Community Impact Investing in Barry County

Money given to strengthen Barry County can also help address needs close to home. Through Community Impact Investing, Barry Community Foundation pools charitable gifts in an endowment and prudently invests a portion locally to pursue measurable community impact.


The program is guided by the Foundation’s mission to improve lives by bridging resources and fostering collaboration.

What Is Community Impact Investing?

Community Impact Investing is a Barry Community Foundation program that uses a portion of its charitable endowment for investments in Barry County. The program seeks measurable local benefits while respecting the Foundation’s responsibility to manage charitable assets and investment risk.

Why Local Investing Matters

Barry County needs an economy where businesses and neighborhoods can thrive, people can earn family-sustaining wages, and residents have opportunities to meet basic needs, including housing.



Community Impact Investing gives the Foundation another way to pursue its charitable mission. Alongside grants and partnerships, local investments can provide community-based organizations with new kinds of capital and help respond to local challenges.


The program is built around a simple goal: keep some of the money raised in Barry County working in Barry County.

How the Program Works

01

People and organizations give

Barry Community Foundation accepts charitable gifts of different sizes from individuals and organizations.

02

Gifts are pooled in an endowment

The Foundation stewards these contributions for community benefit.

03

A portion is considered for local investment

Local opportunities must be weighed against the Foundation’s financial responsibilities and charitable mission.

04

Investments are expected to create measurable impact

The program seeks outcomes that advance the Foundation’s mission in Barry County.

Not every dollar in the endowment is invested locally. The Foundation’s published approach calls for a portion to be invested in Barry County, prudently and with attention to risk.

What Guides Investment Decisions?

Community Impact Investing is designed to reflect the Foundation’s values. It aims to:

  • Give individuals and businesses ways to make charitable gifts through permanent endowments that benefit the community.
  • Strengthen effective community-based organizations with new kinds of capital.
  • Promote more equitable access to capital for residents, businesses, and organizations.
  • Encourage participation and partnerships that address community needs.


The Foundation’s investment policy calls for local investments to measurably advance its mission while preserving the Board of Trustees’ fiduciary responsibilities. Local investments carry risk. Foundation staff, committees, and consultants work to understand and reduce that risk as they consider opportunities.

Connected to Barry County’s Priorities

The program’s stated goals include a stronger local economy, opportunities for residents to build assets, and better access to basic needs, especially housing.


To see one area where Barry Community Foundation works with local partners, explore its Affordable Housing initiative

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Donate to The Barry County Revolving Loan Fund (Invest Barry)

The fund shall be used to support the economic vitality of Barry County through mission-related investment vehicles.


The Program, consistent with the Foundation’s mission of improving lives by bridging resources and fostering collaboration, keeps money made in Barry County invested in Barry County. The Foundation collects gifts of all sizes from a wide range of individuals and organizations, pooling these contributions into an endowment that is partially, prudently, invested in Barry County for impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is Community Impact Investing the same as a grant?

    No. Grants and impact investments are different ways to put charitable resources to work. This program considers local investments that seek both measurable community benefit and responsible stewardship of the Foundation’s assets.

  • Is the entire endowment invested in Barry County?

    No. Barry Community Foundation says it invests a portion of the pooled endowment locally. Its investment decisions must also account for financial needs, risk, and fiduciary responsibilities.

  • What kind of impact does the program seek?

    The program seeks measurable progress toward the Foundation’s mission. Its stated priorities include a stronger local economy, support for community-based organizations, equitable access to capital, and opportunities to meet needs such as housing.

  • Are local investments risk-free?

    No. The Foundation’s policy acknowledges that local investments involve risk and calls for staff, committees, and consultants to understand and mitigate that risk.

  • How can I learn more about giving or the program?

    Contact Barry Community Foundation to discuss the program and charitable giving options.