Our Strategy
Effecting the change needed to dramatically improve lives means looking beyond traditional approaches to philanthropy. Our team sees strategic investments, a form of impact investing, as a critical piece of the puzzle—especially when paired with the work of our foundation colleagues and partners to support projects in the United States and around the world.
When we discover an innovation, a resource that could unlock opportunity for under-resourced communities, or a great idea that needs additional funding to get off the ground, our first step is to identify the right tool to support this promising work. Is that a grant? An equity investment or loan? Or would an investment paired with a grant, a combination our team often leverages, be most effective?
It’s a personalized approach to philanthropy that ensures we are providing the right funding tool to support entrepreneurs and organizations—both nonprofit and for-profit—working on solutions for the world’s most important problems.
An Investment Committee chaired by the Strategic Investment Fund Director and comprised of the foundation Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and other internal and external advisers reviews each potential opportunity before we finalize any investment. Leveraging foundation leadership and external input is an important step in the investment process.
