Real impact by investing in change.
Good Return’s award-winning Impact Investing fund leverages capital from Australian and global investors to make loans to women entrepreneurs in our region.
The issue: In emerging economies across Asia Pacific, women in small businesses struggle to access finance.
Meet Mrs Imas who is growing her chili farm business in Indonesia with her loan.
Small businesses are considered too small, or too risky or too informal for banks and too large for microfinance institutions. Without finance these businesses cannot grow.
These challenges are far greater for women entrepreneurs, who face discrimination and difficulties from lack of ID and collateral in accessing finance.
These businesses are vital to their economies, contributing to employment and broader economic growth. As the impacts of climate change grow in our region, the need to build resilience in entrepreneurs and the ability to adapt and grow is more urgent than ever.
The Good Return Impact Investment Fund unlocks capital for these enterprises to drive resilient growth, employment and greater gender equality.
Moving money towards good
Good Return’s Impact Investment Fund harnesses our innovative approach to inclusion: a powerful combination of access to finance and changing the system.
The Fund leverages capital from Australian impact investors to guarantee and de-risk loans from financial service providers across Asia and the Pacific to women entrepreneurs.
Loans go to women who employ people within their community and contribute to local supply chains. Access to finance empowers women to make household and business decisions and access further capital in the future, inspiring the next generation of women to venture.
The Fund also drives Good Return’s work to build an inclusive financial sector. We train financial services staff in gender and disability inclusive practices, changing mindsets, developing new policies and ultimately building their client base to include women and excluded groups.
The funding model
The funding model utilises Good Return’s unique position as both a DGR1 entity (able to accept tax deductible donations) and as holder of an Australian Financial Services License to mobilise blended capital and achieve leverage.
The Fund structure comprises a junior first loss tranche that provides a robust level of loss protection and a senior tranche that is deposited in an Australian bank. The target return for senior investors is equivalent to a 12-month cash deposit with a major Australian bank.
The results so far
Our Impact Investment Fund is already changing lives in our region and, with our local partners and our loan guarantee, we have funded businesses in Cambodia and Indonesia operating in aquaculture, chili, maize, rice and cucumber farming.
602
SMEs funded in Indonesia and Cambodia
AUD $5.05m
in loans to SMEs
90%
of loan recipients were women
2905
financial staff members trained in gender inclusion
Impact Investment partners
