The Great Shift: How Trusts and Foundations are Revolutionising Philanthropy.

By Samuel Richards, Managing Director

At Brightlight, we are seeing a growing desire among our clients, particularly Trusts and Foundations, to align their investments with their values and grant-making activities. They seek guidance on investing responsibly, growing their impact assets, and a desire to catalyse new impact investments while maintaining target returns. This shift towards purpose-driven investing is a powerful force for positive change.

"Trusts and foundations are increasingly investing their endowments in line with their mission and values. It's exciting to watch confidence and momentum build around this work."
—Rachel Ball, CEO Reichstein Foundation

Recently, we had the privilege of working closely with the Menzies Foundation, their CEO Liz Gillies, their Investment Committee, and their wealth manager on their journey towards impact investing. While we had previously collaborated with Menzies Foundation to establish a med-tech fund, this time, they were motivated by a deep sense of accountability and a desire to share their experiences with others to grow the capital available for social and environmental impact beyond grant-making.

"You have to hold yourself to account and start in the context of your own work, so this can anchor your conversations with others about what capital there is to solve social challenges at scale."
—Liz Gillies, CEO of Menzies Foundation

Engaged by the Menzies Foundation to document their journey, this in-depth resource highlights the timeline, challenges faced, and lessons learned by the foundation and other local and international peers. While each Trust and Foundation is unique and requires a bespoke approach, the common internal and external challenges they face make sharing these journeys incredibly valuable.

To further support the education of the impact investing ecosystem, we will publish a series of video webinars and host sessions to discuss challenges and answer questions for others in the market.

We invite you to join us on this transformative journey. Download the case study to gain insights into Menzies Foundation's impact investing journey. Together, let us pioneer the path to a future where capital is a force that transforms lives. We hope you will join us.