SIIF has also supported the development of Japan’s IMM ecosystem through its involvement with the Social Impact Management Initiative (SIMI), which it helped launch in collaboration with the Nippon Foundation. SIMI, now comprising over 110 member organizations and individuals as of October 2023, focuses on cultivating an IMM culture and showcasing best practices. SIIF has provided both financial and non-financial support to SIMI, and SIIF’s Mitsuaki Aoyagi serves on its governing council. SIMI’s work includes convening working groups, publishing best practice guides, and promoting the use of the PDCA cycle to help organizations refine their impact assessments. SIIF’s commitment to broader IMM guidance is also evident in its work with the GSG Impact JAPAN, where it played a leading role in the development of the IMM guidebook for private and public equities, in collaboration with SIMI. This guidebook, which serves as a critical resource for Japan’s investors, will be used to guide financial institutions in evaluating and managing their investments for social and environmental outcomes. SIIF also helped develop the IMM guidebook for debt, which was developed in collaboration with banks, security firms, think tanks, and rating agencies, and is currently being revised by the Japan Impact-Driven Finance Initiative (IDFI), a group SIIF helped launch and continues to support as its secretariat. Through its involvement with IDFI, SIIF has helped establish a framework for cross- sector collaboration that brings together organizations committed to impact investing. As part of the secretariat, SIIF has facilitated the development of various working groups within IDFI, with IMM as a central theme. These groups provide a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices across sectors, further solidifying IMM’s place as a cornerstone of responsible investing. Additionally, SIIF plays an advisory role, frequently being invited to speak at events and lead training sessions, such as SIMI’s Impact Analyst training, where it helps financial institutions build and refine their own IMM practices. In all these efforts, SIIF has not only been a leader in Japan for advancing the principles of IMM but also an active participant in creating systems and structures that allow for the integration of IMM at every stage of the investment process, from initial strategy development to ongoing impact management and performance evaluation.
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Ten Years in the Making
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