Mission & History

A “Win-Win” for Investors and Communities

Calvert Foundation’s mission is to maximize the flow of capital to disadvantaged communities in order to create a more equitable and sustainable society. By creating innovative financial products and services, we have made it possible for everyday people, not just institutions, to participate in financial instruments that directly serve communities. It’s a win-win. You can lift people out of poverty through an investment that also earns a financial return.

Calvert Foundation was incorporated in September 1988 as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, though its current programs were launched in 1995, the result of a collaboration between Calvert Group, the socially responsible mutual fund company, and the Ford, MacArthur and Mott Foundations.

Currently, Calvert Foundation has nearly $200 million invested in 250 community organizations in all 50 states and over 100 countries. Our portfolio comprises investment in a diversified mix of high-impact organizations whose missions cover a range of social causes and innovations, including affordable housing, microfinance, Fair Trade coffee, small business development, and the establishment of essential community facilities such as charter schools, daycare centers and rehabilitation clinics. To date, our investors and supporters have helped us build or rehabilitate over 17,000 homes, create 430,000 jobs in the U.S. and in developing countries, and finance over 25,000 cooperatives, social enterprises, and community facilities.