Impact investing has grown as a way to generate both financial returns and social or environmental benefits, but altruistic investors often struggle to compare opportunities effectively. Unlike charitable giving, where platforms like GiveWell provide clear cost-effectiveness analyses, impact investing lacks a standardized way to rank ventures by impact, financial returns, and risk. This gap makes it harder for investors to allocate capital where it can do the most good.

How a Ranking Platform Could Work

One way to address this could be a platform that systematically evaluates and ranks impact investments based on three key factors:

• Expected Impact: Measured in tangible outcomes like lives saved, carbon emissions reduced, or other EA-aligned metrics.
• Financial Returns: Estimated risk-adjusted returns across different asset classes (equity, debt, etc.).
• Risk Profile: Both financial risks (volatility, liquidity) and impact-related risks (execution challenges).

The platform could function like a searchable database, allowing users to filter by cause area, asset class, or risk tolerance. Rankings would rely on transparent methodologies combining expert analysis, third-party impact assessments, and financial due diligence.

Key Stakeholders and Incentives

Such a platform could serve multiple groups:

• Investors (individuals, funds, advisors) would gain a trusted way to align their portfolios with their values while minimizing financial risk.
• Impact ventures could benefit from increased visibility, especially if they score highly on impact metrics.
• Platform operators might monetize through premium services, advisory roles, or partnerships with financial institutions.

Execution and Challenges

A simple starting point could be a curated list of 10–20 high-impact investments, ranked using publicly available data. Over time, this could evolve into a dynamic platform with user accounts, filtering tools, and crowdsourced data. Key challenges include:

• Quantifying impact across different sectors (e.g., health vs. climate) in a comparable way.
• Balancing simplicity for users with rigorous analysis for credibility.

Existing efforts like GIIN or B Lab provide useful frameworks but don’t offer ranked, actionable recommendations tailored to altruistic investors. A platform filling this gap could help direct more capital toward high-impact opportunities.