Non-profit

Co-Impact

Website:

www.co-impact.org/%20

Location:

New York City, NY

Type:

Global development group

Project of:

New Venture Fund

Formation:

2017

President:

Olivia Leland

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Co-Impact is a left-of-center grantmaking organization that funds social-issue advocacy for local governments in developing countries. The organization is a fiscally sponsored project of the left-leaning nonprofit group New Venture Fund, which is managed by left-of-center philanthropic consulting firm Arabella Advisors. 1

Co-Impact focuses on pushing gender equity measures at the local government level according to a profile on the New Venture Fund website. The organization works with a number of notable left-of-center and liberal grantmaking organizations to build a large portfolio of annual grants dispersed globally. 2

Background

Co-Impact was founded in 2017 by Olivia Leland. Leland has close ties with the Gates family and headed their Giving Pledge initiative, which secured a substantial portion of the funding for Co-Impact. Leland currently works as the CEO for the organization. 3

The organization has focused the majority of its grantmaking into the regions of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Co-Impact is a project of New Venture Fund, a left-of-center organization that hosts project entities advocating for a variety of left-of-center and liberal issues. 4 5

Funders

Co-Impact works with a number of left-of-center and liberal organizations and figures. Notable funding persons include Richard Chandler, a liberal billionaire mega-donor and chairman of Clermont Group; Bill Gates, the second-richest man in the world and principal funder of the left-of-center Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Jeff Skoll, former president of eBay turned liberal mega-donor; and Mackenzie Scott, ex-wife of Jeff Bezos who has used her multi-billion dollar divorce settlement to advocate for broadly left-of-center and liberal issues. Notable organizational contributors include the Rockefeller Foundation, one of the largest left-of-center grantmaking organizations in the United States; the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, a grantmaking foundation funded by William Hewlett, co-founder of HP Computers; and the Target Foundation, the private grantmaking foundation associated with the global retailer. 6

The organization received grants totaling almost $80 million its inaugural year. The organization was also given a $500 million initial endowment grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 7 8

People

Olivia Leland is the founder and CEO for Co-Impact. Leland previously worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Specifically, she directed the Giving Pledge program for the organization which advocated for increased philanthropy from the wealthiest families in America. She also serves as the senior vice president for the Rockefeller Foundation, and serves as a member of the board of directors for the Full Frame Initiative, a left-of-center organization which advocates on leftist race issues. 910

Pam Foster is the chief operating officer for Co-Impact. Foster worked with Leland in various roles including managing director, and associate general counsel for the Rockefeller Foundation before joining Co-Impact upon its founding in 2017. Foster also works as a vice-president for the board of directors for Safe Passage Project, a New York City-based organization that provides legal services for illegal immigrants. 1112

References

  1. “Our Collaborative Approach.” Co-Impact. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://www.co-impact.org/our-collaborative-approach/.
  2. “Funding Partners.” Co-Impact. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://www.co-impact.org/partners/
  3. “Co-Impact announces innagural grants totaling $80 million.” Philanthropy News Digest. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/co-impact-announces-inaugural-grants-totaling-80-million
  4. “Co-Impact announces innagural grants totaling $80 million.” Philanthropy News Digest. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/co-impact-announces-inaugural-grants-totaling-80-million
  5. “Our collaborative approach.” Co-Impact. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://www.co-impact.org/our-collaborative-approach
  6. “Funding Partners.” Co-Impact. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://www.co-impact.org/partners/
  7. “Co-Impact announces innagural grants totaling $80 million.” Philanthropy News Digest. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/co-impact-announces-inaugural-grants-totaling-80-million
  8. “Philanthropists to pool funds for health, education, opportunity.” Philanthropy News Digest. Accessed November 10, 2020. http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/philanthropists-to-pool-funds-for-health-education-opportunity 
  9. “About us.” Full Frame Initiative. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://fullframeinitiative.org/about/
  10. “Staff Profile: Olivia Leland.” Co-Impact. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://www.co-impact.org/our-team/olivia-leland/
  11. “About us.” Safe Passage Project. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://www.safepassageproject.org/
  12. “Staff Profile: Pam Foster.” Co-Impact. Accessed November 10, 2020. https://www.co-impact.org/our-team/pam-foster/

Directors, Employees & Supporters

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Co-Impact


New York City, NY