“Without Goparity this project probably wouldn’t have been possible” — the additionality of being the enabler and other findings of Goparity’s first impact report.
Over 150 organizations financed in the last seven years. We could be talking about a small bank or even a microcredit institution.
What if we add the fact that all the more than 360 projects funded have a positive impact on the planet and people? And that most of these impactful projects might not have happened if their only option was traditional banks?
Then you might suspect we are talking about Goparity.
“Goparity and its investors bet on us, and, frankly, without Goparity this project probably wouldn’t have been possible.”
This sentiment, expressed by one of Goparity’s project promoters (the borrowers) — Oceântia, a Portuguese company developing electric, CO2 emissions-free buses for school transportation in small municipalities — highlights the crucial role Goparity plays. I’m betting you prefer living in a world where such projects not only exist but thrive, and, even better, knowing you contributed to it with your investment.
The company’s CEO, Valter Duarte, credits Goparity and its community of investors with making this project a reality. By having a platform that connects investors and investees — Goparity, as the middle-agent, enables synergies which have the potential to create lasting positive effects — we are talking about impact.
Reflecting on Goparity’s seven years of enabling impactful projects was a big task. And that is what we did in our first impact report, focusing on the evolution of our services and the community, the growth of the business and the team — all connected through the thread of impact.
By connecting numbers on investors and investees to testimonials and feedback from the community we hope to tell the whole story of who has been impacted by our work. We also turned the lens inward to reflect on the positive effects of what we do every day. And then for the first time, we are presenting all of it intertwined in 46 pages of data, stories and images that attest to our mission to make finance work for people and our planet, by empowering people to use their money for good.
In this report, we look beyond business growth — you will not find how much we grew or how many million Euros were financed. Instead, we focused on the outcomes of our work, guided by our mission and values, spotlighting our user community and Goparity as a company built by and for people.
“I start to make a change by deciding where my money goes — Goparity has the potential to change the system”, Evelyn Koch, investor since 2021.
Our goal of improving access to ethical finance and increasing financial literacy and autonomy materializes by providing transparent information and clear concepts for informed financial decisions regardless of level of experience.
We surveyed our investor community about Goparity’s role in their financial autonomy. Remarkably, 88% of investors acknowledged at least a moderate contribution to their financial autonomy, mainly due to the simplicity of the investment process, the possibility of using ethical and sustainable financial instruments , and the clear communication about financial concepts.
Building this impact report was challenging yet very rewarding. Connecting all the pieces, from outputs to outcomes, was a realization of how much we have accomplished and the vast potential to reach yet more people, more businesses and more non-profits, amplifying our impact.
While I led this project, it was only made possible by a dedicated team working tirelessly to create this impact. I want to highlight Beatriz Machado’s indispensable support — she enthusiastically took on the task of organizing all the information clearly and beautifully. Thanks to Inês Gonçalves, Rita Oliveira and Nuno Brito Jorge for the invaluable feedback. Additional thanks go to Rita Rodrigues, Adriana Libânio, Joana Antunes and Tiago Neves for a spot-on proofreading.
A word of appreciation to our partners — Casa do Impacto and the +PLUS team, Mustard Seed Maze, Schneider Electric, and B Lab — who contributed with insights, inspiration, and collaboration.
Creating this report was an excellent opportunity to review the status of many important topics related to Goparity’s impact, and it turned out to contribute immensely to the planning of the company’s impact-centered future.
Now, we’d love to hear from you: how have you, personally or within your organization, contributed to create the world you want to live in?
