Confluence Philanthropy

As of 2024, Confluence Philanthropy had over 260 members with over $75 billion in philanthropic assets and $4 trillion in managed capital. ²

Background

Confluence Philanthropy was founded in 2009 by Dana Lanza as a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors after Lanza worked for Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA), a former project of the Rockefeller Family Fund. ³ In 2011, Confluence Philanthropy obtained independent nonprofit status. ⁴

Confluence Philanthropy advises individuals and philanthropic organizations on how to align their asset management with left-of-center social and environmental initiatives. It argues that traditional “impact investing” by “progressive investors” has failed to produce meaningful investment advice for producing adequate returns nor for addressing social issues. In response, it advises members on how to make socially and environmentally-minded investments without sacrificing returns. ⁵

Asset Managers

Confluence Philanthropy’s member organizations include asset managers. Its member asset managers include the partly Service Employees International Union (SEIU)-owned Amalgamated Bank, the Public Interest Network-affiliated Green Century Capital Management, Greenbacker Capital, Invesco, Northstar Asset Management, Terra Alpha Investment, Zevin Asset Management, and the solar energy investment firm Sunwealth. ⁶

Publications

In 2024, Confluence Philanthropy published a report titled “Leave No One Behind: Definitions and Resources for Investing in Climate Justice” that advises on incorporating left-of-center social and environmental ideals into asset management. It advises investors to “adopt a decolonial perspective,” to consider how investments will affect Indigenous groups, and to ensure investments both align with the “net-zero” carbon emission goals set by the Paris Climate Accord and address social issues. It advocates for investors to be active in shareholder votes and through other corporate accountability measures. ²

Conferences

Confluence Philanthropy hosts an annual Practitioners Gathering conference and an annual Advisors Forum and Planetary Solutions Summit conference. ⁷

The Practitioners Gathering conference is attended by members and selected guests to discuss “values-aligned investing.” Past speakers have included Democratic Party politician and activist Stacey Abrams, Amy Domini of Domini Impact Investments, left-wing journalist Anand Giridharadas, lawyer and activist Angela Glover Blackwell, comedian Jordan Klepper, Democracy Now! Co-founder Denis Moynihan, professor John A. Powell, and former President of Ireland Mary Robinson. ⁷

Confluence Overview Effect

In March 2026, Confluence Philanthropy founded its for-profit arm, Confluence Overview Effect, to take over Confluence Philanthropy members’ asset management, consulting, and its outsourced chief investment officers and its community development finance institutions. It reported that the for-profit arm will allow Confluence Philanthropy to offer additional investment services outside of what is allowed by 501(c)(3) nonprofits. ⁸

Leadership

Dana Lanza is the founder and president of Confluence Philanthropy. Lanza founded Confluence Philanthropy as a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in 2009 after working as the executive director of the Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA). EGA began as a project of the Rockefeller Family Fund and obtained independent nonprofit status in 2007 under Lanza’s leadership. From 2009 to 2011, she also worked as a program director and board advisor for the Swift Foundation. Prior to the EGA, Lanza founded Literacy for Environmental Justice, and she worked as a lead organizer for the Eco Center, campaigning in support of closing San Francisco’s Hunters Point Power Plant. ³

Venture capitalist David Yeh is an advisor and board member of Confluence Philanthropy as well as Dartmouth College’s Irving Institute for Energy and Society, The Climate Trust, and Terra Alpha Investment. In 2024, he sat on Earthjustice’s board of directors as a trustee. ⁹

Financials

In 2024, Confluence Philanthropy reported $2.5 million in total revenue, including $1.1 million in membership dues and $445,781 in registration fees. ¹⁰ It also reported $2.5 million in total expenses, including $1.6 million in salaries and compensation of its employees. ¹¹