This week B Lab released the 2017 Best for the World Fund list, which recognizes private debt and equity funds that are setting the measurement and management bar in impact investing. A full list of honorees is published by B the Change, B Lab’s online publication.

This year’s list includes 28 Best for the World Funds: the top performers among all funds to receive the rigorous GIIRS Impact Rating in the past year. GIIRS Impact Ratings provide a framework of impact measurement and management that helps investors and companies assess their performance against a rigorous, comprehensive standard, the B Impact Assessment.

GIIRS was launched six years ago to meet a core need to scale the impact-focused capital markets — a credible, independent evaluation of the impact of companies and investment funds. Since its launch, GIIRS has rated more than 100 investment funds and 1,000 portfolio companies. GIIRS Impact Ratings and the B Impact Assessment were designed and are administered by the global nonprofit B Lab.

The 2017 Best for the World Funds list recognizes the top three emerging market funds and the top three developed market funds by both Impact Business Model and Operations Rating. A fund’s Operations Rating reflects the fund’s portfolio performance on “typical ESG measures,” like companies’ governance practices, treatment of workers, environmental management, and support for broader community (like supply chains, community NGOs, etc). All companies in business have an operational impact, and all companies are evaluated on that impact.

The Impact Business Model (IBM) component of the GIIRS Impact Rating applies to any portfolio that invests in companies with a business model to solve a social or environmental problem, or provide a service or good that benefits the companies’ customers. An example of such a business model would be educational or health services, or a company providing off-grid energy systems in rural communities or financial services to small or medium enterprises.

The 2017 Best for the World Funds list also recognizes Top Performing Funds in each of the five impact areas of the B Impact Assessment - Governance, Environment, Workers, Community, and Customers.

“The Best for the World Funds are using data that captures the impact of their portfolio companies’ operations and business models to make decisions, drive sustainable growth, and to distinguish themselves in the market. They are not just measuring their impact, they are managing it,” says Amanda Kizer, manager of the GIIRS Impact Ratings program at B Lab.  “These funds recognize the importance of using a credible, rigorous model to manage and report on impact, and have set the standard as more players enter the impact investing space” added Flory Wilson, Director at B Lab.

The 2017 Best for the World Funds account for more than $1.3 billion in committed capital that will be invested in companies across all areas of social and environmental impact. The funds operate in 40 countries and over 70 industries to have boundary-breaking positive impact around the world. Learn more about how this year’s honorees were selected.

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B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good.  Its vision is that one day all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world and society will enjoy prosperity for all for the long term.  

B Lab drives this systemic change by: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and good marketing; 2) passing benefit corporation legislation to give business leaders the freedom to create value for society as well as shareholders; 3)  Helping tens of thousands of businesses, investors, and institutions manage for impact by using the B Impact Assessment and B Analytics to manage their impact—and the impact of the businesses with whom they work—with as much rigor as their profits; 4) Inspiring millions to join the movement through story-telling on bthechange.com. 

For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net.

B the Change is a Medium publication, produced by B Lab in collaboration with the community of Certified B Corps and the movement of people using business as a force for good. B the Change exists to inform and inspire people who have a passion for using business as a force for good in the world. We want to dramatically broaden and deepen engagement with entrepreneurs, managers, employees, investors and citizens in one of the most important discussions of our time. 

Read all B the Change stories at http://www.bthechange.com. 

B Lab

B Lab

B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement to redefine success in business. It's vision is that one day all companies will compete not only to be the best in the world, but best for the world.

B Lab drives this systemic change through a number of interrelated initiatives: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations who lead this movement and make it easier to tell the difference between “good companies” and good marketing; 2) passing benefit corporation legislation to create a new kind of corporation legally required to create value for society, not just shareholders; 3) helping investors invest for impact through use of the B Analytics data platform; and 4) helping businesses measure, compare and improve their social and environmental performance through use of the B Impact Assessment as a free powerful educational tool.

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