June 2018 Newsletter
Reflections from Mission Investors Exchange
- Deb Markley, LOCUS Senior VP, reflects on LOCUS' experiences at the 2018 annual Mission Investors Exchange and the field of impact investing.
I attended my first Mission Investors Exchange (MIE) conference in Chicago (May 14-16), along with several other members of the LOCUS team. I challenged myself and my colleagues to listen and learn, with our place-focused foundation partners in mind. What reflections or insights could we bring back and share that might be helpful to a community foundation in Texas or a family foundation in West Virginia? Our lead take-aways?
Recently, the LOCUS Team attended MIE's 2018 National Conference , a meeting of leaders in the field of impact investing.
Place-focused investors – community foundations, family foundations, individual donors – have an important leadership role to play in mission investing.
Place-focused foundations are taking innovative approaches to get capital flowing where traditional capital can’t or won’t go. They are demonstrating the power of impact investing to create real change in communities, from inner city neighborhoods to rural places, and their role in this broad and continually evolving field appears to be growing. The five insights below reflect our collective wisdom and, we hope, are valuable to foundations and other partners who are exploring place-based impact investing. – Read More
LOCUS FOCUS
One Year Old: Decades of Experience.
Thanks to our place-focused foundation clients across the country, LOCUS celebrated its one-year anniversary last month. In our first year of operation, we delivered on 34 projects in 18 states: projects ranged from culture change consulting, landscape assessments, Transfer of Wealth TM analysis , due diligence, community economic data analytics, and mission portfolio servicing. LOCUS also generated new national wealth transfer data available in a special report prepared by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Although LOCUS is only 1 year old, we bring DECADES of experience from Virginia Community Capital and the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship .
Introducing C.J. Carter. LOCUS is proud to welcome C.J. Carter to the team as our Operations Manager. C.J. comes to LOCUS with extensive management experience with First Bank and Trust’s Wealth Management Division . He has worked previously with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley as a Community Advisor and Board Member. Currently, he is a member of the foundation’s Investment Committee where he helps oversee management of the organization's assets.
Client Spotlight
LOCUS Due Diligence. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund made a $3 million Program-Related Investment in Jacksonville Local Initiative Support Corporation in support of affordable housing, community facilities, and small businesses in the urban core of Jacksonville, Florida. At the request of the Fund, LOCUS performed the necessary due diligence on this investment, which is expected to further the Fund’s goals in low-income neighborhoods. – Read More
Starting in 2017, LOCUS began working with Hillsdale County Community Foundation in Michigan to draw insights from community data to help set a course for foundation strategy and development. Later this summer, the foundation will use LOCUS analysis to identify and energize prospective donors.
Council on Foundations Inclusive Economic Prosperity in the South.
 Over 150 funders joined together to unpack and explore the elements of an inclusive and equitable economy. Steve Ballmer , co-founder of the Ballmer Group , Chairman of the LA Clippers, and former Microsoft CEO gave the keynote address: catalyzing communities to increase economic mobility.
Catalyst Conversations: Utilizing Diverse Financial Tools session, LOCUS , Duke Endowment , and Coastal Community Foundation representatives explored impact making strategies.
At various sessions, LOCUS shared our observations and insights on emerging trends with place-based foundations as they seek to build more prosperous and vibrant communities that work for all. – Watch the Keynote
News From the Field
The Urban Institute released a new report in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation and Mission Investors Exchange describing characteristics of successful local impact investing models. LOCUS and Virginia Community Capital (VCC) contributed to the study. – Read More
The nation’s largest integrated health system, Kaiser Permanente , announced a $200 million commitment through its Thriving Communities Fund . The project will focus on lower- and middle-income homelessness, access to supportive housing, and making affordable homes healthier and more environmentally sound. – Read More
The Quality Jobs Fund has awarded an investment of $3.2 million to a nationally recognized CDFI, Pacific Community Ventures (PCV) . PCV anticipates the deployment of more than $5 million in loans to small businesses, giving small business owners the tools they need to expand and create quality jobs in their communities. – Read More
A blog article from the Northwest Area Foundation highlights a report produced by consulting firm, NEPC . The report measures the performance of the foundation's Program Related Investments (PRIs) in the communities it serves, revealing stronger financial capacity in those communities. – Read More
On May 30, The Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) hosted a webinar, “A New Paradigm: Impact Investing Through Development Finance Agencies.” Participants heard from pioneer development finance agencies (DFAs) about how they leverage impact investments . CDFA members can view an archived version of the webinar on the organization's resource page – Read More
Calvert Impact Capital launched “Insights,” a new page on its website that shares the organization’s experience after 25 years of impact investing. The resource includes links to “The Key to Moving More Capital?” an article by Calvert CEO, Jenn Pryce, that explores the impact investing financial supply chain.
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco held its National Interagency Community Reinvestment Conference . The event tackled the intersection of complex issues and community reinvestment in promoting equitable development. The bank will release videos from the event online over the coming weeks. The first, on inclusion, racial equity, and community development, covers the impact of inclusion on the broader field. – Read More
Authorized in last year's tax bill, Opportunity Zones will be directing significant private capital into under-resourced communities. Place-focused foundations and local partners may have an opportunity to shape the developments those investments produce. Mission Investors Exchange (MIE) , Economic Innovation Group , and Enterprise launched resource pages with information on this new investment tool.
Upcoming Events
Here is where you will find members of the LOCUS team in the coming months:
June 6-7, Washington, DC
­Jane Henderson and Travis Green are participants. (private event)
June 18-20, Chaska, MN
Deb Markley and Don Macke will facilitate with the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group.  (private event)
June 21-22 Washington, DC
LOCUS is a sponsor. Teri Lovelace and C.J. Carter are participants.
June 25-26, Quincy, IL
Deb Markley and Travis Green will facilitate several training sessions for foundation staff, board and community partners. (private event)
July 15-19, Santa Fe, NM
Deb Markley, 2018 Fellow, will participate. (private event)
July 16-18 Boston, MA
Teri Lovelace, Travis Green, and Don Macke are participants.
Aug. 28-29 Minneapolis, MN
Bonny Moellenbrock is a panelist.
Oct. 14-16 Wichita, KS
Deb Markley and Don Macke will design and facilitate multiple sessions. LOCUS is a sponsor and panelist.
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LOCUS Capital, Inc. is a Registered Investment Advisor Firm. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where LOCUS Capital, Inc. and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. LOCUS Capital, Inc. and its representatives do not furnish investment advice or services through this website. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.