Philanthropic institutions are under growing pressure to do more with limited resources. Foundations are looking for ways to mobilize additional capital toward their mission and geography, while community foundations and Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) sponsors seek to attract and retain donors in a competitive landscape.
Impact-first investing is appealing, but it can feel difficult to operationalize amid competing priorities, limited budgets, and the challenge of aligning stakeholders who bring different perspectives on risk, impact, and time horizon.
The Opportunity
Impact-first investing allows institutions to have an impact beyond their grantmaking by aligning their endowments, DAF assets, and other pools of invested capital with their impact priorities, both place-based and thematic. Through compelling impact-first investment portfolios, foundations and DAFs can attract new donors, engage external investors, and demonstrate leadership.
Social Finance works with you to develop impact‑first strategies that can amplify the impact of your capital, deepen donor relationships, and position institutions as credible stewards of both capital and community outcomes.
Social Finance, is a national nonprofit and registered investment adviser (SF Advisers, LLC).
Social Finance was an invaluable partner as we explored impact investing at Aspen Community Foundation. They helped us build our understanding from the ground up, first guiding us through what impact investing could look like for our community, and then helping us define the role we wanted to play. Having their expertise and support made all the difference, allowing us to move thoughtfully and confidently into this work.
Erica Snow
President & CEO, Aspen Community Foundation. No compensation was provided in exchange for testimonial.
Social Finance was a terrific partner in a five-month engagement to build the foundation of our impact investing program. Their team was consistently professional, timely, and well-prepared, and together we developed a clear plan spanning donor outreach, funding structure, governance, and investment execution.
Erin Lusins
Chief Financial Officer, Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. No compensation was provided in exchange for testimonial.
Partnering with Social Finance has allowed us to expand the tools we can offer our donors to help them amplify their impact, achieve their philanthropic goals, and contribute to equitable recovery efforts.
Nicole Taylor
President and CEO, Silicon Valley Community Foundation. No compensation was provided in exchange for testimonial.
Related Resources
Investing DAF Assets to Support Bay Area Communities
Social Finance conducted extensive market research seeking to understand the demand for impact-first investing among DAF sponsors and their donors, and the market size of impact-first investment opportunities to meet that demand.
Advancing Equity in Greater Boston Through DAF Impact-First Investing
Social Finance partnered with the Boston Foundation (TBF) to curate impact-first investment portfolios, which enable TBF DAF holders to support local organizations that are advancing equity in Greater Boston via recoverable grants.
The Social Finance Impact First Fund is pleased to share our Q1 2026 quarterly report, which covers Fund activity through March 31, 2026. The Impact First Fund is built to deliver flexible, risk-tolerant capital to…
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