Grassroots is pleased to announce that Anna Kanze, Chief Operating Officer has been elected as the Investor Representative on the Board of the Social Performance Task Force (SPTF).

Anna Kanze’s assignment was made by SPTF’s investor members, the Social Investors Working Group or SIWG (https://sptf.info/working-groups/investors). The SPTF, founded in 2005, is a non-profit membership organization with more than 3,000 members from all over the world and from every stakeholder group in inclusive finance. SPTF engages with these stakeholders to develop and promote standards and good practices for social performance management (SPM), in an effort to make financial services safer and more beneficial for clients. Grassroots’ participation with SPTF’s activities and resources includes:

• Standards: In 2012, the SPTF released the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management (Universal Standards), a comprehensive manual of best SPM practices, to serve as a resource for all financial service providers (FSPs) with social goals. Since then, the SPTF has been focused on generating awareness, creating buy-in, and supporting implementation of the standards. Grassrootshas contributed to the Universal Standards indicators, practices and implementation guidelines manual, with particular emphasis on articulating Dimension 6: Balanced Financial and Social Performance, and contributed to conversations about responsible exits.
• Assessment tool: The SPI4 – SPTF worked closely with CERISE, a non-profit service provider based in Paris, to develop a universal assessment tool that financial services providers can use to assess their level of implementation of the Universal Standards. A shorter version of the tool has been developed for investors to use when conducting due diligence and monitoring their invests. Grassroots participated in the working group to align investors’ due diligence with the Universal Standards.
• Harmonization with microfinance institutional ratings and social ratings, working closely with the specialized rating agencies to harmonize their evaluation frameworks with the Universal Standards:Grassroots  has encouraged consolidation of initiatives within the industry as well as with broader impact investment standards and ratings (e.g., IRIS and GIIRS), helping to broaden awareness of the SPTF’s work beyond microfinance, reduce reporting burden for MIVs and MFIs, and share our best practices with new sectors and members.

In a recent interview, SPTF Founder and Chair Emeritus Frank DiGiovanni reviews the group’s origins, objectives and accomplishments to date:  Reflections on 10 years of the Social Performance Task Force.

Grassroots looks forward to working with SPTF and its members in articulating a vision for the next 10 years. We welcome all to SPTF’s upcoming Annual Meeting in February 2018 in India where Anna will start her role as board member and co-chair of SIWG.