Inaugural Impact Investments Address Forestry Priorities
Summary
In 2021, the Endowments Board of Directors approved a pilot program to explore expanding the organizations impact through mission related investments. The Endowment engaged the consulting firm Gordian Knot Strategies to guide the process and in 2022, the Board approved funding for the inaugural mission-related investments.These investments strike at the heart of significant challenges faced by rural, forest-rich communities, Madden continued. In part, the re-opening of a previously dormant forest products facility in partnership with Seven Islands Land Company, the State of Maine, and other stakeholders. This infusion of capital will also build market confidence in SST, which is in strong demand for commercial construction and represents a high-value use of timber sourced from well-managed forests, the impact of which will benefit forest-reliant communities nationwide. Their packaging is a byproduct of working forests and helps eliminate plastic waste.It is anticipated that additional funding for mission-related investments will be available in the winter of 2024/2025.