BlueMark

Today, we are proud to announce the launch of the Fund ID, a new fund-level impact rating that offers investors a clear and credible assessment of their impact credentials. BlueMark piloted the Fund ID with 37 leading sustainable and impact funds, whose feedback helped refine this tool, setting a new market standard for impact accountability. The pilot results, along with details of the Fund ID’s methodology and rating system, are showcased in a new white paper released today. Find out more about the Fund ID and download the white paper here: https://lnkd.in/gxWHR95u #sustainablefinance #impactinvesting #theFundID

"In addition to providing a recognized certification for external investors, the [Fund ID] program builds a profound reflection to further develop our practices." — Trill Impact Trill Impact previously collaborated with BlueMark to verify their alignment with the Impact Principles. However, they sought to expand this evaluation at the investment strategy level to understand what it means to be best-in-class across other critical areas of impact, such as governance and reporting. During the verification, it was revealed that Trill Impact consistently employs leading practices and aligns with industry standards across all four pillars of the Fund ID, earning them a 🔵 Platinum-level 🔵 rating. Read or download the full case study below.

For Purpose Investment Partners is a first mover in Oceania’s impact investing market 🌍. The firm was founded with a clear mission: to advance social sectors by driving, supporting, and funding initiatives that deliver measurable, positive outcomes in the critical areas of health, education, and social welfare. For Purpose Investment Partners first engaged BlueMark in 2023 to verify the alignment of their impact management system with the Impact Principles. A year later, they demonstrated their dedication to improvement by re-engaging BlueMark for re-verification. As an early fund manager, For Purpose Investment Partner’s re-verification provided them with an objective assessment of their progress in aligning their work with best practices. Re-verification plays a vital role in tracking progress by achieving two key objectives: ➡️ Ensuring an investor’s impact measurement and management system stays aligned with dynamic industry standards ➡️ Demonstrating a clear commitment to continuous improvement Discover how For Purpose Investment Partners refined their impact management approach and achieved measurable improvements through two BlueMark verifications in the article below. #impactinvesting #sustainablefinance #verification

How do you pioneer impact investing in Japan? 🚀 For GLIN Impact Capital, the answer lies in combining global best practices with deep local expertise—charting a course in a market with few regional models to guide the way. By partnering with BlueMark for a Fund ID assessment, GLIN Impact Capital took its impact strategies to the next level: ↳ Enhanced reporting ↳ Benchmarked performance ↳ Strengthened impact measurement and management systems As a leader in Japan’s impact investing market, GLIN Impact Capital is not only advancing its own practice but also fostering collaboration across the local ecosystem to scale meaningful change. Discover their journey in the case study below. #ImpactInvesting #SustainableFinance #FundID

Last on the Fund ID pillar tour is Reporting. The Fund ID Reporting pillar assesses the: ↳ Completeness of information within a fund’s reporting ↳ Reliability of the data used, including data management and quality control systems ↳ Level of transparency provided, including methodological assumptions and public availability of reported results Notably, the Reporting pillar had the lowest average score among the four pillars in the Fund ID assessment at 54%, with only two funds scoring above 75% to earn an Advanced rating. This may indicate a lack of consensus on best practices for impact reporting, which is only more recently being addressed with the introduction of common standards like the Reporting Norms by Impact Frontiers. Take a scroll to learn more about exactly how the Reporting pillar is assessed ↳ Read the full white-paper here: https://lnkd.in/gGx3R5rT

The Management pillar of the Fund ID assessment will be the most familiar to those working in impact. In the Fund ID pilot program, Management had the highest average score among the four pillars at 67%, indicating that most funds have implemented fundamental IMM practices, and reflects the relatively higher market consensus on what constitutes ‘good’ impact management practice. However, there were some surprises. Less than 10% of managers scored high on several leading-edge practices, indicating there is still room to grow as it relates to advanced IMM. The Management pillar of the Fund ID examines a fund's: ↳ Impact and ESG due diligence processes ↳ Monitoring and management of impact and ESG performance ↳ Impact and ESG exit and review processes Dive into the details and download the paywall-free white paper here: https://lnkd.in/gGx3R5rT

Big news for Quona Capital! 🎉 Our Fund III just earned a Platinum rating in BlueMark’s Fund ID pilot—and we couldn’t be prouder. This recognition highlights how we go above and beyond in impact investing. Here’s where Fund III really shined: ✅ Impact Management: Scored 86% (vs. benchmark avg. 61%) ✅ Impact Reporting: Scored 76% (vs. benchmark avg. 36%) ✅ Impact Strategy: Scored 70% (vs. benchmark avg. 52%) ✅ Impact Governance: Scored 85% (vs. benchmark avg. 56%) These results reflect our mission to make financial services in emerging markets more inclusive for underserved people and MSMEs. Huge thanks to BlueMark for this honor and to everyone who’s been part of our journey so far. Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog post here: https://lnkd.in/eu-RsZd8 With Kristin Sadler, Monica Brand Engel, Jonathan Whittle, ganesh rengaswamy, Johan Bosini, Varun Malhotra, Rafa de la Guia, Shannon Austin, Yasmine Shama, Jenna P.

Building stronger communities starts with showing up. Our teams in London and New York spent rewarding days volunteering with local organizations, supporting causes that resonate deeply with our mission. These hands-on experiences reinforce our commitment to real-world impact and remind us that community lies at the heart of #impactinvesting. #volunteerday #sustainablefinance

Next up on our tour of the Fund ID assessment framework is Governance. Broadly, a fund’s governance is manifested in how it integrates impact within core decision-making bodies and relevant management teams to ensure the successful execution of its strategy. The Governance pillar of the Fund ID examines a fund's: ↳ Oversight structures, including the level of impact and ESG representation in leadership and investment committees ↳ Resources to execute the impact and ESG strategy, including relevant expertise and sufficient capacity on the team ↳ Accountability through aligned incentive structures, including both staff- and investee-level incentive systems Swipe to learn more about the Fund ID Governance pillar and sub-pillars, as well as to view Governance-specific performance data from our 37-fund pilot program. Download the free white paper that details this and more: https://lnkd.in/gGx3R5rT

These last months, Positive Ventures was one of the 37 sustainable and impact funds to go through BlueMark’s Fund ID pilot assessment. We were eager to have our Fund’s impact approach assessed across the four key pillars of accountability: strategy, governance, management, and reporting, and to contribute our experience and feedback to inform BlueMark’s Fund ID methodology and the findings of the white paper. We are enthusiastic about this initiative’s potential to enhance accountability, comparability, and credibility within the sustainable and impact investing markets. It promises to refine our impact management methods, setting a higher standard for ourselves and the industry. A special thanks to Nadza, Paulina, and Chris for their invaluable support and guidance throughout this assessment process. Discover more about BlueMark’s Fund ID and access the newly released white paper here: https://lnkd.in/gxWHR95u #impactinvesting #sustainablefinance