Fondazione Cariplo is the winner of The Sustainable Investor Award 2014

Fondazione Cariplo is the winner of the 2014 edition of The Sustainable Investor Award, the prestigious recognition given by Forum della Finanza sostenibile (Italian Forum for Sustainable Finance). With the institutional support of Borsa Italiana (Italian Stock Exchange, the award ceremony was held last November in the beautiful venue of Palazzo Mezzanotte, Milan, at the end of the Sustainable and Responsible Investing (SRI) Week. That was the occasion to officially present the latest data about the industry from the European SRI Study made by Eurosif, the European SRI membership organization, that confirm SRI as a growth area going forward.

The prize was “awarded to Fondazione Cariplo that manages substantial assets for its efforts to embed SRI into most of its investment portfolio, thus providing a strong encouragement for other investors to embark on the same change path. The judges appreciate these efforts and the progress made in structuring a process that is clear, transparent and certified (for liquid investments) and are hopeful that the Foundation continues along this path strengthening integration of environmental, social and governance elements” (citation).

The award ceremony provided the opportunity for Fondazione Cariplo to present an ebook series on sustainable finance. The first ebook about the importance of creating social value is available for download at www.fondazionecariplo.it 

“Having the responsibility for substantial assets as is the case of  Fondazione Cariplo requires responsible management and investing in a way that is aligned with philanthropic purposes. That’s why we invest the assets of our Foundation strictly adhering to rigorous benchmarking and risk management principles, including socially responsible investments” said Giuseppe Guzzetti,  Fondazione Cariplo President.

The social model Fondazione Cariplo promotes features additional elements of growing importance: being transparent, sharing goals and results with stakeholders. This is why the Foundation launched this Responsible Impact ebook Series in collaboration with Eticanews.it.

The ebooks in the series narrate Fondazione Cariplo investment experiences through examples. The first ebook in the Responsible Impact Series couldn’t but be dedicated to the importance of creating social value. Banking foundations like other philanthropic entities are going through deep transformations driven by innovation and the concept of grantmaking is being revisited through investment management mechanisms that deliver measurable results.

The first ebook in the series gives an account of the evolution that is taking Fondazione Cariplo to become a leading example in socially responsible investing (SRI) in Italy, and transform from a  philanthropic organization to a social investor embracing most advanced models in the so-called venture philanthropy sphere. Creating social value has been the fundamental driver of this transformation.