Beneficial Returns

Impact investing debt fund

Beneficial Returns is an impact investment debt fund that supports the growth of leading social enterprises that alleviate poverty and protect the natural environment in Latin America and Southeast Asia

ABOUT US

We address extreme poverty and environmental degradation by bridging the gap between investors and emerging market social enterprises ​who are in the best position to solve society’s biggest challenges

THE IMPACT OPPORTUNITY
  • US Foundations and Donor Advised Funds give away less than 7% of their endowments annually, leaving 93% of potential for impact untapped
  • 75% of the world’s poor are farmers
  • Unmet funding needs of $1+ trillion in frontier and emerging markets SMEs (IFC, 2015)
  • 1.1 billion lack access to electricity
  • Access to capital cited as the largest challenge for 40% of frontier markets SMEs vs 10% in developed countries (Dalberg Survey, 2016)
  • 4.4 billion people use contaminated water
LOANS FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES IN EMERGING MARKETS

Beneficial Returns provides capital asset financing to leading social enterprises that eliminate poverty and protect the natural environment in Latin America and South East Asia. We source, select, underwrite, and make loans to social enterprises that are in the best position to solve the world’s greatest problems, but have the most difficulty securing long-term funding.

We partner with impact investors who want to  respond to social enterprises’ urgent need for capital to increase the scale and pace of their impact, and who want to activate more of their philanthropic assets for social and environmental good.
​Our investors recognize that the money they have set aside for philanthropy can create a greater positive social impact:  now through loans, and in the future when it is returned to them with interest for eventual grantmaking.
Beneficial Returns invests the majority of its profits into social enterprises that address poverty to pursue its social mission of helping them grow.
FOCUS INDUSTRIES
Sustainable agriculture
Renewable energy
Waste management
Sanitation and health

Overview

Website Visit website
Location Portland, OR, USA
Targets
Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South-eastern Asia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
Sectors Sector agnostic
SDG (4)
1. No Poverty, 15. Life on Land, 2. Zero Hunger, 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

Team

Activity