What Sorenson Impact Foundation does

Sorenson Impact Foundation is a private charitable foundation founded in 2012 by Jim and Krista Sorenson and headquartered at 6330 South 3000 East, Suite 630, Salt Lake City, Utah. The foundation invests in early-stage, post-revenue for-profit impact startups (Seed to Series A+) whose business models are tightly intertwined with achieving high social impact across healthcare, education, financial inclusion, workforce development, clean energy, sanitation, water, and affordable housing. It deploys capital through three vehicles: Program Related Investments (PRIs) structured as equity, convertible debt, revenue-based financing, and loans; Mission Related Investments (MRIs) covering 100% of its endowment across affordable housing, education, and financial inclusion; and Grants targeted at field-building, systems change, and wealth-gap solutions. The foundation sources deals through a Typeform-based PRI Deal Intake form with an optional Abaca VIRAL assessment and runs a structured 3-6 month diligence process through Investment Committee approval to closing.

The foundation's platform spans 67+ active portfolio companies in 14 countries across five continents, with a broader MRI footprint reaching 110+ countries. The portfolio includes direct investments such as Participant Assistive Products ($250K pre-seed), Totem ($250K pre-seed, Native-led fintech), Kiip ($250K bridge), Redemption Bank ($1M), and NESsT Lirio Fund ($500K), alongside co-investments with Flyover Capital, SixThirty Ventures, Acumen America, Boomerang Ventures, and Oakwood Circle Ventures. Institutional partners include BlackRock, KKR, Owl Ventures, Bridge Investment Group, Calvert, and Lumos Capital Group on the MRI side, and field-building partners including GIIN, Mission Investors Exchange, SOCAP, US Impact Investing Alliance, Village Capital, and the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business via the Sorenson Impact Institute. Cumulative portfolio impact is reported at 1.7 billion+ lives impacted, 1.8 million+ jobs created, 820 million+ students reached, 299,000+ affordable housing units preserved, $5 billion+ in sustainable investments unlocked, and 407 million metric tons of carbon avoided.

Sorenson Impact Foundation's revenue model is endowment-driven rather than product-driven: the MRI portfolio targets market and above-market-rate returns to sustain perpetual grant-making and PRI deployment, while PRIs accept potentially lower financial returns in exchange for high social return. The foundation differentiates itself through full-corpus mission alignment (100% of assets deployed for impact, versus the typical 5-10% annual deployment by foundations) and through portfolio diversity — 70% of funds invested are owned or managed by women or people of color, more than 5x the institutional average. Leadership includes Founder/Chairman Jim Sorenson, Executive Director Lindsay Zizumbo, CFO Paul Ludlow, and Managing Director Eliza Roady (joined August 2024 from Sorenson Impact Institute, previously Acumen America and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe), supported by an Investment Committee of private equity and venture capital professionals.

Name

Sorenson Impact Foundation

Legal name

Sorenson Impact Foundation

Website

https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sorenson Impact Foundation is a private charitable foundation founded in 2012 that invests in early-stage impact startups across healthcare, education, financial inclusion, and clean energy through program-related investments, mission-related investments, and grants, with 67+ portfolio companies in 14 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Impact Investing

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)

Keywords

• Impact investing
• Program related investments
• Mission related investments
• Catalytic capital
• Social enterprise funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Returns: The foundation invests its endowment in a mission-aligned portfolio that generates strong financial returns to sustain perpetual grant-making and program-related investments. Returns support the foundation's operational capacity and capital deployment.
2. Program-Related Investment Returns: PRIs are deployed as catalytic capital in early-stage impact companies in the form of equity, convertible debt, revenue-based financing, and loans. The foundation accepts higher risk or potentially lower returns in exchange for high social return, while the broader endowment portfolio targets market and above market-rate returns.
3. Grants and Field-Building: Concessionary grants funded from endowment returns, focused on systems change, regenerative paradigms, and wealth gap solutions in 2023-2024.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sorenson Impact Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that deploys catalytic capital into early-stage for-profit impact startups via Program Related Investments (equity, convertible debt, revenue-based financing, and loans to Seed through Series A+ companies). It complements these direct investments with Mission Related Investments that place 100% of its endowment into mission-aligned sectors (affordable housing, workforce development, financial inclusion, education, clean energy) and a grant program supporting field-building nonprofits focused on systems change and upward mobility through ownership.

