What We Do / Invest

Making It Possible for Capital to Create Lasting Impacts

Foundations and other mission-driven organizations today seek more than just financial returns from the deployment of their philanthropic capital.  These institutions want investments that achieve double bottom-line (financial and social) or even triple bottom-line (financial, social and environmental) returns. Such outcomes are achievable through Impact Investing, strategies that use financial capital to provide a financial return as well as a social impact.

BWB Solutions supports foundations and other mission-driven organizations in making impact investments designed to achieve a financial return and also have a social impact on underserved communities, the environment, and the world by addressing today’s biggest social challenges.  For impact investors, we create and execute investment strategies, underwrite and structure financings, monitor portfolio assets, and develop staff capabilities.  For those seeking impact investments, we develop financial models and projects, analyze market demand, build business plans, and identify potential impact investors.

Surdna Foundation

Surdna Foundation is one of the oldest family-governed foundations in the United States, and seeks to foster sustainable communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures. BWB Solutions led the development of Surdna’s Program-Related Investing Strategy and Operational Plan and continues to provide assistance in structuring investments, monitoring portfolio quality, and building staff capacities. By using its capital in this way, the Foundation is able tackle specific programmatic challenges through market-based solutions and increase its ability to achieve programmatic results.

BlueHub Loan Fund

BlueHub Loan Fund provides financing for affordable housing, education, healthcare, and economic and environmental vitality to create healthy communities. BWB Solutions assisted BlueHub in analyzing its workflow process to identify actions and decisions necessary for successful and efficient execution. BWB also helped the BlueHub team identify and remove constraints in its operating system that might impede their pursuit of mission-aligned lending opportunities. Lastly, BWB provided one-on-one coaching with the fund’s Portfolio Manager to support the transition to the revised operational system.

Inclusiv

Inclusiv is a national organization that provides capital, makes connections, builds capacity, develops innovative products and services, and advocates for community development credit unions. In 2019, Inclusiv formed the Southern Equity Fund, a $45 million fund that invests capital in credit unions serving low-income and communities of color in 17 southern states. BWB Solutions assisted and supported Inclusiv with developing the financial model for the investment fund and managing the investor due diligence process. By launching this fund, Inclusiv is able to promote economic mobility among low wealth and underserved communities.

Living Cities

Living Cities’ Catalyst Fund and Blended Catalyst Fund are structured debt funds that advance the organization’s programmatic initiatives focused on closing the racial wealth gap by supporting the development of jobs, income, and wealth for low-income people of color. BWB Solutions assisted Living Cities with the analysis and documentation of its processes and procedures for originating, closing, and monitoring investments. BWB developed specific recommendations for improving Living Cities’ loan fund management practices, and created process flow charts and an operating procedures manual to document the changes.