Impact investments include Program-Related Investments (PRIs) and Mission-Related Investments (MRIs). Both strive to create the same impact as our traditional grantmaking and align with our commitment to health equity and racial justice. Currently, we support innovative and/or proof of concept projects that meet the Foundation’s core affordable housing programmatic goals.
PRI versus MRI
PRI funding is eventually returned to the Foundation and reinvested to support new, impactful opportunities. Our current MRI efforts are exclusively non-cash loan guarantees.
Goals for Impact Investments
These financial investments are offered to nonprofits or private-sector companies to support charitable or mission-related activities with below-market-rate financial returns. We make impact investments with the goals of:
- Scaling innovative solutions
- Leveraging additional financial resources
- Assisting borrowers in addressing inequities
How Impact Investments Can Support Organizations
Impact investments provide capital to organizations with a business or revenue model for financing, sustaining and growing their initiatives. We partner with organizations that align with our mission and cornerstones. Impact investments can be structured to help organizations attract new funding from other investors or build a credit record to qualify for commercial financing.
Financing Structures Associated with Impact Investments
Impact investments include financing structures commonly associated with banks or other private investors, such as loans, loan guarantees, linked deposits, social impact bonds, subordinated notes, recoverable grants and even equity investments in charitable organizations or commercial ventures for charitable purposes. Organizations can request low-interest loans, non-cash loan guarantees and other flexible forms of capital.
Investment Timeline
The partnership development phase varies in timeline, while the underwriting phase usually takes 8 - 12 weeks, once initiated.
For more information, email Ben L. Bynum, MD, senior director of impact investments, and learn more about the organizations currently using awarded funds to improve health equity.
Learn more about organizations with active funding from The Colorado Health Foundation.