Why This Work Matters

Our mission driven investments (MDI) disrupt the status quo and drive capital to underrepresented people and overlooked markets.

The foundation aims to achieve transformational systemic change in the capital markets in two ways:

  1. Driving racial equity by investing in people, products, services and communities, uncovering undervalued opportunities that generate promising impact and strong returns.
  2. Rethinking traditional assumptions about risk, while reshaping the capital market system to dismantle historical biases and barriers. As we invest in managers and organizations creating innovative approaches to equitable access to capital, we also provide communications, technical assistance, networking and other supports to help grow their investments.

What We Support

Context matters. A comprehensive approach is essential to realizing great returns while also managing in a market that often limits opportunities for underrepresented or undercapitalized general partners or entrepreneurs.

Established in 2007, WKKF’s Mission Driven Investment program seeks to reorient investor practices and behaviors to influence traditional capital markets. As one of the first and largest programs of its kind, the WKKF MDI program provides a capital continuum for opportunities aligned with WKKF’s goals. There are two types of investments that provide the greatest impact: program-related investments (PRIs) and mission-related investments (MRIs).

PRIs are investments that are made primarily to achieve a program objective, rather than a significant financial return. PRIs, on average, generate return of capital and provide the flexibility often needed to catalyze capital into high impact. To date, we have committed more than $100M to PRIs.

MRIs are market-rate investments that support the foundation’s mission by generating a positive social or environmental impact, while generating reasonably competitive rates of financial return.​ We have grown our MRI portfolio to $240M from the $100M originally carved out from WKKF’s endowment. We designed our MRI portfolio to help scale and institutionalize opportunities for the traditional markets.

Predominately a private-markets strategy, WKKF only invests in enterprises and fund managers that directly advance our mission.

Investment Criteria

Intentionality

Demonstrated application of equitable approaches and influence that are most appropriate for the stage and scope of the potential investees’ strategy.

Risk-Adjusted Return Potential

A clear strategy, pipeline and execution plan for attaining returns equivalent to the level of risk.

Sector

Flexibility across many sectors with an equity focus or the appetite to develop one.

Asset Class

Diversified portfolio across asset classes and stages in the private markets, including venture and private equity, credit, real estate and infrastructure.

Vehicle

Primarily investing through funds and fund of funds with some targeted direct company and project investments.

Business Case for Racial Equity

The United States economy could be $8 trillion larger by 2050 if the country eliminated racial disparities in health, education, incarceration and employment.

Stories of Our Investments