As Social Impact Consultants we believe in using more than money to make social change – we help find ways to deploy all capital – including financial, reputational, intellectual, human and political. This article shows how a major foundation is leading the trend, walking the walk.
Now, an article in Crain’s NY Business “Shifting role for foundations: Some are putting their money where their mouths are by investing in firms that advance social goals” shows some of the leaders of this trend, featuring the FB Heron Foundation which wisely noted a few years ago that the world has changed and so they should too. Why? Among the reasons are the founding tenets of Giving Strong as the article states: “The movement stems from several factors. There is a general realization that government and nonprofits cannot solve all of society’s problems. ”
And the idea of evolving beyond traditional grant making and check writing models (as in deploying all your capital – at work, at home and at church) is also generational: ” ‘The young are helping drive the trend,’ said Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund. ‘Millennials disregard the idea that your business, philanthropy and social priorities are separate. They just look at how to solve problems.'”
Keep an eye out in 2015 for even more of the trend to continue – from foundations, UHNW, business and non profits collaborating together.