Collaboration for a Thriving Ecosystem For SIIF, establishing a strong and diverse ecosystem has been central to its mission. While the internal team structure and organizational culture laid the foundation for SIIF’s growth, bringing external partners into the fold has been crucial for scaling impact and fostering collaboration across sectors. This ambition is clearly reflected in SIIF’s role in spearheading GSG Impact JAPAN, Japan’s National Advisory Board (NAB), which serves as a key forum for stakeholders committed to advancing the impact investing field in Japan. The GSG NAB (Global Steering Group for Impact Investment National Advisory Boards) was established in 2013 as part of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce under the UK Presidency of the G8, with the GSG itself formally created in August 2015 as its successor organization. Soon after, other NABs were popping up around the globe, benefiting from the global community but still attempting to tailor work to the local context. In 2014, GSG-NAB Japan (the Japan National Advisory Board, Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, which later became GSG Impact JAPAN National Partner, GSG Impact JAPAN in short, in 2024) was born, with SIIF serving as the secretariat. At the outset, establishing the credibility of GSG Impact JAPAN was key. As Fumi Sugeno explains, “It was important that GSG Japan be seen as credible, one that included not just social actors but also financial institutions and businesses.” 19 SIIF, in its role as secretariat, has accumulated relationships by hosting and co-hosting events, study sessions, and working groups in collaboration with the Financial Services Agency (FSA), the Social Impact Management Initiative (SIMI), and other external parties. This emphasis on building partnerships across sectors helped SIIF gain traction early on, positioning it as a serious player within Japan’s burgeoning impact economy. This collaborative effort was also bolstered by vital financial support from the Nippon Foundation, which helped sustain GSG Impact JAPAN’s operations. This funding was crucial in ensuring that the GSG Impact JAPAN could survive and expand its influence, providing the foundation for the robust ecosystem SIIF and GSG Impact JAPAN are working to create. A cornerstone of GSG Impact JAPAN’s work is its ability to bring together diverse stakeholders—government agencies, financial institutions, social enterprises, and other practitioners in the field. One of the most impactful ways GSG Impact JAPAN fosters collaboration is through its Impact Investing Roundtables, where these stakeholders gather to discuss challenges, share insights, and brainstorm solutions. Through these 68
Ten Years in the Making
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