DOING WELL AND
Doing Good
We are committing all our capital for impact given the urgency of challenges faced by kids and families in Colorado.
Our Capital Strategies:
“
I would like to see business people try to solve social problems with the same imagination and energy they use to finance a factory or make a deal. Don’t call it philanthropy; call it corporate social investment. Make it integral to business.”
Sam GaryFounder
Leveraging the Power of Our Entire Balance Sheet
Part of Sam Gary’s vision was to ensure that all our assets, whether philanthropic, below-market, or market-rate, ultimately will be managed in pursuit of our mission and values. We do this whole-heartedly.
We execute this strategy using a range of investment tools and our entire balance sheet to catalyze market-driven solutions. To us, it has never been enough to give away 5% of our capital while the remaining 95% is invested elsewhere with no potential for impact. That’s why Gary is a pioneer in building an endowment that is 100% impact-focused, using a unique framework and an associated set of investment tools that supports this strategy. There are two primary approaches through which we deploy the capital on our balance sheet: Mission Investments and Sustainable & Impact Investments.
Mission Investments
The goal of our Mission Investment portfolio is to use our balance sheet to deliver clear and measurable outcomes in School Readiness, Youth Success, and Family Economic Mobility. To remove barriers to opportunity for kids and families in Colorado, we need to tap into the power of markets and market actors both nationally and locally. We do this through three key strategies:
- Investing in for-profit companies, investment funds, and other organizations adopting market-based solutions across the country
- Incentivizing these national market-based solutions to scale their impact in the areas of School Readiness, Youth Success, and Family Economic Mobility in Colorado
- Making place-based investments that directly benefit Colorado kids and families
Reach out to learn more about our Mission Investments >
Our Mission Investments Portfolio
Pool
Helps guarantors to combine resources and expertise by establishing a one-stop-shop for intermediary lenders in climate, affordable housing, and small business through a diversity and equity lens.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Guarantee
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Direct
A social emotional learning software company working to improve adolescent mental wellness in partnerships with schools.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Youth Success
Direct
A low-interest rate loan to help finance the construction and completion of a new clinic space on a six-acre, mixed-use campus in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood of Denver.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Debt
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund II
A seed fund of global education technology companies with at least $3M allocated to early childhood development.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: School Readiness
Fund
Aims to finance properties near fixed-rail transit stations and high frequency bus stops to support affordable housing communities.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Debt
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund I
A seed and Series A fund focused on FinTech and Future of Work investing in diverse founders/CEOs.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund
Provides supportive housing to homeless communities while also addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Social Impact Fund
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Direct
An unfunded guarantee for a loan to CDFIs to provide loans to local community development financial institutions to provide PPP loans to underserved small businesses.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Guarantee
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund I
Invests in Colorado companies with high-growth, scalable business models and a commitment to improve healthcare, education, and the environment.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Other
Fund II
Invests in female leaders using technology to solve the world’s biggest problems in health, education, economic empowerment and sustainability.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Youth Success, Family Economic Mobility
Fund III
Invests in business, properties and social organizations to improve health and wellbeing, education and skills, sustainable living and under-served markets.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Youth Success
Fund
A company that partners with districts to implement behavioral science-based text nudges to increase student attendance rates.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Youth Success
Fund
A Colorado Small Business Impact Fund that provides small business loans, lines of credit, and training for entrepreneurs in with a priority for small businesses owned by low-to-moderate income individuals, women, veterans, and people of color.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Debt
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Bridge Fund
Invests in Colorado companies with high-growth, scalable business models and a commitment to improve healthcare, education, and the environment.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Direct
A Denver-based technology company that hires at-risk youth, ex offenders, immigrants and the previously underemployed.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Debt
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Direct
Builds high-quality, affordable, prefabricated, modular houses using recycled shipping containers.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund II
An investment fund that is catalyzing the economic liberation of underserved communities in America.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund
The Putting America Back to Work Fund is a lower mid-market private equity fund focused on closing the skills gap by investing in business service companies in critical high-demand sectors,
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Private Equity
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund I
Buys businesses with high BIPOC worker populations and uses the ESOP model to convert to employee ownership.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Private Equity
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Direct
A non-profit corporation that makes loans and provides business support to entrepreneurs with low-incomes.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Debt
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund
The Wildflower Loan Fund helps open Wildflower Montessori schools.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Guarantee
Outcome Area: School Readiness
Direct
A research-based, engaging and easy-to-use parent and coaching app.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: School Readiness
Fund I
A seed fund of global education technology companies with 20% allocated to early childhood development.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: School Readiness
Direct
Works with experienced educators and childcare providers to help them start their own early childhood programs out of their homes.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Venture Capital
Outcome Area: School Readiness
Fund
The Landed Home Ownership Impact Fund is a real-estate investment fund that provides a path to homeownership for educators and healthcare workers.
Return Profile: Market-rate Asset Class: Real Assets
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Direct
Acquires, preserves, and develops real estate in underserved areas for long-term community benefit.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Debt
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Fund
A fund to provide relief and support to local small businesses recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19.
Return Profile: Concessionary Asset Class: Debt
Outcome Area: Family Economic Mobility
Impact Investments
We take a holistic approach to investing our entire investment portfolio, where we pursue our mission and adhere to our values by responsibly investing all of our financial investments in the pursuit of mission impact and sustainable value creation. While our mission investment portfolio (part of our overall investment portfolio) consists of investments that directly align with our three outcome areas, we invest the remaining assets across a variety of issue areas aimed at producing positive social and environmental impact. Gary is one of a few philanthropic entities nationally to invest its entire portfolio towards impact.
Our unique investment portfolio consists of impact and sustainability focused assets across a range of asset classes, including fixed income, public equities, private equity, alternative investments, and real assets. In doing so, we have consistently demonstrated competitive returns, proving that you can both do well and do good at the same time.
Reach out to speak to a member of our Impact Investing team >
Financial Records
Discover New Possibilities
Together, we will create the change our community wants to see. Whether you want to discover more about our ventures, or connect with a member of our team, we want to hear from you.