Mercy Investment Services

Services: Impact Investing Strategy / Impact Measurement & Evaluaton
Client Type: Faith-Based Investor
Geography: International

The Objective

Pacific Community Ventures was brought on to help Mercy Investment Services, a faith-based investor experienced in community investing, develop an impact strategy and measurement approach that would incorporate new opportunities in the field of impact investing while delivering focused impact that would further its ministry objectives.

The Approach

Pacific Community Ventures worked in close collaboration with the Sisters of Mercy to develop a focused strategy and comprehensive approach to impact measurement:

• We helped the client refine its impact objectives to better reflect its ministry objectives and guide investment decisions
• We conducted research on thematic, place-based, and innovative investment opportunities that aligned with the client’s impact objectives and identified ways to deepen partnerships with fellow investors and existing investees and solicited feedback from key stakeholders to further refine the strategy
• We worked with the client to develop a rigorous approach to impact measurement that included a catalog of select IRIS metrics that reflect the client’s impact objectives; an annual impact survey for collecting data from investees; analyses that examine specific social and environmental impacts, geographic distribution of investments, and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals; and summary presentations and documents synthesizing key findings.
• We developed a data tracking system that allowed our client to efficiently track and compare longitudinal impact data, across individual investees and the portfolio as a whole.
• In addition to developing the impact measurement approach the PCV team provided ongoing impact measurement training to the client’s team members

The Results

Pacific Community Ventures work has provided Mercy Investment Services with an investment strategy that reflects its impact objectives and includes approaches for focusing its investments in specific priority areas, places, and innovative opportunities. The PCV team has supported the client in building its own capacity to undertake impact measurement and reporting, equipping staff with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively assess and manage impact.