![Report cover titled “Putting Capital to Work” with images of diverse people in healthcare, trades, and service uniforms, and the Social Finance logo at the bottom right.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/WEBSITE_-News-Insight-Thumbnail-1-1000x673.png")
Putting Capital to Work: A guide for investing in people, pathways, and prosperity
This paper shares six principles we have found to be critical in structuring funds and investing in distinct opportunities.
Insights
![A young woman with curly hair and glasses holding folders while standing outdoors in front of a historic building.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pexels-olly-3762800-1000x667-1.jpg")
Case Study: Upswing
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Case Study: Massachusetts Career Ladder Program
![Headshots of four smiling professionals arranged in a two-by-two grid.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/WEBSITE_-News-Insight-Thumbnail-3-1000x673.png")
Watch: Putting Capital to Work Video Conversations
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Case Study: Colorado Pay It Forward Fund
![Exterior view of a modern apartment building with orange and dark brick walls, balconies with railings, and several visible potted plants.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/pexels-eye4dtail-129494-1000x711.jpg")
What We’ve Learned Over the Years in Addressing Homelessness
Homelessness touches every community, urban, suburban, and rural. And most communities already know what solutions the evidence suggests. Housing First, permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing: the research is not the bottleneck. The bottleneck is whether…
![Slide with the title “Impact-First Investing: Matching Capital to Purpose,” opening remarks, and a portrait of Kirstin Hill.](https://socialfinance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/WEBSITE-News-Insight-Thumbnail-5-1000x673.png")
Kirstin Hill on Impact-First Investing: Matching Capital to Purpose
Kirstin Hill provided opening remarks at the New York Federal Reserve Bank event Impact-First Investing: Matching Capital to Purpose.
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How Missouri Is Helping Home Visitors Do More of What Works
CTF’s outcomes rate card rewards high-performing home visiting providers and helps deliver better health outcomes for mothers and children.
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Three Years of the Colorado Pay It Forward Fund
Three years in, CO PIFF has supported hundreds of learners across seven training providers and is well on the way to deploying $8M+ in total into the hands of learners seeking training, better jobs, and…