about-1Why Impact INVeSTING?

Impact investing is a long-term investment approach that enables investors to achieve competitive financial returns while integrating measurable economic, environmental and social goals. Active impact investing treats capital as tool for investors to extend their mission-oriented work and effect social change. This can be done using a variety of approaches, from targeting certain thematic sectors like climate change, workforce development and economic revitalization, and integrating ESG factors in financial analysis.

Alpha Impact Advisors is a woman-owned small business, owned solely by Barbara VanScoy.

Barbara is an experienced Fixed Income Asset Manager known as a pioneer, innovator and expert with over 20 years in Community Development Impact Investing. Cofounding Community Capital Management in 1998, Barbara acted as Chief Impact Investment Officer responsible for asset selection and community development research of the CRA Qualified Investment Fund and separately managed accounts through May 2015, investing over $6B in community development through effective market research, portfolio management and new product development in support of socially responsible and environmentally sustainable initiatives.

As Portfolio Manager with the Heron Foundation, she worked to connect marginalized people and places with capital markets, and focused on closing the racial wealth gap through affordable homeownership opportunities for BIPOC communities.

Barbara has served on the Board of Directors of the Southern Municipal Finance Society since 2007, and has served as Chair, Secretary and Membership Chair.  At the NFMA’s 2023 Annual Conference, Barbara was recognized for Industry Contribution in the ESG field.

In 2008. Barbara was named one of the “20 Rising Stars of Fixed Income” by Institutional Investor Magazine.

Well-regarded author, speaker, thought leader and expert on the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Impact Investing.

  • Created proprietary software system to allow for tracking, management and measurement of community development assets, investors, and social reporting metrics.
  • Created one of the first Healthy Communities and Green/environmentally-friendly high credit quality fixed income portfolios.
  • Part of the team to pioneer cutting-edge investment management process leveraging a research method which combines ESG/impact research with financial analysis.
  • Responsible for community development investing on behalf of bank shareholders resulting in 100% success ratio on over 1,000 public performance evaluations.
  • Participated in inaugural and 2nd annual Rural Opportunity Investment Conference sponsored by White House Rural Council.
  • Worked with senior officials of the White House Administration to invest $100MM in government-assisted rental housing in support of environmental and energy efficiency initiatives.
  • Composed comment letter to bank regulators to influence regulatory changes to the Community Reinvestment Act.
  • Created social impact reporting, which has become industry benchmark for impact investing.
  • Selected by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to serve on Race, Equity & Bond Markets Advisory Group to understand race and equity within the $4 trillion municipal bond market.
  • Served as NFMA Green Bond Disclosure Committee Co-Chair.
  • Founding Member of Maui ESG Project.

Articles published in the Bond Buyer and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Community Investments