Ecotrust is rooted in the understanding that capital has a catalytic role in transforming our region towards a future that is equitable, prosperous, and climate-smart. For nearly 30 years, Ecotrust has harnessed the potential of a working endowment in concert with private investments to create economic, social, and environmental well-being in our region at a scale that creates impact.

Ecotrust Investments has grown into both a values-aligned funding source for Ecotrust’s transformative work, and a catalyst that brings triple bottom line projects to life at a scale of impact.

Investing Goals

Through our own experiences with catalytic capital, we are able to learn from the challenges and identify opportunities to pursue triple-bottom-line outcomes, invite new partners and partnerships, build financial resiliency, and achieve a greater scale of mission impact. Ecotrust Investments continues to transform our portfolio to fully embody our vision of resilience, creativity, intergenerational security, and community.

Aligned with this vision, our interconnected investment goals are:

100% mission-oriented

We invest in projects, businesses, funds, or other vehicles, whether led by Ecotrust or others, that are at a minimum aligned with, and ideally further advance our mission. All our investments should achieve measurable positive social, environmental, and financial outcomes.

Support nonprofit operating expenses

Investments provide a reliable source of funding to Ecotrust to support achieving our mission through nonprofit programming.

Amplify our impact through influence

We invest in a way that provides a platform from which we can broadcast our point of view and inspires others to co-invest, partner, mimic, and otherwise participate in our shared vision for a natural model of development.

Preserve the viability of the Natural Capital Fund

The Natural Capital Fund is Ecotrust’s working endowment and signature impact investment vehicle. The fund has leveraged $50 million in grants and mission-related investments to generate more than $1.5 billion in capital assets at work across the region. By directing catalytic capital to targeted initiatives and enterprises, our goal is to transform key sectors of the regional economy to create social, economic, and environmental value.

Projects

Through a diverse portfolio, Ecotrust Investments delivers investment returns to amplify the impact of Ecotrust and our partners across the region, while sustaining projects including:

The Redd on Salmon Street

After more than four years of development, we were thrilled to open the full Redd on Salmon Street campus in early 2019. The Redd campus was brought to life through a creative and impactful mix of more than $25 million in funding from a variety of capital sources, including investor equity, foundation PRIs, private debt, New Markets Tax Credit investments, and philanthropic contributions.

Learn more about the Redd on Salmon Street.

The Natural Capital Center

Opened in 2001, we were able to purchase and restore the Natural Capital Center through our working endowment and private investments. The nation’s first Gold LEED Certified historic renovation, we lease office space and event space that generate revenue for our nonprofit functions while facilitating innovation and connection.

Learn more about the Natural Capital Center.

EFM

EFM invests in nature’s best climate solutions across the Americas to create long-term financial value and enduring environmental and social impact. Named one of the top 50 impact investment fund managers in the world by ImpactAssets, EFM is pioneering climate-smart forestry strategies on more than 120,000 acres in the Western United States. Ecotrust Investments has invested in EFM’s Funds and in its Management Company.

Learn more about EFM.

Ecotrust Investments Board

Through a wealth of business and finance experience grounded in mission-aligned values, the Ecotrust Investment Board guides our work. Among other duties, the Board is responsible for reviewing our portfolio for mission fit, financial health, and overall performance, approves investments, supports fundraising for investments as needed and hires and manages Ecotrust Investments’ Managing Director. Ecotrust Investment Board members include:

Gun Denhart*, Co-Chair
David Chen, Co-Chair
Jeremy Barnicle*
Mark Edlen*
Bob Friedman*
Ron Grzywinski*
Elise Lufkin*
Olivia Rebanal
David Spurr
Bettina von Hagen

*Also Ecotrust Board of Directors member