Purpose has lately become a buzzword for investors and companies. Whether ‘mission-oriented’ investing excites you or makes you want to run for the hills, aligning your wealth with your values and interests can bring rich rewards.

Give and grow

Historically, wealthy people wanting to make a difference have done so through philanthropy. In response to major challenges from climate change to poverty, some billionaires have devoted large chunks of their wealth to finding and funding worthy causes. 

Many wealthy families are motivated simply by a desire to make a positive difference in the world. However, doing good does not always mean compromising returns; with the rise of impact investing, more people are combining the pursuit of financial returns with societal benefit.

Investing for world peace

The rise to prominence of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing brought opportunities to make money while having a positive impact. ‘Investing for Global Impact,’ a report released by Barclays, found that 68% of ultra-high-net-worth private investors with an average $730m in assets felt that philanthropy and impact investing should be used in tandem to generate impact. Indeed, some 58% of respondents said they are already seeking to coordinate their portfolios into tackling common aims and themes across both (Barclays, 2023).

What’s your impact?

The modern purpose-driven investor has abundant ways to make a difference. Wealthy investors cite a responsibility to make the world better as one reason for choosing impactful investing. 

With a clear-minded strategy that considers wealth holistically, investors can look to pursue opportunities and build a family legacy. A deeply personal process, the challenge is to balance a wide breadth of factors from what the world needs, to your own circumstances and motivations. For you, your family and society, it can prove enormously enriching.

*The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. The past is not a guide to future performance and past performance may not necessarily be repeated.