Supporting organizations key to addressing the affordable housing crisis

NEW YORK - Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) announced today it has selected Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) as its diversity and inclusion partner for MSIM’s charitable contribution related to the newly launched Impact Class. OFN is a leading national network of 370 community development finance institutions (CDFIs) that works to ensure communities underserved by mainstream finance have access to affordable, responsible financial products and services.

The Impact Classes are share classes available in two of MSIM’s institutional money market funds. They contain a contribution feature in which MSIM, out of its own profits from managing the Impact Classes, provides support to organizations that focus on affordable housing, children’s health and nutrition and education among other diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Under this new partnership, MSIM will make an annual contribution to OFN’s Finance Justice Fund, an OFN initiative that aims to bring $1 billion in capital from corporate and philanthropic partners to historically underinvested communities.

“MSIM chose OFN as a partner because it is uniquely positioned to help money flow to people and places where traditional financing doesn’t reach,” said Navindu Katugampola, MSIM’s Head of Sustainable Investing.

“We are deeply grateful for Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s support of our Finance Justice Fund,” said Beth Lipson, interim CEO and Chief Financial Officer of Opportunity Finance Network. “Its contributions will help us achieve the goal of the Finance Justice Fund, which is to close the racial wealth gap and accelerate the work of our member CDFIs investing in affordable housing, health centers, schools, and other anchors of the vibrant communities where we all wish to live.”

The Impact Classes are available to direct institutional investors in Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds Government (IMPXX) and Prime (IMPTXX) portfolios. They are designed to help institutional liquidity investors achieve their primary investment objectives of principal stability, liquidity, and income while at the same time advancing their DE&I goals. MSIM will contribute at least 0.02% of the net annualized assets under management in the Impact Class shares to support DE&I initiatives.

The Impact Classes represent the latest in the series of innovative share classes and product structures across the Morgan Stanley Institutional Liquidity Funds money market fund lineup that are designed to assist DE&I and environmental, social and governance (ESG) conscious liquidity investors. Investors interested in the Impact Class may also be interested in the CastleOak Shares which were launched last year in partnership with CastleOak Securities, L.P., a leading minority-owned boutique investment bank, whose giving back philanthropy focuses on community, professional development and education.

About Opportunity Finance Network

Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is a leading national network of more than 370 community development financial institutions (CDFIs), specialized lenders that provide affordable, responsible financial products and services in low-income rural, urban, and Native communities nationwide. As a trusted intermediary between CDFIs and the public and private sectors, OFN works with its partners – banks, philanthropies, corporations, government agencies and others – to create economic opportunity for all by strengthening and investing in CDFIs. Since its founding in 1986 and through 2020, the network has originated $91.2 billion in financing in rural, urban, and Native communities, helping to create or maintain more than 2.2 million jobs, start or expand 535,550 businesses and microenterprises, and support the development or rehabilitation of more than 2.2 million housing units and more than 13,270 community facility projects.

About Morgan Stanley Investment Management

Morgan Stanley Investment Management, together with its investment advisory affiliates, has over 1,200 investment professionals around the world and $1.3 trillion in assets under management or supervision as of September 30, 2022. Morgan Stanley Investment Management strives to provide outstanding long-term investment performance, client service, and a comprehensive suite of investment management solutions to a diverse client base, which includes governments, institutions, corporations, and individuals worldwide. For further information about Morgan Stanley Investment Management, please visit http://www.morganstanley.com/im.

Opportunity Finance Network Media Contact:
Lisa Chensvold
Phone: 202-516-8238
Email: lchensvold@OFN.org

Morgan Stanley Media Contact:
Jessica Ong
Phone: 212-762-0801
Email: jess.ong@morganstanley.com