Courageous Goal of $100 Million in Social Change Investments For San Diego And Building Local Impact Investing Infrastructure Driving Force Behind New Director Appointment

San Diego, CA (June 13, 2018) – San Diego Grantmakers (SDG) has named Robert Foster its new Director of Impact Investments. In addition to offering proven investment expertise, he brings C-level experience leading social mission companies and a deep connection with San Diego Grantmakers’ values.

Impact investments are investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.

“When I learned that San Diego Grantmakers and the San Diego Impact Investors Network was looking for a leader to drive impact investing in San Diego, I was immediately excited and intrigued,” Foster said.

Robert’s past experience includes serving as the Executive Director of Accelerating Market-driven Partnerships (AMP), an international impact investing initiative launched by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and executed in collaboration with the U.S. State Department, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Aspen Institute, and Fortune 100 companies. Most recently Robert served as the COO of ZipCap, a San Diego-based impact fintech company.

Robert is a former Women Effects Investments Fellow at the Criterion Institute, an adjunct faculty member of the University of San Diego School of Business, and has served as a Board Chair of the Social Venture Network. He also holds an MSc from Oxford University.

“We envision a future San Diego region with a thriving social enterprise ecosystem that is dedicated to developing and investing in market-based solutions to address San Diego’s most pressing challenges. The exciting and ambitious goal of our initiative is to drive investments, build partnerships and prove out innovative, evidenced-based models to unlock $100 million investment by 2025.”

“We are excited to have Robert join our team as we embark on our new 2020 strategic plan, said SDG President and CEO Nancy Jamison. “Robert will play an integral role in helping catalyze impact investing locally.”

“San Diego has the potential to be a model for the nation to think differently about how communities can work together, break down silos and unlock funding of all kinds among investors to achieve real social, environmental and economic results. To achieve this vision, we need an impact investment ecosystem that effectively connects all stakeholders across San Diego’s diverse landscape and Robert has been brought onto our team to achieve just that” Jamison said.

San Diego Grantmakers is expanding its key works areas with this venture into the field of social finance innovation with a focus on building new market structures that connect capital with effective community solutions. No single sector — government, philanthropic, nonprofit or private — can remedy these alone, but together we can.

“San Diego’s collaborative culture offers ripe opportunity for our region to become a national leader in impact investing. I look forward to building partnerships to innovate financial solutions that create durable change in our communities.” Foster said.

Meet Robert at the next San Diego Impact Investors Network Happy Hour on Thursday, June 21 at Westroot Tavern. RSVP here!
Media Contact: Ryan Ginard | (858) 875-3333 | [email protected]

San Diego Grantmakers is a 501(c)3 membership association of organizations and individuals that give strategically and significantly to multiple nonprofits each year. To date, SDG’s membership includes more than 125 foundations, corporate philanthropy programs, giving circles, donor advised funds, grantmaking public charities, impact investors and government funders. SDG connects and activates funders to learn, lead and invest in our community to ensure an equitable, collaborative, and impactful social change ecosystem that improves the lives of all residents in our region.