Charism Capital Fund I closes with $25.35 million from 12 founding investors—led by congregations of women religious—to bring capital to excluded communities, primarily in the U.S. and the Global South

Long before "impact investing" had a name, women religious were already practicing it. Congregations like the Adrian Dominican Sisters directed their retirement funds and other savings into community development credit unions, loan funds, and the earliest community development financial institutions (CDFIs)—patient, affordable capital moving toward the neighborhoods and enterprises the conventional financial system wouldn't touch.