Entries by Sydney England

The Overlooked Lever: Investor Balance Sheets

There is a tool in the impact investing toolkit that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. It doesn’t require a fund structure, a term sheet, or even a wire transfer. It lives on the balance sheet, costs almost nothing to deploy, and when used well, it can unlock multiples of its face value in new capital for the communities that need it most. It’s called a guarantee, and for foundations, community institutions, DAF holders, and other mission-driven asset holders, it may be the single most capital-efficient way to move money toward impact without actually reallocating it. There is sometimes…

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Staring the Impact Investing Question Head-On: The Business Case for DAF Sponsors & Charitable Advisors

Donor-Advised Funds hold $326 billion in charitable assets — yet less than 1% is invested for impact. With 72% of DAF donors expressing interest in impact-first investments, this represents one of philanthropy’s largest untapped opportunities. Our latest article examines why this quarter-trillion-dollar pool remains parked in conventional portfolios…

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Americans Can Act Now to Divest from the Carceral State & Private Prisons

On January 23, 2026, fifty thousand people marched through Minneapolis in temperatures that dropped to minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. More than seven hundred businesses closed in solidarity. One hundred clergy members knelt on the frozen tarmac at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, singing hymns until they were arrested, calling on airlines to stop facilitating deportation flights. In Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania, demonstrators gathered at Citizens Bank branches to demand that the bank stop financing private prison companies….

Faith-Based Impact Investing: A Decade of Evolution & Growth

On October 23, 2025, Sydney England, GSIC’s Executive Director, contributed to the Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center’s (GIPPC) 2025 Legislative Summit – inviting the faith-based, nonprofit, community development, and municipal leaders in attendance to consider how impact investing can be a tool for community wealth-building. Religious institutions currently invest between $200 billion and $400 billion in impact investments across the United States. This impressive figure represents only 11% of what they could invest, revealing an enormous opportunity for local community development. Faith communities are discovering they can deploy capital through proven models that generate competitive returns while creating real…

The CDFI Fund Crisis: What’s Actually Happening and What to Do Now

Update: A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from firing thousands of federal workers during the shutdown, including the CDFI Fund staff. This gives us breathing room, but the fight isn’t over. The lawsuits by federal workers’ unions and pushback from Republicans in Congress offer hope, but we can’t rely on courts alone If December 13 arrives without intervention, the immediate impact will be operational chaos. Pending applications will stall. Compliance questions will go unanswered. The FY 2025 funding round, with its innovative $100 million housing production initiative, will…

How Georgia’s Foundations are Capitalizing on Impact Investing

Compared to the national landscape, impact investing is still gaining traction among Georgia foundations. Despite being home to 1,639 foundations stewarding over $25.3 billion in assets and contributing $2.2 billion in grants in 2023 alone, only a handful have formally adopted impact investing practices. This collection of case studies highlights the experiences of four Georgia-based foundation impact investors – The Sapelo Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the William Josef Foundation, and the Bradley-Turner Foundation. Each offers a candid look at how these institutions…

Considering the Cost of Inaction: Communities Bear the Risk of Diminished CDFI Capacity

The question isn’t whether investing in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) carries risk. It’s whether we can afford the risk of letting them fail.

As foundations and asset allocators navigate an increasingly volatile economic landscape, I find myself fielding the same question repeatedly: “Should we double down on CDFIs right now, or is this the moment to pull back and protect our…

Just Released: New Reports Advocate for Greater Investment in Employee & Alternative Ownership

As Georgia leaders work to expand financial inclusion and community wealth, employee ownership is emerging as one of the most powerful, and underutilized, strategies to get there. Whether through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives, or Employee Ownership Trusts, giving workers a stake in the businesses where they work has proven to build wealth, retain jobs, and anchor businesses in their communities. In a state where nearly half of all business owners are nearing retirement, these models also offer timely solutions to preserve small businesses…

There is Power in Collective Action at Home: Reflections from ImpactPHL’s Total Impact Summit

Earlier this month, ImpactPHL hosted the sixth iteration of Total Impact Summit, a multi-day convening bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem leaders committed to building a more just and equitable economy in Philadelphia and beyond. Georgia’s impact investing ecosystem was represented at TIS25, and we’ve invited three thought leaders – Anna Cable, Kelsey Russell, and Khaliff Davis – to share their key takeaways and experiences. Their perspectives offer a window into the evolving landscape of impact investing…

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Field Insights: Fiduciary Duty, Good Governance, & Impact Investing

It’s a common misconception: the belief that being a responsible trustee means walling-off mission from investment considerations. Many board members question, “Can we really pursue impact without compromising our financial obligations?” The truth is, by unpacking and rethinking what fiduciary duty really means—alongside reworking governance systems—we can discover that the pursuit of both financial returns and mission alignment isn’t just possible; it’s a win-win. Let’s dive in and explore how…