Investing to make a social impact.

Byline: Will Kane; Chronicle Staff Writer

Most investors, when sizing up a company, ask a simple question: "Will this company make me money?"

But John Grafer, a principal with Satori Capital, likes to ask a question most traditional investors never think of: "Does your receptionist have an equity stake in your company?"

"It shows that they focus on the long-term with all of their stakeholders," he said Monday at the Social Capital Markets 2010 conference at the Fort Mason Center.

Grafer is one of a growing breed of investors who look beyond the bottom line and ask what a company is doing to help society. It's called impact investing, and its …