Anderson will lead the Social Finance Institute to amplify outcomes-based practices and build cross-sector momentum.
Boston and Washington, DC —Today, Social Finance announced that Karen Anderson has joined to lead the Social Finance Institute, a first-of-its kind platform designed to bridge theory and practice for market leaders, policymakers, and practitioners looking to implement and scale outcomes-based solutions. 
Social Finance is a national nonprofit and registered investment advisor. Founded in 2011, the organization works with the public, private, and social sectors to build innovative partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Social Finance has mobilized more than $350 million in new investments designed to link funding to results in workforce and economic mobility, health, and housing.
As inaugural Managing Director of the Social Finance Institute, Anderson will lead field-building efforts through applied research and publications, drawing on the work of leaders in the field—including Social Finance’s 12 years of on-the-ground experience. Under her direction, the Institute will launch an actionable research, training, and outreach agenda to translate outcomes-based theory into practice. The Institute will also develop new tools, technologies, and convenings to advance cohort-based learning.
“For over a decade, we have been partnering with changemakers to design and implement cross-sector partnerships focused on results,” Social Finance Co-Founder and CEO Tracy Palandjian said. “We are excited to amplify outcomes-based and impact-first models from across the field. Karen’s extensive policy experience and demonstrated track record of mainstreaming innovative ideas make her an ideal person to lead this important work.”
Anderson comes to Social Finance with more than two decades of experience as a results-driven leader in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, with significant expertise in launching new platforms and in economic policy. She joins Social Finance from the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute for Economics, where she helped launch a unique platform designed to encourage new areas of research and to share rigorous academic thinking with broad audiences in accessible formats.
Anderson joined The Hamilton Project at Brookings in 2006 as part of the early leadership team and served as the project’s Managing Director. She has served in two White Houses, including as Chief of Staff for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. She was also an early advisor to Results for America. Her private sector experience includes serving as a Vice President for State & Local Government Affairs for Citigroup, where she led bi-partisan outreach in all 50 states.
“This is an exciting and timely opportunity to advance new thinking around the power of outcomes-based practices and solutions to deliver measurable impact for people and communities around the country,” said Anderson. “I look forward to working with Tracy and the Social Finance team to build this platform, which will connect key stakeholders and policy leaders to create and share research and insights.”
The Social Finance Institute will be guided by an Advisory Council of practitioners, business leaders, and policy experts who will bring diverse perspectives to strategic discussions around the Institute’s work.
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About Social Finance
Social Finance is a national nonprofit and registered investment advisor (SF Advisors, LLC). We work with the public, private, and social sectors to create partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Our Impact Investment team designs, launches, and manages impact-first investments. Our Advisory team partners with government and philanthropy leaders to implement data-driven programs for social impact. And through the Social Finance Institute, we aim to build the field and change systems through policy advocacy, actionable research, and communities of practice. Since our founding in 2011, we have mobilized more than $350 million in new investments designed to help people and communities realize improved outcomes in workforce and economic mobility, health, and housing. Learn more at socialfinance.org.
Contact
Carrie Benjamin, Director of Media & Communications
(857) 340-6064
cbenjamin@socialfinance.org
All information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute, and should not be construed or used as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy, interest or shares in the fund described above. No offer or solicitation may be made prior to the delivery offering documents, which will contain additional information including disclosures relating to risk factors and conflicts of interest. If you have any questions about this press release or the information on it, please contact Social Finance at info@socialfinance.org