SK2 Fund

What SK2 Fund does

SK2 Fund is a U.S. 501(c)(3) private foundation headquartered in Boise, Idaho, that deploys an integrated capital approach to support socially and environmentally committed small businesses in emerging economies. The foundation operates five core programs: ThriiveCapital (pay-it-forward equipment loans repaid through in-kind donations of services or training to vulnerable community members rather than cash), Grassroots Investments (direct equity/debt into "missing middle" businesses too large for microfinance and too small for commercial banks), an Impact Endowment (100% mission-aligned, with approximately 63% allocated to private sector impact investments), Grants (primarily women's entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, and conservation), and Advocacy (promoting mission-aligned investing across the philanthropic sector).

The underlying methodology emphasizes co-design with in-country partners — including Alterna and GADC in Guatemala, Funder in Honduras, and emerging relationships in Cambodia — rather than unsolicited proposals. The foundation maintains alignment with 7 UN Sustainable Development Goals (Zero Hunger, Gender Equality, Affordable Clean Energy, Decent Work, Reduced Inequalities, Responsible Consumption, Life on Land) and publicly publishes endowment dashboards for transparency.

SK2 Fund evolved from the Arthur B. Schultz Foundation and was reorganized under its current name in 2020, with the "2" denoting the next generation of the founding Schultz family now leading operations. It is governed by a small board (Co-Founders Erik Schultz and Linn Kincannon) and managed by Executive Director Laurel Williams. With 1-10 employees, the foundation operates as a small family foundation funded by its endowment and tax-deductible donations; it does not charge fees and offers flexible, patient capital targeting 50% women-owned businesses in its grassroots portfolio.

Name

SK2 Fund

Legal name

SK2 Fund

Website

https://sk2fund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SK2 Fund is a U.S. private foundation that deploys integrated capital — pay-it-forward loans, impact investments, grants, and a mission-aligned endowment — to socially and environmentally committed small businesses in emerging economies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Impact Investing and Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

SME Term Loans & Growth Capital (FSAKAGAB), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Impact investing
• Pay-it-forward loans
• Private foundation grants
• Small business financing
• Integrated capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants: SK2 Fund operates as a U.S. 501(c)(3) private foundation, providing grants primarily focused on women's entrepreneurship initiatives, sustainable agriculture, and conservation-related projects. Grants are typically unrestricted and provided to in-country groups rather than through intermediaries.
2. Grassroots Impact Investments: Direct investments in socially and environmentally committed small businesses in emerging economies that are too big for microfinance but too small for commercial banks. Provides flexible, affordable, and patient capital.
3. ThriiveCapital Loans: Pay-it-forward financing for production equipment to small business entrepreneurs. Loans are repaid through job trainings or donations to vulnerable community members rather than cash, building shared prosperity since 2010.
4. Impact Endowment: Approximately 63% of endowment allocated to private sector companies, funds, and initiatives aligned with mission and values. Remainder in public equities for diversification. Full endowment invested in alignment with mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SK2 Fund is a private foundation that deploys integrated capital—grants, impact investments, and pay-it-forward loans—to small business entrepreneurs in emerging economies, primarily through the ThriiveCapital program where equipment loans are repaid via in-kind services to vulnerable community members. The foundation also manages a 100% mission-aligned endowment and advocates for broader family-foundation mission-aligned investing.

Product overview

SK2 Fund is a private foundation operating an integrated capital approach through multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include ThriiveCapital (pay-it-forward financing for small business equipment), Grassroots Investments (direct investments in small businesses), Impact Endowment (100% mission-aligned endowment), Grants (for women's entrepreneurship and sustainable agriculture), and Advocacy (for philanthropy reform). All initiatives work synergistically to accelerate transition to a more equitable and sustainable world by supporting socially and environmentally committed small businesses in emerging economies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ThriiveCapital: Pay-it-forward financing program for production equipment to ambitious small business entrepreneurs, helping expand businesses and create jobs in emerging economies. Loans are repaid through job trainings or donations to vulnerable community members.

