The Impact Month, promoted by the European Venture Philanthropy Association, henceforth EVPA, was conceived as a space for the impact community to come together to learn, share and connect with other players around the world to maximize their social impact. Through various events throughout the month of November, it was explored how impact investing can be a driving force for society’s recovery and transformation, and how impact leaders, impact funds, private and public capital providers, social investors corporate and others can mobilize their resources for a better and more collaborative society.

On November 9th, the EVPA Annual Conference took place, in an online format, an event where inspiring perspectives from thought leaders were shared and where recovery and social transformation were discussed. António Miguel, Managing Partner at Maze, a partner accelerator of Casa do Impacto, participated in the panel Funding for funds: how to mobilize resources for additionalists, which emphasized the cruciality of differentiating between impact funds that intend to generate a positive and measurable impact (ie. investing with impact) and those who embrace additionality (ie. investing for impact).

In the Investing for Impact Crash Course, on November 10th, the basics of impact investing (including impact philanthropy and impact investing approaches) were shared as one of the most effective strategies to solve the main social challenges that have arisen in recent years and culminated in the Covid-19 crisis. This course presented recent data on the impact market and an overview of the capital providers active in the ecosystem, as well as discussed key impact investing practices such as impact measurement and management and tailored financing and not financial support.

Casa do Impacto headed to the city undefeated on November 15th and 16th for the final events of the Impact Month. On November 15th, the Investors for Impact Forum took place, an intimate and exclusive event for guests, which brought together 150 senior capital providers in the beautiful Edifício da Alfândega, to discuss how to mobilize resources for the recovery, as well as strategic guidelines, of the sector of impact. Through several panels, with speakers such as Filipe Almeida, President of Portugal Inovação Social, Margarida Couto, CEO at VdA, Cliff Prior, CEO of The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, Emma Ursich, Group Head of Corporate Identity and the Human Safety Net Foundation at Generali, among many others, were presented several real cases of good practices and shared visions for the way forward for the impact ecosystem.

The collaboration and sharing of ideas between the various participants was a priority at this Forum, where several roundtables were facilitated so that everyone could have the opportunity to actively reflect on investment trends and measures to be taken to accelerate the recovery and the transition to an inclusive society.

Inês Sequeira, Director of Casa do Impacto, took the conference stage to show the best our country is doing for the promotion of the impact ecosystem and to share with the audience of national and international investors the activity of the Lisbon-based innovation hub. But the participation of Casa do Impacto did not stop there, with eight startups from the Community participating in the event – DiVERGE Sneakers, NEVARO, MAD Panda, <Academia decode_>, ubbu – code literacy, MyPolis, Manicómio, The Equal Food Co. – and taking advantage of the unique opportunity to create ties and strengthen contacts with numerous investors.

The C Summit, on November 16th, concluded Impact Month, a day of gathering with the main actors of the European corporate philanthropy and social investment in which the unique and vital role of corporate social investors in driving social impact and social investment was explored and questioned how corporate resources can be mobilized while preserving the integrity of the impact. This was another day marked by intense collaboration between participants, who know that climate change and increasing social inequalities require the mobilization of more resources for social impact, and that although the private sector has many resources that could play a vital role in developing lasting and sustainable solutions, a stakeholder capitalism that serves all is far from becoming a reality.

For Casa do Impacto, this event was an opportunity to meet again with partners and friends of the ecosystem and to get to know several important entities that, by actively being part of this ecosystem, can become allies in the mission of this House.

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