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I’m happy to announce publicly that the Buen Vivir Fund is  Regenerative Finance’s next investment-raising project!

We’re partnering with IDEX, a foundation that has been around for 30 years, dedicated to “investing in initiatives led by the women, youth, and indigenous people who are solving our world’s most pressing problems.”  Recently the took on the task of looking at the impact investment sector as they’ve been relating to the philanthropy sector: how can these giants serve IDEX partners and grassroots work all over the world?

This project is co-designed, which means that  grassroots partners from all over the world and investors from the U.S. are co-developing the terms, governance structure, technical assistance, and measurements/returns.  In other words, a huge undertaking that, so far has been powerfully radical.  (I wrote a different post on that co-design process here.)

Listen to a podcast I created that sums up the week below (woohoo! baby’s first podcast!!) FYI I use some strong language.

For more info, stay tuned here, and also check out:

• IDEX / Thousand Current’s page on the Buen Vivir Fund
• DESMI, the organization that Beto (from the podcast) represents.  DESMI stands for Desarrollo Economico y Social de Los Mexicanos Indigenas, or Social and Economic Development of Indigenous Mexicans.

Buen Vivir Fund Founding Circle

In its pilot phase, the Buen Vivir Fund is bringing together a “founding circle” of investors, grassroots groups, and ally-advisers. IDEX is partnering with Transform Finance on this initiative. IDEX is honored to announce that all of these people and organizations have been selected for their exceptional commitment to, and leadership in, developing forms of investment that support people, communities and the earth to thrive.

Investors:

1. Dietel Partners
2. Libra Foundation, with Pi Investments
3. NoVo Foundation
4. Regenerative Finance
5. Swift Foundation
6. Tan Giving
7. Wallace Global Fund
8. The Whitman Institute

Investees:

1. Guatemala: AFEDES: Women’s Association for the Development of Sacatepéquez
2. Guatemala: ISMU: Institute for Overcoming Urban Poverty
3. India: GRAVIS
4. Mexico: CIELO: Federación Indígena Empresarial y Comunidades Locales de México
5. Mexico: DESMI: Social and Economic Development for Indigenous Mexicans
6. Mexico: EduPaz
7. Mexico: Ñepi Behña
8. Nepal: Women’s Awareness Center Nepal
9. South Africa: Ubunye Foundation
10. South Africa: Whole World Women Association

Ally-advisers:

1. Fred Berkowitz & Sasha Rabsey
2. Cynthia Jaggi, GatherWell & Living Economy Advisers
3. Brendan Martin, The Working World
4. Whitney Mayer, Hershey Company
5. Movement Generation
6. Carmen Rojas, The Workers Lab
7. Jorge Santiago, expert and author on solidarity economy
8. RSF Social Finance
9. Joel Solomon, Renewal Funds

What’s next?

The first round of funding for the Buen Vivir Fund is $1 million.  We’re raising $125,000 in investment dollars as well as $12,500 in gift capital to assist in the development of the fund.  (You can think of that as a 90% return if you’d like to contribute to both.)

If you’re interested in learning more or becoming invested, please email ari@regenerativefinace.org!

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