Operating Principles for Impact Management

The Operating Principles for Impact Management (OPIM), also referred to as the Impact Principles, constitute the leading international standard for impact investing. SIIFIC became a signatory upon the establishment of its fund and has since operated the fund in accordance with these Principles. Here, we provide an overview of the Principles and their implementation.

Officially known as the Operating Principles for Impact Management (OPIM) – and commonly called the Impact Principles – the framework was developed in 2019 by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and is now administered by the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). It serves as a global standard for designing and implementing an effective Impact Management System and for integrating impact considerations throughout the investment lifecycle.

Consisting of nine principles, OPIM guides investors in embedding impact intent and impact performance— from investment strategy through exit—into every stage of the investment process. Signatories are required to publish a Disclosure Statement within one year of signing.

While several international standards exist, OPIM remains the only framework focused specifically on impact investing and is recognized as the most trusted and globally adopted. As of December 2025, 182 institutions across 40 countries, representing USD 646 billion in assets under management, are signatories. In Japan, only eight institutions have signed to date. SIIFIC signed the Principles on June 7, 2023, upon the launch of the SIIFIC Wellness Fund, and published its inaugural Disclosure Statement in 2024.

#Disclosure statement

nstitutions that sign the Operating Principles for Impact Management are required to publish a Disclosure Statement once a year. This document explains how the signatory implements each of the nine Principles and serves as a mechanism for demonstrating transparency in impact management to investors and to society at large.

SIIFIC published its inaugural Disclosure Statement in 2024. While some funds separate the teams responsible for investment execution and impact due diligence, the SIIFIC Wellness Fund takes a different approach: because Founding Partners Kazu and Reiri personally lead the impact due diligence process, they also author the Disclosure Statement themselves. This reflects SIIFIC’s commitment to ownership, alignment, and integrity in impact management.

#Independent Verification

Independent Verification is the process in which an external third-party assessor evaluates whether a signatory’s impact investing practices align with the disclosures made in its Disclosure Statement and whether the institution is adhering to all nine Operating Principles for Impact Management.
These assessors—referred to as Independent Verifiers—are selected by each signatory based on their expertise and suitability.

The verification process goes beyond reviewing the materials submitted by the signatory. Independent Verifiers also examine the tools used in actual practice—such as internal checklists, procedures, and documentation—to assess whether the disclosed information reflects reality. They provide an objective evaluation of the Disclosure Statement and offer recommendations for improvement.