Jed Emerson

A unique exploration of how investors may act with deeper consideration of the meaning of money, The Purpose of Capital: Elements of Impact, Financial Flows and Personal Being, explores the historic roots of our understanding of capital, investing and wealth management, connecting how we think about finance with how we think about our lives, World and personal purpose.Many books tell investors how to invest for maximum financial returns; others seek to tell investors how to invest for financial return with the generation of positive social and environmental impact. The Purpose of Capital takes the reader behind the "how" to explore the "Why" of investing. The Purpose of Capital explores: - Our focus on investing as finance alone has taken us down the wrong path--and how those investors seeking to "do well and do good" have fallen prey to the notion financial return is the main driver for creating impact in the world.- By focusing primarily upon returns for investors we fall short of our potential to invest capital for the benefit of a broader set of stakeholders--including not only the environment but our own potential to use our capital to realize greater personal development for our selves.- The roots of our current inability to invest for total returns is an historic struggle, connecting us with centuries of reflection in a variety of cultures and traditions--the lessons from which may benefit investors today.- The Purpose of Capital details how the true purpose of capital is not simply to make more capital, but rather to function as a fuel for individual freedom in the context of community and Earth.Having produced seven books on the "how" of social entrepreneurship and impact investing, Emerson now turns his attention to placing investing within an historic and philosophical context, grounding investing within a more complete consideration of why we should invest in system change which, in the end, offers the potential for transforming ourselves as investors and as people.

An exploration of our understanding of the purpose of capital and the cultural, historic and environmental aspects of how we have come to understand the relation between economic, social and environmental components of capital. Offers a vision of capital as a fuel to promote individual freedom in the context of community and Earth.

Your money can change the world The Impact Investor: Lessons in Leadership and Strategy for Collaborative Capitalism offers precise details on what, exactly, impact investing entails, embodied in the experiences and best and proven practices of some of the world's most successful impact investors, across asset classes, geographies and areas of impact. The book discusses the parameters of impact investing in unprecedented detail and clarity, providing both context and tools to those eager to engage in the generational shift in the way finance and business is being approached in the new era of Collaborative Capitalism. The book presents a simple thesis with clarity and conviction: "Impact investing can be done successfully. This is what success looks like, and this is what it requires." With much-needed lessons for practitioners, the authors view impact investing as a harbinger of a new, more "multilingual" (cross-sector), transparent, and accountable form of economic leadership. The Impact Investor: Lessons in Leadership and Strategy for Collaborative Capitalism serves as a resource for a variety of players in finance and business, including: Investors: It demonstrates not only the types of investments which can be profitable and impactful, but also details best practices that, with roots in impact investing, will increasingly play a role in undergirding the success of all investment strategies.Wealth advisors/financial services professionals: With unprecedented detail on the innovative structures and strategies of impact investing funds, the book provides guidance to financial institutions on how to incorporate these investments in client portfolios.Foundations: The book explores the many catalytic and innovative ways for for-profit and non-profit investors to partner, amplifying the potential social and environmental impacts of philanthropic spending and market-rate endowment investment.Business students: By including strategies for making sound impact investments based on detailed case studies, it provides concrete lessons and explores the skills required to enhance prospects for success as a finance and business professional.Policy makers: Reinforcing the urgency of creating a supportive and enabling environment for impact investing, the book demonstrates ways policy has already shaped the sector, and suggests new ways for policymakers to support it.Corporate leaders: The book includes essential advice on the way business is and must be responding to a new generation of Millennial clients and customers, with unique insights into a form of value creation that is inherently more collaborative and outcomes-driven.

A ground-breaking book on the transformative power of impact investing This is the first book to chart the catalytic path of this new industry, explaining how it is and can be a positive disruptive force. It shows how impact investing is a transformational vehicle for delivering "blended value" throughout the investment spectrum, giving a single name to a set of activities previously siloed in enclaves, revealing how they are linked within what is becoming a new field of investing. Written by two leaders in the growing field of impact investing, the book defines this emerging industry for participants on all sides of the funding equation (investors, funders and social entrepreneurs). Filled with illustrative examples of impact investing success storiesReveals how the field can expand in order to address the most critical social and environmental issues of our dayExplores the wide-ranging applications of impact investing as well as entrepreneurial opportunities The authors do not take a normative approach to argue how investors should behave like an investment guide might but show how entrepreneurial people and institutions are already offering an integrated alternative.

A complete set of tools for applying entrepreneurial strategies and techniques to your nonprofit As a follow-up to their book Enterprising Nonprofits, the authors of Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs provide a full set of practical tools for putting the lessons of business entrepreneurship to work in your nonprofit. The book offers hands-on guidance that helps social sector leaders hone their entrepreneurial skills and carry out their social missions more effectively than ever before. This practical and easy-to-use book is filled with examples, exercises, checklists, and action steps that bring the concepts, frameworks, and tools to life. Detailed explanations of all the tools and techniques will help you personalize and apply them to your nonprofit organization–making it stronger, healthier, and better able to serve the needs of our communities. Praise for Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs "I search constantly for resources that can help provide insight and guidance to take Teach For America to a higher level; Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs does this and more. The book takes the best practices of for-profits and social enterprises and adapts them to the needs of entrepreneurial, mission-driven nonprofits. Strategic Tools for Social Entrepreneurs is a tremendous contribution to social entrepreneurs and to the nonprofit sector–many thanks to the authors for identifying this need and filling it!" –Wendy Kopp Founder and President, Teach For America All of the royalties from this book will be used by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to support continuing work on social entrepreneurship.

A hands-on resource that shows nonprofits how to adopt entrepreneurial behaviors and techniques The rising spirit of social entrepreneurship has created all kinds of new opportunities for nonprofit organizations. But at the same time, many are discovering more than their share of challenges as well. This essential book will help anyone in the field gain the necessary skills to meet these challenges. Written by the leading thinkers and practitioners in the field, Enterprising Nonprofits offers concise and engaging explanations of the most successful business tools being used by nonprofits today. The authors clearly describe all the concepts so you'll be able to embrace the methods of social enterprise for your organization. With this book, you'll learn how to use practical business techniques to dramatically improve the performance of your nonprofit. Praise for Enterprising Nonprofits "I can't imagine a better team to bring powerful insights and practical guidance to social entrepreneurs. Readers will be inspired by the examples, and then they will roll up their sleeves to apply the many useful management tools in this engaging book."-Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School, Author of Evolve!: Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow "In one book, Enterprising Nonprofits does for social entrepreneurs what countless volumes have done for entrepreneurs in the business sector. A wonderful mixture of analysis, practical advice, and inspiration."-Paul Brest, President, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation All of the royalties from this book will be used by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to support continuing work on social entrepreneurship.