches, a nonprofit striving to attract the right kind of investment, or countless other audiences and users, our library is your go-to destination!

If you’re ready to build an impact investing program or begin making impact investments, our Impact Investing Toolkit is here to help! This comprehensive resource includes everything you need to get impact capital into Georgia—featuring example Investment Policy Statements, investment evaluation tools, sample legal agreements, and much more. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, our toolkit provides the practical tools and guidance you need to drive measurable social and financial returns. This resource has what you need to get started with your impact investing efforts!

GSIC’s Blog is a hub for thought leadership, storytelling, and industry insights that highlight the people, ideas, and initiatives shaping Georgia’s impact investing ecosystem. Through in-depth articles, expert perspectives, and success stories, our blog fosters meaningful dialogue and showcases innovative solutions driving social and economic change.

Book-open Book-open Upcoming GSIC Programs Archive Archive Impact Investing Tools & Resource Library Our Featured Resources & Blog

Network Builder

Connecting People, Ideas, Opportunities, & Deals

GSIC connects Georgia’s financial, human, intellectual, & reputational capital.

Since 2022, GSIC has been a backbone convener of the Atlanta Impact Finance Meetup group. Through quarterly coffee and happy hour events, this growing community routinely attracts 30-50+ individuals representing different segments and organizations in Georgia’s impact investing ecosystem!

GSIC’s monthly “community of practice” events are are informal, virtual meetings to help mission-first investors (like foundations), key capital aggregators and deployers (like CDFIs), and other ecosystem stakeholders to build a strong problem-solving and practicing sharing community for peer organizations across the state.

GSIC’s mission compels us to work to organize and marshal Georgia’s many capitals – financial, intellectual, and human – for the betterment of our state. We maintain an Ecosystem Job Board to connect people searching for new impact investing-related job opportunities to roles in our ecosystem, and we help ecosystem partners to promote job opportunities to find qualified, impact professionals!

GSIC’s Ecosystem Events Calendar is a dynamic resource designed to keep professionals, investors, and organizations informed about the latest impact investing events happening across Georgia and beyond. By curating and promoting cross-collaborative events—ranging from local meetups to national conferences—GSIC fosters a more connected and informed ecosystem.

Why is this important? Impact investing thrives on collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and strategic partnerships. By highlighting key events, GSIC ensures that Georgia’s impact leaders have access to valuable networking opportunities, emerging industry insights, and innovative solutions that drive social and economic progress. Whether you’re looking to expand your expertise, build meaningful connections, or stay at the forefront of the impact investing movement, GSIC’s Ecosystem Events Calendar is your go-to resource for staying engaged and informed.

Since 2017, GSIC has maintained an Impact Investing Ecosystem Map (database) to identify the many Capital Supplier, Capital Aggregators, Capital Seekers, and Capital Enablers that comprise our collective ecosystem. In 2025, we hope to roll out a new, more dynamic tool to better facilitate investment match-making. So, check it out now, and look for enhancements soon!

Briefcase Briefcase Ecosystem Job Board Calendar Calendar Ecosystem Events Calendar Map Map Impact Investing Ecosystem Map

Solutions Partner

Supporting Action-Taking & Investment

GSIC provides thought-partnership to translate ideas & interest into investment.

GSIC’s routine programming is designed specifically to equip individuals and organizations with the skills and knowledge required to excel in the impact investing landscape. Beyond GSIC’s one-off programs, we also look to partner with leaders throughout Georgia searching for a partner to design purpose-built capacity building or training programs. Reach out to us if you have an idea that GSIC might be able to support!

GSIC provides individualized education and coaching to foundations throughout Georgia who are seeking to advance impact investing within their institutional. Whether your foundation is new to impact investing, looking to refine your existing strategy, or tackling a specific challenge, GSIC can be a resource!

GSIC offers ecosystem facilitation and strategy support to connect key players across Georgia’s impact investing space. By building bridges between investors, nonprofits, capital providers, social enterprises, and others, we hope to create an environment that enables and accelerates shared learning and investing.

Chat Chat Reach Out to Discuss How GSIC Can Support Your Efforts

Check out a few examples of our model & approach in action!

Chat Chat

Leading an Impact Investing Education Series for Foundations

GSIC’s ongoing foundation learning series is designed to empower Georgia’s philanthropic community with the knowledge and tools necessary to engage in local impact investing. Topics include fiduciary duty & governance, common investment & structures, investment evaluation & assessment, operational and more.

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Unlocking Impact Lending & Working Capital for Atlanta’s Nonprofits

In early 2025, GSIC was engaged by a group of Atlanta-based foundation leaders to co-design and facilitate the “Capital Access & Nonprofit Financial Needs Roundtable Series,” which aims to bridge the gap between nonprofits navigating financial uncertainty and capital providers exploring new ways to support them.

Users Users

Growing the Atlanta Impact Finance Meet Up Community

Since 2022, GSIC has been a backbone convener and financial sponsor of the Atlanta Impact Finance Meetup group. Through quarterly coffee and happy hour events, this growing community routinely attracts 30-50+ individuals representing different segments and organizations in Georgia’s impact investing ecosystem!

Megaphone Megaphone

Promoting Shared Ownership Models in Georgia

In August 2024, GSIC co-designed & co-hosted the “Expanding Shared Ownership in Georgia” convening with The Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, Kindred Futures, and Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute. The event brought together 50+ stakeholders to discuss the shared ownership models, explore how these models could help address economic inequality, & identify strategies for expanding these models in Georgia.

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Expanding the Use of Guarantees & Credit Enhancements

GSIC identified the financial pressures created by COVID-19 for nonprofit & social enterprise partners throughout Georgia. GSIC stepped into a virtual organizing and convening space to help rally impact capital to address financial strain. Our efforts contributed to the creation of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s Guarantee Pool – a facility that incentives CDFI lending to organizations awaiting federal reimbursements.

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Hosting the First Statewide CDFI Conference in Georgia

In 2023, GSIC held its first large-scale event, the “State of Georgia CDFI Conference.” With nearly 200 participants from across the state in attendance, this day-long conference was an opportunity to clarify key concepts inherent to the CDFI field & business model, educate investors on the value of & pathways for investing in CDFIs, uplift Georgia’s CDFI leaders & their impact, & promote greater collaboration & investment in the ecosystem.

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