Global Impact Investing Network

The IRIS+ impact performance benchmarks are analytic tools that aggregate sector-specific impact results across investments, enabling investors to compare their impact performance to peers and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Use this resource to:

• Benchmarking and rating: Compare your investment to others in the same Impact Theme or Category, as well as against the UN SDGs.

This document describes the core concepts behind impact performance measurement toward the SDGs, both through the use of IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets and the IRIS Catalog of Metrics.

Use this resource to:

• Strategy: Within the IRIS+ Thematic Taxonomy, begin a Theory of Change from published evidence.
• Identify: Discover other factors to consider, including impact risk.
• Measure, assess and value: Access IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets to help define what to measure in the context of your strategy.
• Set targets and plan: Access curated third-party resources on targets.

IRIS metrics are designed to measure the social, environmental and financial performance of an investment.

Use this resource to:

• Identify: Filter through metrics via alignment to SDGs, other frameworks, and Impact Theme (from the IRIS+ Thematic Taxonomy) to select relevant measures.
• Measure, assess and value: Access usage and calculation guidance for the selected metrics.

This introductory document outlines how to use IRIS+ to inform investors’ decision-making when building an impact portfolio, enhancing their ability to achieve their impact and financial goals.

Use this resource to:

• Measure, assess and value: Integrate impact actors into a single-asset-class impact portfolio in private markets.

This document provides guidance on how to use IRIS+ to incorporate the voices of affected stakeholders into impact measurement and management practice.

Use this resource to:

• Use IRIS+ to incorporate the voices of affected stakeholders into impact measurement and management practice.

The “How to use IRIS+ for decision-making” document provides practical guidance on how to use IRIS+ Core Metrics Sets to inform decision-making to enhance impact throughout the investment lifecycle.

Use this resource to:

• Implement: Understand how to track and mine impact data throughout the investment lifecycle

This document belongs to the How-To guidance series of IRIS+ which provide examples of how to use IRIS+ in practice.

Use this resource to:

• Measure, assess and value: Answer what to measure and how to use impact data to inform decision-making.

This document belongs to the Fundamentals guidance series of IRIS+ which offer an overview of the core concepts and rules underpinning IRIS+-based impact measurement and management.

Use this resource to:

• Measure, assess and value:Impact investors can use the core metric sets to assess the effects of their investments.

The Core Characteristics of Impact Investing define the growing approach of impact investing, and offer the financial markets greater clarity on what constitutes credible impact investing.

This resource calls upon organisations to:

• Intentionally contribute to positive social and environmental impact, use evidence and impact data in investment design, manage impact performance, and contribute to the growth of impact investing

Guidance that provides an analytical framework to compare impact performance, with a specific focus on variance and the extent of the change required to enable meaningful contribution toward impact.

Use this resource to:

• Measure, assess and value: Normalise measures of impact so that impact performance can be compared.
• Set targets and plan: Understand how an investor might contribute in analytic terms, in addition to other aspects of investor contribution.
• Monitor, learn and adapt: Determine how meaningful the contribution of the investor is.