The Catalyst September 2019

Social Impact Exchange: Taking Innovation to a National Scale

Found something that works?

Economist E.F. Schumacher left us with the message “small is beautiful.” But how many non-profits want small impact? The desire for mission impact animates The Social Impact Exchange. The SIE’s vision is “to create a marketplace of doers, funders, and experts that efficiently delivers capital to the most effective nonprofits so they can accelerate and spread their impact.” Once a cluster of successful innovations is demonstrated, the SIE builds a capital marketplace through broad networks, scaling up carefully tested and proven innovation for regional and - ultimately - nationwide impact.  "Don’t let good solutions go to waste. When we find solutions that work, we bring them to scale so they reach as many people as possible." Alex Rossides, President and Co-Founder

A marketplace of doers, funders and experts

Soon after the SIE’s creation, the president and leadership team brought in The Whelan Group to develop a business plan in the exchange. The plan called for groups of foundations and philanthropists to join sector-specific working groups. Members of the three working groups - education, health, and poverty - made up-front financial commitments. These investments enabled leading–edge nonprofits to bring their proven ideas to scale and then to syndicate the deal to other early philanthropic investors.  TWG developed a prospectus presenting the case for the start-up capital and brain power needed to launch the Social Impact Exchange's work. We then managed the ongoing relationship–building strategy with many of the largest foundations, corporations and private philanthropists in the country.

The nonprofit entrepreneurial spirit

Since 2010, the SIE has held an annual national conference of institutional funders, investors, individuals, philanthropic advisors, academics, and nonprofit leaders. The focus each year is on how to scale clusters of innovations within a systems-change focus, to support high-impact nonprofit initiatives. Other SIE initiatives are a Learning Community, funder networks, and multi-sector networks implementing systems change initiatives. With TWG advice, the Social Impact Exchange has become a significant nonprofit intermediary advancing a revolutionary idea: using private equity-style strategies to assist nonprofits that have effective, evidence–based solutions that can be scaled - solutions that have a meaningful impact on resolving serious social problems.

The Whelan Group: nonprofit advisors

To learn about TWG's work with the Social Impact Exchange and more than 300 other clients seeking advice on strategic planning, capacity-building, and campaign management, visit our website or give us a call.

Find out more about The Whelan Group and our services to non-profits. Call us at 212-727-7332 or email i nfo@whelangroup.com .  We want to hear about your organization's next steps.

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