Affinity Investing

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Affinity Investing


Definition

By Melanie Swan at http://www.melanieswan.com/social_finance.html


"Affinity Investing is the ability to direct and pool investment capital using much more specific parameters than in the past and not just basic definitional attributes but cause-directing the capital with a much closer link (possibly interactive) to the end use and results of the investment." (http://www.melanieswan.com/social_finance.html)


Examples of Affinity-based Investments

By Melanie Swan at http://www.melanieswan.com/social_finance.html


Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) Mutual Funds

"Although green is the new black, social responsibility is just one of many possible affinity attributes that can be applied to stock investing. SRI’s implementation has been growing over time. Initially, SRI meant mutual funds that did not hold tobacco, firearms and alcohol stocks. SRI leaders like Citizens and Calvert have begun to include a second level of in-depth screening for corporate governance, diversity, labor, environment, human rights and other factors." (http://www.melanieswan.com/social_finance.html)


Other Affinity Equity Investment Parameters

"There are many more dimensions along which firms can be evaluated. The next obvious affinity attributes are measuring social impact metrics (such as those developed and implemented by the Social Venture Technology Group), number of patents or open source licenses (degree of innovation), levels of carbon emissions and adherence to other green policies, degree of workforce diversity at all levels and on-site daycare, etc." (http://www.melanieswan.com/social_finance.html)


Private Equity Affinity Funds

"Like SRI public equity funds, private equity affinity funds also have a “double bottom line” with both financial and social objectives to meet, and are an important means of directing social capital to non-public entities through portfolio managers who screen, facilitate and monitor the investments. GoodCap is the innovator and pioneer in private equity affinity funds, with a $30 million fund currently being raised. This new asset class provides a purpose-driven investment vehicle for investors and unifies formerly disjoint debt/equity investing and philanthropic activities." (http://www.melanieswan.com/social_finance.html)



Directory

Links via [1]

Equity: SRI Funds

   * Citizens Funds
   * Calvert Funds


Debt: P2P Lending

   * Prosper
   * Zopa
   * Lending Club
   * Kiva


Venture Capital:

   * Good Capital
   * P2PVenture


Real Estate:

   * P2P Mortgage
   * Pooled Investment


Prediction Markets:

   * Hedge Street
   * Intrade
   * IEM
   * Long Bets
   * Predictify
   * Zocalo (o/s sw)
   * xpress (sw)



More Information

All of the above are from an overview of "Markets 2.0", Social Finance and Affinity Markets, at http://www.melanieswan.com/social_finance.html

See also:

  1. Affinity Philanthropy
  2. Affinity Purchasing
  3. Affinity Earning