History & Approach

Since the idea was first advanced in 2007, WKKF has focused on rapidly piloting and testing mission-driven investing as a new approach to make positive change to advance the well-being of vulnerable kids and their families.

We seek investments that create both high-impact social returns and financial returns on a par with or better than market-rate. We also want to build on our long-standing grantmaking expertise to identify innovative, effective investments rather than traditional investments in third-party funds.

To date, we have dedicated $100 million in capital for strategic, high-impact investments in for-profit entities aligned with our mission. In the process of investing those funds, we have earned recognition from the philanthropic and financial sectors as a pioneer in social impact investing. And the two-way relationships created between the foundation and its investees have informed both our grantmaking and our investees’ ability to increase their social impact and bottom line.

The document links below detail the conception, development and implementation of mission-driven investing at the Kellogg Foundation. The documents mostly emphasize our work in the United States with smaller references to MDI work in southern Africa.

• Ready: Selling the Idea
• Set: Mobilizing for Action
• Go: Investing for Impact