Mission Driven Finance is entering a new era—we are at an exciting inflection point on the path to mobilizing $1 billion of assets into community and cannot wait to fill you in with more details in the new year.
Launching an investment fund is expensive and time-consuming; especially for first-time fund managers who don’t come from communities where wealth has historically been concentrated. Inspired by our experiences bringing new funds to market and supporting aspiring managers, we devised a solution called MDF Capital Partners, designed to alleviate common fundraising challenges that impact funds and projects face, particularly gaps in proof, size, and timing.
Our team has had the privilege of presenting at roughly 20 convenings this year on topics as varied as public-private investment, access to capital for small businesses, investing in Indigenous economic development, innovative legal structures to activate philanthropic capital, financing community climate infrastructure, and the future of the care economy. This is what co-creating an inclusive economy looks like!
Co-founder Chief Community Officer Lauren Grattan and Senior Director of Indigenous Futures Ted Piccolo recently spoke at the 9th Annual Native CDFI Capital Access Convening.
Across recent projects, our goal remains the same: Getting capital into the hands of social impact-minded businesses, nonprofits, and initiatives that don’t usually qualify for conventional capital. In other words—flowing capital where it doesn’t, but should.
We were at the White House to share about our new Indigenous Futures Fund—designed to accelerate the flow of capital to Native entrepreneurs and Tribal enterprises.
We’re leaning into radical imagination: ideating how to help route the flood of once-in-a-generation federal resources so that Indigenous and overlooked communities can flourish for years to come.
At the Freedman’s Bank Forum, VP Harris and the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE) announced new dedicated investment vehicles with a goal of raising $80 million in private and philanthropic capital to leverage federal funding for entrepreneurs of color.
Lauren Grattan spoke at Native Women Lead & The Future is Indigenous Women’s Inaugural Growth Capital Summit, where over 120 Native women entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors gathered for three days of connection.
