Partners & Initiatives

The Mellon-supported LANE initiative with the National Performance Network/Visual Arts Network works to strengthen the financial health of minority-led arts and cultural heritage nonprofits. NFF and Mellon also joined forces on a $1.1-million Revolving Loan Fund providing zero-interest loans to help Mellon’s small and mid-sized grantees weather financial setbacks and implement new strategies.

Bank of America Charitable Foundation has generously supported NFF’s State of the Sector survey since 2010, and is an anchor funder of our collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to explore how outcomes-oriented funding and financing could revolutionize America's approach to entrenched social issues.

The Catalyst Fund, a five-year collaboration, fostered explorations of partnership among 80+ Boston-area nonprofits and led to 13 mergers. NFF managed the Catalyst Fund, whose partners included The Boston Foundation, The Hyams Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, LISC Boston, and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. Click here for the final report, “Advice to Strengthen Strategic Mergers and Collaborations.”

For example, we worked together on financing for HealthRIGHT 360's San Francisco facility. Read more in this Funder Dialogue with Dignity’s VP of community health, Pablo Bravo.

NFF and the SF Fed are spearheading an exploration of how outcomes-oriented funding and financing could revolutionize America's approach to entrenched social issues, including the opportunities, challenges, and practical considerations of the move toward results-based funding. The campaign kicks off with a book and website, followed by workshops and convenings to expand the conversation and support skill-building for nonprofits and funders. The initiative is guided by an advisory committee of nonprofit, foundation, government, and financial-sector leaders who have direct experience using outcomes-focused funding to address homelessness, workforce development, education, criminal justice, and other critical issues. Click here to read more.

NFF and Kresge also have partnered on The Catalyst Fund, arts and culture grantmaking, and the Green Building Initiative.

The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund was created to aid nonprofit service providers struggling with the initial health and economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Of the over $110 million raised from nearly 1,300 donors, NFF distributed more than $37 million in no-interest loans to New York City health, human services, and arts and culture nonprofits to help them respond to emerging needs, cover losses associated with the disruption of their operations, and continue their critical work.

Orrick, one of the first law firms in the United States to establish an Impact Finance practice, has provided pro bono counsel to NFF as part of its team’s commitment to supporting social change. In addition to giving vital guidance on a variety of impact investing and Pay for Success projects, Orrick is as a thought partner and advisor on a variety of day-to-day needs.

NFF leads sector-wide education, outreach and convening; develops capacity building initiatives to better prepare providers, investors and governments for collaborative participation in an outcomes-based financing world; and has invested capital in Pay for Success transactions, so we can better understand the potential and growth of this financing model. Partners in our PFS work have included the Corporation for National and Community Service's Social Innovation Fund, Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and US Government (White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, Department of Labor, Department of Justice, and Office of Management and Budget).

Recent NFF-RWJF partnerships investigate opportunities and challenges facing Community Health Funds and, with the Center for Health Care Strategies and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, share knowledge about emerging partnership models between healthcare organizations and community-based providers of human services.

As part of their Public Service Project (PSP), Stroock provided pro bono legal assistance in structuring the Pay for Success investments NFF made with its CDFI Fund award. Through the PSP, Stroock was one of the first firms to make transactional or business law advice a sustained focus of its pro bono practice.