Product overview

Sorenson Impact Foundation is an impact investing foundation that deploys capital through three primary investment vehicles: Program Related Investments (equity, debt, and loan instruments for Seed to Series A+ impact startups), Mission Related Investments (100% of endowment deployed across affordable housing, workforce development, financial inclusion, education, and clean energy sectors), and Grant Partners (focused on social impact, education, entrepreneurial training, and healthcare). The foundation has invested in 67+ portfolio companies across 14 countries on five continents, with investments reaching over 1.7 billion people worldwide through the 17 UN Sustainability Goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Program Related Investments (PRIs) Equity, convertible debt, revenue-based financing agreements, and loans deployed to early-stage for-profit impact startups (Seed to Series A+) whose business models are tightly intertwined with achieving high social impact. Check sizes range from $250K (pre-seed/bridge) to $1M, focused on healthcare, education, financial inclusion, workforce development, sanitation, water, and clean energy.
• Mission Related Investments (MRIs) Investment of 100% of the foundation's endowment across sectors including affordable housing, workforce development, financial inclusion, education, and other areas supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals. MRI portfolio includes partners such as BlackRock, KKR, Owl Ventures, Bridge Investment Group, Lumos Capital Group, Jonathan Rose Companies, Core Innovation Capital, and Calvert. Outcomes include 1.8M+ jobs created, 820M+ students reached, 299K+ affordable housing units preserved, and $5B+ in sustainable investments unlocked.
• Grant Partners Program Concessionary grant funding to field-building nonprofits focused on social impact, education and entrepreneurial training, healthcare, and systems change. In 2023-2024, grants targeted solutions promoting upward mobility through ownership and a regenerative impact investing paradigm, distributed through an annual Request for Proposals process.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.7 billion people impacted through 2023 portfolio companies
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• University of Utah David Eccles School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2024The Sorenson Impact Institute is housed in the Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, a 284,808-square-foot facility serving as the new home for the David Eccles School of Business centers. Funded by Jim and Krista Sorenson, Bob and Lynette Gay, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Utah Department of Workforce ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2024Partnered with Homium to develop the Utah Dream Fund, a shared appreciation mortgage program offering qualified first-time buyers up to 40% of purchase price or $150,000 in down payment assistance with no monthly payments or interest.
• Guild MortgagecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity organization partner in the Utah Dream Fund shared appreciation mortgage program alongside Utah Department of Workforce Services and community organizations.
• ImpactAlphasecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPublished article by Ibrahim Rashid, senior associate for impact investing at Sorenson Impact Foundation, outlining lessons on integrating AI into impact investing operations based on training hundreds of investors.
• GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network)coreOthersInstitutional partnership and membership. GIIN is the premier global network promoting impact investing.
• Mission Investors ExchangecoreOthersInstitutional membership and partnership with organization connecting foundations using impact investing for social change.
• SOCAPcoreOthersInstitutional partnership and membership supporting the global impact investing community.
• Village CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIF partnered with Village Capital on the Abaca platform (developed by Village Capital) to democratize access to capital through a matching algorithm replacing traditional friends-and-family networks. Also co-invested in Building an Equitable Future Initiative with Black Innovation Alliance, UBS, Travelers Foundation, and Moody's.
• SeedsecondaryOthersInstitutional partnership and membership with Seed organization supporting social entrepreneurs.
• Financial TimessecondaryOthersFeatured partner and media association with Financial Times, demonstrating brand recognition and media credibility.
• US Impact Investing AlliancecoreOthersInstitutional partnership. SIF was appointed to the US Impact Investing Alliance's Presidential Council in 2016.
• What Works Media ProjectsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for media and communications support.
• SalesforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI) and Arkus on a digital transformation initiative to enable workforce organizations to adopt new digital strategies, use technology for improved operations, and build digital literacy skills for job seekers.
• ArkuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with WPTI and Salesforce on digital transformation initiative for NYC workforce development organizations.
• Black Innovation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-launched Building an Equitable Future Initiative with Village Capital in February 2021, designed to strengthen entrepreneur support infrastructure in communities of color across the U.S. Funded by UBS, Sorenson Impact Foundation, Travelers Foundation, and Moody's.
• Sorenson Impact InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIF is part of the Sorenson Impact platform. The Sorenson Impact Institute launched a Nature-based Solutions initiative addressing financial barriers and promoting private sector investment in NbS, including research projects and strategies to monetize ecological, social, and economic impacts.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest US private foundations, with a major impact investing program (Mission Investments) alongside traditional grantmaking. Comparable in deploying mission-related investments but at a vastly larger scale and broader mandate.
• MacArthur Foundation: Large private foundation running a substantial impact investing portfolio alongside grantmaking, including climate and inclusive economies strategies. Comparable in running MRIs but with much larger AUM and broader thematic scope.
• Kresge Foundation: US private foundation with a dedicated Social Investment Practice that deploys PRIs and MRIs alongside grants. Comparable as a peer foundation deploying catalytic capital in urban and climate themes.

Direct peers

• Omidyar Network: Philanthropic investment firm founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar that deploys both grants and impact investments across sectors. Comparable as a mission-driven foundation using 100%-mission-aligned capital across geographies.
• Acumen: Global impact investment fund that deploys patient capital into early-stage social enterprises tackling poverty. Directly comparable as a fellow impact investor with a portfolio-over-patience approach and field-building orientation.
• Heron Foundation: Private foundation that has moved 100% of its assets into mission-aligned investments, similar to SIF's 2020 milestone. Comparable as a fellow foundation pioneering the 100%-mission-aligned endowment model.
• Blue Meridian Partners: Philanthropic scaling vehicle that deploys large, long-term growth capital to high-performing nonprofits and social enterprises. Comparable as a foundation-affiliated impact investor doing place-based and systems-change work.

Emerging players

• Village Capital: Impact-focused venture firm that supports underestimated entrepreneurs via peer-sourced deal flow and Abaca platform. Comparable as both a SIF portfolio/partner and as a fellow impact investor serving diverse founders.

Others

• GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network): Industry association and field-builder for impact investing. SIF is an institutional member and partner; comparable as the central convening body for the impact investing ecosystem SIF operates in.
• ImpactAlpha: Specialist media outlet covering impact investing. SIF contributes thought-leadership content via ImpactAlpha; comparable as the dominant source of impact-investing news shaping the field SIF operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sorenson-impact-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments19 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sorenson Impact Foundation