Our Mission
LOCUS believes that philanthropy and mission-driven investors should work alongside communities to grow economies that work for all. We partner with these impact investors to redefine their role as capital providers, activate investments and endowments for community impact, and use their capital as a tool to drive equitable prosperity.
LOCUS is a national nonprofit consultancy and mission-driven investment advisory firm.We meet our partners where they are and help them realize the vision of where they want to be. LOCUS works with our partners to educate stakeholders and develop strategies; to identify and assess investments through transaction support such as sourcing, structuring and due diligence; to service and manage investment portfolios; and to design, structure and manage investment funds and collaborative investment infrastructure.
Success in this mission requires that we track the impact of our work, modify our approach to produce greater impact, and share our learning with partners and the field. Towards that end, LOCUS tracks and reports on three impact goals:
- More impact investors and capital committed to place.
- More effective and equitable local impact investing practice.
- More impact capital deployed in communities.
What is Local Impact Investing?
Local Impact Investing is a new tool for philanthropy and impact organizations that care about place. Check out the video below for an overview of how it all works.
News & Events
This month, we are focusing on the ways in which foundations and mission-driven investors cultivate purposeful communities of practice to address challenges – and opportunities – posed by local or place-based impact investing.
Last year, LOCUS Impact Investing and Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA)—through the IPA GIFT Technical Assistance Program—launched the Indiana Local Impact Investing Accelerator to help four community foundations explore the potential for local impact investments and build the understanding and capacity to invest their endowments in their home communities. Inspired by the success of their peers and desire to do more, five Indiana community foundations have joined a second accelerator cohort.
Last month, we heard from Amir Kirkwood, President and CEO of Virginia Community Capital, about how the roots of impact investing are local. This month, as we celebrate our five-year anniversary, it’s fitting to overlay that idea onto our own organizational journey. The roots of LOCUS Impact Investing are local.
