Newsworthy
Calvert Foundation receives $1 Million Grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given Calvert Foundation a $1 million grant that will allow us to increase our net assets and our capacity to issue Community Investment Notes. Grants such as this one can provide Calvert Foundation the ability to channel capital up to 20 times the value of the initial gift to community organizations.
> Read the press release

Calvert Foundation Launches New Website
We are pleased to announce the launch of our redesigned website, with new features to help you see your social return on investment. Exciting new features include:
> "Where We Invest" map
> Financial advisor database
> Community investment profiles
> Real life stories

Portfolio News
Initiative Foundation Supports the "Triple Bottom-Line" Approach
Calvert Foundation is proud to recognize the Initiative Foundation as one of the most recent additions to our portfolio. Community development involves a comprehensive approach to community life, and organizations must work not only to improve economic and social circumstances, but also to control environmental factors. While we currently have several partner organizations devoted to this comprehensive approach, the Initiative Foundation is noteworthy for its measurable success in both areas.

The Minnesota-based Initiative Foundation provides grants and loans to support programs that combat unemployment, low wages and increasing energy costs. Through a variety of programs, the Initiative Foundation is actively improving the economic stability of the Central Minnesota region, creating over 8,500 jobs and training more than 3,500 individuals over the past 20 years. Further, to preserve the environment and keep energy costs low, the Initiative Foundation provides affordable loans to businesses that are financially viable, socially conscious and environmentally sustainable. Taking this "triple bottom-line" approach to community development is making a tangible difference.
> Invest in organizations like the Initiative Foundation
> Visit the Initiative Foundation's website


Spotlight On
Eco-Friendly Co-Housing Tour
Take an online photo tour of Pacifica Co-Housing development in Carrboro, NC. This development utilizes many innovative energy saving technologies including systems that minimize run-off. Funded by Self-Help Ventures Fund of Durham, Pacifica also contains an affordable housing element where 8 of the 40 available units are reserved as low-income housing.
> Take the online photo tour
> Read more about Pacifica

Ask Shari
How is Calvert Foundation participating in efforts to form a greener society? Calvert Foundation has always partnered with organizations around the globe to help end poverty. As links between poverty and environmental conditions become more apparent however, Calvert Foundation has begun working with organizations that assist low-income individuals through programs that also promote responsible environmental practices, such as sustainable development and agriculture.

One example of this work is our recent investment in EcoTrust Canada, which promotes the development of an integrated economy that conserves the natural environment while ensuring that business practices are based on equitable access to economic opportunities. Many of the social enterprises we work with go beyond the traditional goal of improving their community while generating a profit, working to also improve or preserve their local environment.

From a broader perspective, just as we have begun to pay more attention to environmental topics, so have our borrowers. As you can see from the stories found in our Community Investment Profiles database, many of our partners have begun to make environmental protection a priority. Many organizations are restoring or building homes with technology that reduces energy consumption - whether this is through the use of solar panels or better insulation. As these trends continue, I am certain that Calvert Foundation and our partner organizations will lead the way in environmental stewardship and innovations that help alleviate poverty.
> Submit a Question for Shari