This was a design project to develop an impact reporting and tracking dashboard for a Great Lakes Impact Investment Platform. The platform offers investment products that contribute to the vitality of the Great Lakes and generate competitive financial returns for investors. These include equities, environmental impact bonds, and “blue bonds.” The platform also tracks the performance of these investments against key environmental outcomes for the Great Lakes.

In the design phase the team: analyzed currently available data and methodologies, identified gaps, and selected the parameters to be included in the dashboard; hosted two workshops with Great Lakes data and impact investing experts; planned a reporting system for the dashboard that tracks impact; and submitted a proposal to the Fund.

This design project successfully led to an implementation project.

This work ultimately will provide investors a mechanism to invest in the health of the Great Lakes, track that impact, and generate an attractive financial return.