Program Related Investment

When certain foundations wish to see growth and advancement to be initiated in their community or society, they often tend to help out different aspects of it through grants. Grants are a gift of money or a long term loan given to deserving people who will use the finance in order to pursue or promote a good cause. One kind of grant-making is Program Related Investments or PRIs.

What is a PRI?

A PRI is an impact investing loan or investment that is made by a donor foundation in order to support and pursue a charitable cause. The loan is not given in order to generate revenue or income, but is instead made to promote awareness regarding a noble purpose of another foundation.

The main purpose behind loaning out Program Related Investments is to address critical needs of our society. Although, it can also indirectly help to provide economic stability to the donating as well as the receiving businesses. Such investments can increase the innovation of private companies. Additionally, it can cause other external finance sources to be attracted to their firm through their initiative. Hence, utilizing this form of finance only serves to entice further capital prospects.

Who receives PRIs?

Non profit enterprises that work for certain social causes generally receive PRIs. They can also be any business or organization that supports a mission and wants to take it forward. Does this sound like your business? Great! These PRI’s are essentially endowments or grants. Therefore, you do not need to worry about receiving any specific market values immediately in return of the investment made in your enterprise. Instead, you must account for them in a gradual, long term period.

How do I apply to receive a Program Related Investment?

As a charitable enterprise or a business with a social mission, you must search for any foundations that may be willing to provide your cause a PRI. In today’s contemporary business landscape, Program Related Investments remain quite underutilized. Many are just now realizing that the risks previously associated with providing PRIs to organizations are not truly risky at all. In fact, they are some of the least risky investments to take on.

There are many foundations who specifically provide investments to groups that support certain causes only. These could include such projects related to global health, or rural development. If your mission belongs to a specific category, you may be able to find more affluent funding from like-minded organizations.

Concluding Remarks

Program Related Investments are a great means of promoting the wellbeing of our communities and our societies. Along with benefitting a business when provided at the right time, these loans also greatly help in preserving our world and aiding the people that reside in it. They help smaller and weaker establishments develop by building their organizational capacity. Additionally, they provide these businesses with capital to grow and expand, not to mention attracting new investors to their enterprise. It proves that making common leverage of PRIs can be a hugely beneficial strategy to all parties involved.