Blending Philanthropic Capital began with a simple question.

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Sam Monson was building an impact-focused health technology company and sought investment from foundations. Given the company's mission and potential for measurable social impact, she expected that at least some foundations would invest alongside traditional investors.

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Instead, the capital came exclusively in the form of grants.

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While grateful for the support, Sam was puzzled. If foundations could use investment capital to achieve their missions—and have that capital returned and reinvested in future solutions—why weren't more of them doing so?

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Looking for answers, she began meeting with foundation leaders, impact investors, nonprofit executives, entrepreneurs, and advisors across the philanthropic ecosystem. Those conversations revealed that this wasn't an isolated experience. Many people recognized the same challenge: despite growing interest in mission-aligned investing, significant barriers prevented philanthropic capital from flowing more effectively into investments that could both advance impact and recycle capital for future use.

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What began as a search for answers quickly became a shared effort to find solutions.

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Sam started bringing together people who were committed to changing the way philanthropic capital works. That community became the founding steering committee for Blending Philanthropic Capital—a group of practitioners and leaders united by the belief that philanthropy can do more when grants and investments are viewed as complementary tools rather than separate worlds.

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Today, Blending Philanthropic Capital exists to help bridge that divide. By convening leaders, sharing practical knowledge, and advancing new approaches, we aim to unlock more flexible, catalytic capital that can create lasting impact while strengthening the philanthropic ecosystem for the future.

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We hope you'll join us in this movement to advance sustainable funding models in our communities! Attend an upcoming event, utilize our tools, or reach out to learn more about how you can get involved.

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- Sam Monson & the Blending Philanthropic Capital Steering Committee