Products and services

• ThriiveCapital Pay-it-Forward Loan Program Provides production equipment loans to small business entrepreneurs in emerging economies (Guatemala, Honduras, Cambodia), with repayment made through job trainings or in-kind donations to vulnerable community members rather than cash, building shared prosperity since 2010.
• Grassroots Impact Investments Direct investments in socially and environmentally committed small businesses in emerging economies, targeting the 'missing middle'—businesses too big for microfinance but too small and risky for most commercial banks and impact investors—with a target portfolio comprising 50% women-owned businesses.
• Impact Endowment 100% mission-and-values-aligned endowment invested in alignment with SK2's charitable objectives, with approximately 63% allocated to private sector companies, funds, and initiatives and the remainder in public equities, going beyond the traditional 5% foundation payout approach.
• Grants Program Nonprofit grant program primarily focused on women's entrepreneurship initiatives, with secondary emphasis on sustainable agriculture and conservation-related initiatives. Grants are typically unrestricted and provided directly to in-country groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Business growth tied to social responsibility through pay-it-forward model
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Untours FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in advocacy efforts for small foundation mission-aligned investing (MAI). SK2 co-sponsors educational videos with Untours Foundation and collaborates on influencing greater transparency in foundation investing.
• Just Economy InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive network partner in advancing mission-aligned investing practices and philanthropy reform efforts
• Integrated Capital Investing (Transformative 25)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSK2 is active in Transformative 25, a network promoting integrated capital approaches and diversity in investee leadership teams
• AlternacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIn-country partner in Guatemala providing free mentorship and business consulting services alongside ThriiveCapital loans to entrepreneurs
• Funder (Honduras)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIn-country partner in Honduras providing business development support and lending coordination for ThriiveCapital program
• GADC (Guatemala)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGuatemala Association for Economic Development, an in-country partner supporting ThriiveCapital operations in Guatemala
• RSF Social FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSK2 Fund recognizes RSF Social Finance and their Integrated Capital Institute as inspiration for integrated capital approaches. SK2 co-founder was a 2019-20 ICI fellow, and concepts from ICI guide SK2 Fund's direction.
• Diverse Investing CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of philanthropists advocating for more diversity on investee leadership teams, of which SK2 is an active member

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Gray Matters Capital: Gray Matters Capital is an impact-investing family office that backs SMEs serving women and base-of-the-pyramid consumers, including in emerging markets. Significant overlap with SK2's Grassroots Investments thesis.
• BlueOrange Sustainable Capital: BlueOrange Sustainable Capital is an emerging impact debt provider financing sustainable SMEs in emerging markets. Comparable customer segment and capital instrument to SK2's ThriiveCapital program though at greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Ford Foundation is a much larger private foundation with global grantmaking programs, a substantial impact-aligned endowment, and a similar commitment to integrated capital and equity-focused philanthropy. Comparable in mission and structural category though vastly larger.

Direct peers

• Calvert Impact Capital: Calvert Impact Capital is a mission-driven private-impact investor that intermediates capital to underserved communities and small businesses globally. Both deploy integrated capital across debt and equity with a strong development and climate thesis.
• Omidyar Network: Omidyar Network is a large impact-investment organization that supports early-stage social enterprises and entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Both use integrated capital (grants, debt, equity) to support small businesses in emerging economies with social/environmental goals.
• Acumen: Acumen is a leading impact investor focused on the 'missing middle' in emerging markets, providing patient capital to early-stage social enterprises. SK2's Grassroots Investments and ThriiveCapital programs target similar customers with similar capital instruments (loans and direct investments).
• Beneficial Returns: Beneficial Returns is a direct peer and named partner of SK2, providing similar creative-capital lending to small businesses in emerging economies. Both target the 'missing middle' with affordable, patient capital, making them highly comparable on mission, customer, and capital structure.
• RSF Social Finance: RSF is a direct peer in integrated capital and impact investing. SK2 explicitly cites RSF's Integrated Capital Institute as inspiration for its integrated capital approach, and SK2's co-founder was an ICI fellow. Both deploy grants, loans, and mission-aligned investments toward social and environmental impact.
• Root Capital: Root Capital lends to small and growing agricultural businesses in emerging markets, with a strong women-empowerment and sustainability lens. SK2's grants and impact investments explicitly include sustainable agriculture and women's entrepreneurship, making Root Capital a close functional peer.
• Kiva: Kiva operates a crowdfunding lending platform that channels capital to small entrepreneurs in emerging economies, including women-owned and agriculture businesses. SK2's ThriiveCapital program serves substantially the same target market with comparably small-dollar financing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 SK2 Fund