For nearly two decades, Rick Beckett, ’83, MBA ’87, served as CEO of Global Partnerships (GP), a Seattle-based nonprofit impact-first investment firm dedicated to expanding opportunity for people living in poverty. “Rick was relentless in his efforts to demonstrate that impact-first investing is essential in order to address global poverty at scale,” says Deirdre Black, MBA ’88. Under his leadership, GP deployed more than $770 million across 178 social enterprises in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa — impacting the lives of over 34 million people. His legacy is grounded in results. Among those who benefited from GP-funded enterprises, 90% said their lives improved, 85% reported higher household income, and 57% were able to increase their spending on education for their children.
When Rick joined GP, the organization was a small-scale nonprofit focused on microfinance. He saw the potential to scale and transform it into a leading force for social impact. Rick oversaw the launch of nine investment funds, each built to empower real people with sustainable solutions in areas like education, health, housing, sanitation, and energy. He brought rigor and clarity to defining what real impact means, emphasizing investments that deliver tangible, measurable improvements for communities in need, like women and the rural poor — all while preserving capital for investors.
Rick’s leadership helped shape the field of impact-first investing, pushing it from a niche ideal to a globally recognized approach to capital allocation. He inspired investors, public sector leaders, philanthropists, and his own team with a clear vision of what’s possible when financial returns are balanced with a humanitarian purpose. “Rick’s legacy is the opportunities he created for millions living in poverty,” says Deirdre. Rick retired in June 2024, but his influence endures both in the lives of millions uplifted by GP’s work, and, notes Deirdre, in the broader movement to “transform the way investors think about their capital and create a more hopeful future for all.”
