Impact Fund for Children
UNICEF USA's impact investing arm provides innovative opportunities for donors and social impact investors seeking to help solve the biggest challenges for children around the world.
Board of Directors | Bridge Fund | Child-Lens Investing
What is the UNICEF USA Impact Fund for Children?
The UNICEF USA Impact Fund for Children (IF4C) is a tax-exempt affiliate (subsidiary) organization of UNICEF USA — serving as its impact investing arm. The Impact Fund for Children exists to expand the continuum of financing that is at work for children, in multiple forms, to protect children’s rights, help meet their basic needs, and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. We believe truly scalable long-term impact will only be accomplished when we move beyond philanthropy alone, putting capital markets to work for children, maximizing the impact of philanthropy, transforming markets, and scaling purpose driven businesses.
The Impact Fund’s largest offering is the Bridge Fund, which is a debt fund that fast-tracks critical funding to the field to eliminate cash gaps and to provide uninterrupted and expedited access to critical programs for children.
"When disasters strike, whether it is climate change-driven hurricanes or a viral pandemic, the survival of those affected depends on our ability to get ahead of the problem and respond quickly," IF4C President Cristina Shapiro wrote in an op-ed for the Financial Times.
"Impact investors can be an indispensable partner to relief organizations," Shapiro wrote. "They can fund novel solutions to rapidly evolving problems, and take on informed risks where others will not."
Demonstrating positive social impact since 2015
The IF4C has been selected for inclusion in the ImpactAssets 50 (IA 50) list of impact fund managers for nine consecutive years. IF4C is also recognized as an IA 50 Emeritus Impact Manager, a new category that spotlights impact fund managers who have achieved IA 50 recognition for at least 5 years and have consistently demonstrated a commitment to generating positive impact.
ImpactAssets uses stringent criteria to select diverse firms that demonstrate experience in the field, scale in assets under management and significant commitments to social impact, financial capacity, and oversight.
View IF4C's ImpactAssets profile here.
Above, Cristina Shapiro, President of UNICEF USA's Impact Fund for Children, interviews IF4C investor John A. Sobrato, founder and principal of the Sobrato Organization.
To invest, donate or learn more, contact: Cristina Shapiro, IF4C President, at cshapiro@unicefusa.org or Erin Egan, IF4C Managing Director, Operations, at eegan@unicefusa.org
Learn more about the Bridge Fund here.
Learn more about the Fast Fund here.