Third Sector Capital Partners Inc

What Third Sector Capital Partners Inc does

Third Sector Capital Partners Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered at 6 Liberty Square in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm provides outcomes-focused technical assistance (OFTA) to federal, state, and local government agencies, with a mission of helping governments design, implement, and measure performance-based social programs. Its work centers on Pay for Success (PFS) and Social Impact Bond contracting mechanisms, delivered through a proprietary 8-step system change engagement methodology across four practice areas: Behavioral Health, Diversion and Reentry, Early Childhood Development, and Economic Mobility (which subdivides into Workforce Pathways and Post-Secondary Opportunity). Since founding, the organization reports deploying more than $1.8 billion in government resources toward measurable outcomes across 50+ U.S. communities, with active operations in at least 16 states.

The organization operates without a proprietary technology platform; its core deliverables are consulting engagements, workshops, facilitation, reports, toolkits, and contract redesigns. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: philanthropic foundation grants (the dominant funding source), government contracts, and fee-for-service consulting engagements. Key foundation supporters include the Ballmer Group, Kresge Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, New Profit, Sijbrandij Foundation, Sobrato Philanthropies, and the Families and Workers Fund. Distribution is achieved through direct enterprise field sales to government agencies, foundation-bridged introductions, and peer-network referrals across a national footprint.

The organization's competitive positioning rests on a 15-year track record in outcomes-based financing, an extensive cross-sector network bridging government, philanthropy, and community-based organizations, and mission-driven nonprofit status that facilitates trust with public-sector buyers. Co-founder and CEO Caroline Whistler leads the organization, supported by a Board of Directors chaired by Reggie Bicha and co-founder George Overholser as a board member. The team of approximately 50 professionals includes Managing Directors overseeing each practice area plus functional leaders in finance, communications, talent, and impact evaluation. Recent strategic emphasis has been on institutionalizing methodology (Government Transformation Agenda, 2025) and scaling the Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs) program across additional states.

Name

Third Sector Capital Partners Inc

Legal name

Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc.

Website

https://thirdsectorcap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Third Sector Capital Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that provides outcomes-focused technical assistance to federal, state, and local government agencies on Pay for Success contracting and social program transformation across behavioral health, diversion and reentry, early childhood, and economic mobility practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Sector Technical Assistance

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

Keywords

• Government technical assistance
• Pay for success
• Outcomes-based contracting
• Public sector consulting
• Social impact financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Primary revenue stream from philanthropic foundation grants supporting outcomes-based public sector reform initiatives
2. Government Contracts: Fee-for-service contracts with federal, state, and local government agencies for technical assistance and consulting services
3. Fee-for-Service Consulting: Direct consulting engagements with government agencies implementing pay for success and outcomes-based initiatives

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Third Sector Capital Partners provides outcomes-focused technical assistance (OFTA) to federal, state, and local government agencies, helping them design, implement, measure, and scale Pay for Success, Social Impact Bond, and outcomes-based contracting initiatives. Services are delivered through an 8-step system change process across four practice areas — Behavioral Health, Diversion and Reentry, Early Childhood Development, and Economic Mobility (Workforce Pathways and Post-Secondary Opportunity). Deliverables include interactive facilitation, workshops, consultations, contract redesigns, reports, and toolkits, funded primarily by philanthropic grants and government contracts.

Product overview

Third Sector Capital Partners is a nonprofit technical assistance organization, not a software product company. It does not offer a unified platform or software product. Instead, it provides outcomes-focused technical assistance (OFTA) services to government agencies through its 8-step system change process. The organization operates across four practice areas: Behavioral Health, Diversion and Reentry, Early Childhood Development, and Economic Mobility (encompassing Workforce Pathways and Post-Secondary Opportunity). These services are delivered through interactive facilitation, workshops, consultations, and the development of reports, toolkits, and contract redesigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outcomes-Focused Technical Assistance (OFTA) Core technical assistance offering for federal, state, and local government agencies to review, revise, and improve how they build, manage, and measure the impact of publicly funded social service programs; delivered through facilitation, workshops, consultations, contract redesigns, reports, and toolkits.
• Behavioral Health Practice Area
• Diversion and Reentry Practice Area
• Early Childhood Development Practice Area
• Economic Mobility Practice Area

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.8 billion+ in government resources deployed toward measurable outcomes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiLA pilots collaboration focused on workforce development and employment outcomes through innovative public-private partnerships.
• National Governors AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSNAP E&T partnership providing technical assistance to state governors' workforce development initiatives through evidence-based contracting.
• Stanford's Center on Poverty and InequalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministrative Data Pilot collaboration combining academic research rigor with Third Sector's implementation expertise.
• University of the PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCP (Transition to Success) program implementation partnership with California, bringing higher education resources to public sector transformation.
• SRI EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood development initiative collaboration in Minnesota, combining research and implementation capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Results for America: Results for America is a nonprofit focused on helping government leaders invest in what works through evidence-based policy and outcomes-focused contracting, with overlapping government technical assistance offerings and a similar foundation-backed model.
• Nonprofit Finance Fund: NFF is a nonprofit community development financial institution that provides financing, consulting, and advisory services to nonprofits and government agencies on outcomes-based contracting and Pay for Success, with overlapping practice areas in social impact financing.
• Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab: GPL provides technical assistance to state and local governments on outcomes-based contracting, evidence-based procurement, and Pay for Success — directly comparable to Third Sector's core OFTA offering and a key academic-credentialed competitor.
• Living Cities: Living Cities is a collaborative of major foundations and financial institutions that works with cities on innovative financing for social outcomes — directly comparable as a cross-sector partnership intermediary connecting philanthropy with government on outcomes-based initiatives.
• Social Finance: Social Finance is a national nonprofit that designs and manages Pay for Success and Social Impact Bond projects for government agencies, directly competing with Third Sector in outcomes-based financing technical assistance and PFS deal structuring.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Institute: Urban Institute is a major economic and social policy research nonprofit that conducts evidence-based research on social programs and provides advisory services to government agencies, overlapping with Third Sector's outcomes measurement and policy implementation work.
• MDRC: MDRC is a large nonprofit social policy research organization that designs and evaluates programs for low-income populations, providing both research and implementation support that overlaps with Third Sector's evidence-based policy and program evaluation work.

Others

• The Bridgespan Group: Bridgespan is a nonprofit consulting firm advising philanthropists, nonprofits, and governments on strategy and impact — comparable in its foundation-facing advisory posture and social sector consulting model.

Emerging players

• FSG: FSG is a mission-driven consulting firm that advises foundations, corporations, and nonprofits on social impact strategy, with adjacent advisory offerings to Third Sector's foundation-bridging and government technical assistance services.
• Public/Private Strategies: Public/Private Strategies works to lift people out of poverty through cross-sector partnerships with government, business, and nonprofits, with overlapping practice areas in workforce development and economic mobility that align with Third Sector's practice areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/third-sector-capital-partners
• Xx.com/ThirdSectorInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThirdSectorCap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Third Sector Capital Partners Inc