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Tipping Point Fund

Website:

tpfii.org/
Type:

Grantmaker Project
Formation:

2019
Fiscal Sponsor:

New Venture Fund

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Tipping Point Fund is a grantmaking project of the left-of-center New Venture Fund. 1 The organization’s grant making areas include “data, metrics, and measurement,” under which the organization awards grants to recipients focusing on improving data standards and interpretation, as well as implementing left-of-center public policy. 2 The Tipping Point Fund awards grants to various left-of-center organizations including Prosperity Now, Urban Institute, 3 and As You Sow. 4

History

Founded in December 2019, Tipping Point Fund (TPF) is a grantmaking organization. 5 TPF is a project of the left-of-center New Venture Fund, an organization providing incubation services for other left-leaning organizations. 6 The organization began with $14 million of initial funding 7 from left-of-center organizations such as the Blue Haven Initiative, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and Omidyar Network. 8 TPF is also funded by other left-of-center organizations including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation. 9

Grantmaking

Tipping Point Fund focuses on two grant making areas: public policy and “data, metrics, and measurement.” 10 Under the public policy grantmaking program, TPF announced $950,000 in grants in 2021 to organizations “working to increase impact transparency and accountability via public policy projects and initiatives.” The left-leaning organizations receiving funds included B Lab, Prosperity Now, and Urban Institute. Resources awarded to B Lab funded the development of educational trainings preparing business leaders for policy advocacy, while funds awarded to Prosperity Now were for advocacy efforts aimed at increasing opportunities for entrepreneurs of color. 11

In 2022, TPF announced awarding $450,000 to organizations engaged in developing and promoting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing practices. 12 Grants were awarded to the left-of-center Americans for Financial Reform to “engage the SEC and Congress on regulatory changes and legislation,” the UN Principles for Responsible Investment to develop and promote “policy recommendations to advance the consideration of ‘real world’ impact in fiduciary duties,” and The Shareholder Commons. 13

Under the “data, metrics, and measurement” grantmaking area, TPF awards grants to organizations “improving harmonization among impact standards and systems” as well as “developing additional data infrastructure and practices.” In 2023, TPF announced awarding over $3.2 million in grants to organizations working to ‘address data gaps and advance best practices in the collection and evaluation of impact data’ such as As You Sow, Carbon Disclosure Project, Intentional Endowments Network, and Oxfam America. 14

Leadership

Fran Seegull is the executive director of TPF. Seegull is also the president of the left-leaning U.S. Impact Investing Alliance. Previously, she oversaw investment management for the Giving Fund while she was the chief investment officer and managing director at ImpactAssets. She sits on the committees of left-leaning organizations such as RSF Social Finance and, earlier, the Goldhirsh Foundation. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. 15

References

  1. “Growing the Impact Investing Market.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://tpfii.org/home
  2. “Data, Metrics, and Measurement.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 11, 2023. https://tpfii.org/data-metrics-measurement.
  3. “The Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing Awards $950,000 in Grants to Six Organizations Working to Advance Public Policies That Support Impact Transparency and Accountability to Stakeholders.” Tipping Point Fund, December 14, 2021. https://tpfii.org/announcements/the-tipping-point-fund-on-impact-investing-awards-950000-in-grants-to-six-organizations-working-to-advance-public-policies-that-support-impact-transparency-and-accountability-to-stakeholders.
  4. “The Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing (TPF) Awards $3.2 Million in Grants to 16 Organizations Working to Improve Data, Metrics and Measurement.” Tipping Point Fund, January 23, 2023. https://tpfii.org/announcements/the-tipping-point-fund-on-impact-investing-tpf-awards-32-million-in-grants-to-15-organizations-working-to-improve-data-metrics-and-measurement.
  5. “What We Do.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://tpfii.org/what-we-do.
  6. “Growing the Impact Investing Market.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://tpfii.org/home.
  7. “What We Do.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://tpfii.org/what-we-do.
  8. “The Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing Announces $752,000 in Grants to Advance Policy Ideas.” Tipping Point Fund, July 8, 2020. https://tpfii.org/announcements/tpf-announces-grants-to-advance-policies-2020.
  9. “Funders.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://tpfii.org/funders.
  10. “What We Do.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://tpfii.org/what-we-do.
  11. “The Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing Awards $950,000 in Grants to Six Organizations Working to Advance Public Policies That Support Impact Transparency and Accountability to Stakeholders.” Tipping Point Fund, December 14, 2021. https://tpfii.org/announcements/the-tipping-point-fund-on-impact-investing-awards-950000-in-grants-to-six-organizations-working-to-advance-public-policies-that-support-impact-transparency-and-accountability-to-stakeholders.
  12. “The Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing Awards $450,000 to Three Organizations Working to Advance Public Policies Related to the Asset Manager Fiduciary Duty.” Tipping Point Fund, September 7, 2022. https://tpfii.org/announcements/the-tipping-point-fund-on-impact-investing-awards-450000-to-three-organizations-working-to-advance-public-policies-related-to-the-asset-manager-fiduciary-duty.
  13. “The Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing Awards $450,000 to Three Organizations Working to Advance Public Policies Related to the Asset Manager Fiduciary Duty.” Tipping Point Fund, September 7, 2022. https://tpfii.org/announcements/the-tipping-point-fund-on-impact-investing-awards-450000-to-three-organizations-working-to-advance-public-policies-related-to-the-asset-manager-fiduciary-duty.
  14. “The Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing (TPF) Awards $3.2 Million in Grants to 16 Organizations Working to Improve Data, Metrics and Measurement.” Tipping Point Fund, January 23, 2023. https://tpfii.org/announcements/the-tipping-point-fund-on-impact-investing-tpf-awards-32-million-in-grants-to-15-organizations-working-to-improve-data-metrics-and-measurement.
  15. “Team.” Tipping Point Fund. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://tpfii.org/team.
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