Organizations seeking guidance in ways to maximize their global impact on society, the economy and the environment now have access to the new Mission Align 360⁰ Tool Kit, which provides a guide for organizations to examine all sources of capital – including human, financial and philanthropic – and determine how to best align these assets with their mission statement to achieve positive impact. Morgan Stanley’s Investing with Impact and Family Office Resources’ Philanthropy Management teams are excited to launch this groundbreaking roadmap.
“In the U.S. alone there are more than one million tax exempt public charities – together these organizations have a combined $3 trillion in total assets,” said Hilary Irby, Head of Global Sustainable Finance. “Mission Align 360⁰ is an imperative for organizations seeking to leverage all available pools of capital.”
“Morgan Stanley is proud to partner with these organizations and provide this roadmap to maximize the mission alignment and generate positive environmental and social impact,” said David Bokman, Co-Head of Morgan Stanley’s Family Office Resources.
The Mission Align 360⁰ Framework provides a step-by-step roadmap to examine an organization’s resources across the following areas:
Human Capital
Organizations seeking to maximize positive impact can use the Mission Align 360⁰ roadmap to cultivate and retain strong board members and leverage their staff to define the organization’s culture and values. Periodic reviews of the organization’s Board, CEO and staff are part of the Mission 360⁰ process. Organizations may benefit from using Morgan Stanley’s Philanthropy Management’s Nonprofit Board and Placement Services and Morgan Stanley’s Exemplary Board Leadership Program to recruit and train new and existing board members. For organizations raising funds to fulfill their mission the organizations’ development staff can also be educated about Mission Align 360⁰ and trained to communicate the strategy in interactions with new and prospective donors.
Financial Capital
As part of Mission Align 360⁰ an organization’s financial capital, which can include the endowment, cash management, employee retirement program, donor-advised funds and more, can be invested using approaches that seek market rate returns and also generate positive social and environmental impact in accordance with the mission. An organization dedicated to expanding access to clean water in emerging markets, for example, can invest in public and private companies developing water purification technology that touch both developed and developing markets. Morgan Stanley’s Investing with Impact Framework can help organizations identify what investment approaches to implement to strengthen their mission alignment. Organizations can also leverage their equity positions through proxy voting, filing of resolutions and ongoing dialogue with company management. Shareholder engagement can be implemented through investment managers, collaboration with like-minded organizations or in-house.
“Organizations can now select from a much broader range of investment strategies that are both aligned with their mission and generate market-rate returns,” said Lily Trager, Director of Investing with Impact for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. “This integrated approach can help to not only create a more holistic and integrated investment strategy but also attract talented board members, staff as well as new donors.”
Philanthropic Capital
A review of an organization’s fiscal position, its current strategies and the impact of current grants can reveal new strategies that allow it to more closely align its giving with its mission. The foundation may determine it is ready to disperse program-related investments (PRI), establish a donor-advised fund and continue to source and fund innovative grant-making opportunities. For example, an organization dedicated to women’s health issues might provide a loan, structured as a PRI, for expansion of a women’s health clinic. Any returned capital from the loan can then be recycled towards additional mission aligned objectives.
“At a time when organizations are looking for innovative ways to scale their charitable mission, and leverage how their charitable dollars can make an even greater impact, we’re providing a specific roadmap that can be put into action across all pools of capital,” said Morgan Stanley’s Melanie Schnoll Begun, Head of Family Office Resources’ Philanthropy Management.
Morgan Stanley Philanthropy Management supports individuals, families, corporate and private foundations, and nonprofit organizations by offering a suite of services to help define and realize clients’ charitable missions. Services for individuals and families include, but are not limited to, creation or revision of charitable mission statements, giving vehicle structure and design, grantee research and due diligence, and philanthropic legacy and succession planning. For nonprofit and foundation clients, Philanthropy Management offers assistance with fundraising strategy development, strategic planning review, board and executive recruitment, and organizational governance education.
Morgan Stanley’s Investing with Impact Platform, launched in 2012, enables clients to align investment decisions and personal values without sacrificing potential financial performance. The Investing with Impact Platform now offers more than 140 investment products and model portfolios across asset classesdelivering positive environmental and social impact alongside opportunities for financial performance.
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