Impact Investing Think Tank™ Event Convenes 100 Partners From Around the County and Country
GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 8, 2018) — Phillips Foundation today convened 100 nonprofits, philanthropists, foundations, and social investors for its fourth Impact Investing Think Tank event, presented in partnership with Guilford Nonprofit Consortium and Action Greensboro.
Held at The Public in Greensboro, this conference drew attendees from across the United States, with a majority of participants representing local organizations interested in strengthening Guilford County’s social entrepreneurship ecosystem.
“The turnout today shows that our community is eagerly building its social entrepreneurship ecosystem through collaboration and forward thinking,” said Cecelia Thompson, Executive Director of Action Greensboro.
The event featured two interactive training sessions facilitated by Tony Wells, entrepreneur and founder of the Ohio-based Wells Foundation, which has catalyzed nonprofit innovation and strengthened social enterprises nationwide for the past 18 years. The morning session engaged funders on the topic of building an impact investing portfolio to augment philanthropic returns, while the afternoon session introduced innovative non-profit organizations to a spectrum of strategies for maximizing impact and increasing financial sustainability through social entrepreneurship.
“The nonprofit organizations in our community are increasingly focused on new sustainability models that leverage philanthropic capital beyond just donations and grants. Convenings like the Impact Investing Think Tank provide positive momentum to this conversation,” said Steve Hayes, Executive Director of Guilford Nonprofit Consortium.
Phillips Foundation launched its Impact Investing Think Tank program in 2016 to engage partners around the shifting landscape of philanthropy and to promote new tools for achieving social and environmental impact through catalytic capital.
“Foundations are no longer limiting themselves to grants as the sole tool to effect positive change. There are also opportunities for mission-aligned investment portfolios, loan vehicles, and collective impact initiatives that deliver social and environmental benefit while generating financial returns,” said Elizabeth Phillips, executive director of the Phillips Foundation. “The hope is that today’s event results in further collaborative action toward leveraging more capital for more good.”
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About Impact Investing Think Tank
Impact Investing Think Tank (IITT) launched as an original program of the Phillips Foundation in 2016. IITT seeks to build momentum for the impact investing movement by convening a variety of partners interested in leveraging capital to achieve social and environmental impact alongside financial returns.
About Phillips Foundation
Founded in 2002 and fully funded in 2014, the Phillips Foundation represents the philanthropic legacy of its founder, Kermit G. Phillips II, a successful real estate entrepreneur from Greensboro, N.C. The current Board of Trustees leverages the Phillips Foundation as a catalytic capital platform for positive change through impact investing, strategic grants, and original programs. For more information, visit PhillipsFoundationNC.org.
Phillips Foundation currently does not accept unsolicited grant applications.
About Guilford Nonprofit Consortium
The Guilford Nonprofit Consortium is a collaborative of 250 nonprofit organizations in and around Guilford County, North Carolina that fosters mutual assistance and support. The Consortium provides opportunities for education, collaboration, networking, and celebration. The Consortium was founded in 2003 to increase the capacity of nonprofits to carry out their mission and is funded by the generosity of local foundations and corporate sponsors.
About Action Greensboro
Action Greensboro, together with the Chamber of Commerce, serves as the city’s primary economic and community development group. Formed in 2001, Action Greensboro is comprised of six local charitable foundations and local business leaders. In collaboration with business, higher education, and municipal government, Action Greensboro works to strengthen Greensboro’s economy and ensure the continuation of its excellent quality of life. We uphold and share a bold vision for advancing the community to meet the demands of the 21st century, while driving this vision with quick action, determination, high energy and nimbleness.
Phillips Foundation is a private family foundation and catalytic capital platform that leverages its assets to maximize social, environmental and financial value.
