The SWAN Impact Philanthropic Fund allows you
to support for-profit impact startup companies
by making a charitable, tax-deductible donation.

  • You have the passion to personally invest to make the world a better place.
  • ​You want to give back and support entrepreneurs and businesses aligned with your values.
  • You want to make a contribution to promising enterprises which will move the needle by addressing significant societal or environmental challenges.
  • At SWAN, we share your passion, values, and goals; we are kindred spirits on a shared mission.
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Why make a Philanthropic Donation?

You Support Promising Impact-focused, for-profit Startup Companies with your philanthropic contributions.

  • These companies are focused on making the world a better place, and are working in market segments such as clean technology, healthcare, education access, mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion.

You have a Simple, Peace-of-mind Approach for supporting these startups.

  • Your financial return is an immediate tax-deductible charitable contribution. There is no need to make individual-company investment decisions, or to contemplate the financial risks of early-stage investing.

You Leverage SWAN investors and a leading philanthropic fund administrator, Impact Assets.

  • Investment recommendations are made by SWAN investors, with the help of outside subject matter experts, to Impact Assets, who has $2.2 billion in impact assets under management (as of 5/31/22). After further due diligence, Impact Assets makes the decision to invest.

You help support startup founders who historically have been under-served by investors.

  • The SWAN Impact Network affirmatively supports these founders and to date half of SWAN investments have been with these founders.

You help create a Sustainable Revenue Stream that supports the ongoing work of the SWAN Impact Network, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

  • The SWAN Philanthropic Fund reinvests returns to amplify its progress.
  • Contributors who make $25,000 or more donations from their personal DAF and who advise how the funds may be used, may request that associated realized investment returns be returned to their DAF, to support the mission of their personal DAF.

You can become part of a movement to Democratize Impact Investing.

  • The Philanthropic Fund is open to everyone and accepts donations and grants of any size*. It’s a great way for family, friends, and employees to connect, learn and drive progress in areas such as climate, healthcare, financial and educational inclusion.

*minimum donation of $250

We are thrilled to level-up our philanthropy with an impact investment strategy. With SWAN’s Fund, we can invest philanthropic dollars in for-profit startups and generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.

–  Bret Merfish and Christina Gorczynski

Options for making a Donation.

Options

Donations to the Philanthropic Fund can take many forms, for example, cash, stock, bonds, mutual fund shares, money in IRAs and 401(k)s, real estate, crypto currency, and funds from your personal Donor Advised Fund (DAF).

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How the SWAN Impact Philanthropic Fund is Administered

How does the SWAN Philanthropic Fund work?

The SWAN Philanthropic Fund invests in impact startups which successfully pass through SWAN Impact Network’s due diligence process. Your donations are deposited at the chartable asset management firm Impact Assets which has over $2B under management.  The SWAN then requests that Impact Assets to make the selected investment, who in turn performs final due diligence.

The SWAN Philanthropic Fund can also make charitable grants to non-profits, and will make grants to  the SWAN Impact Network, a 501c3, to cover the costs that SWAN incurs in managing the Philanthropic Fund.

If you donate at least $25,000 to the SWAN Philanthropic Fund from your personal DAF, you have the option to advise which SWAN investments your grant is to be used for, and to optionally request that SWAN Fund earnings from those specific  investments be transferred back to your personal DAF.

Who does what?

The SWAN Impact Philanthropic Fund:

  • recruits donors
  • communicates with the donors, and
  • advises Impact Assets on potential grants and impact investments.

Impact Assets:

  • receives and holds the donations
  • ensures that SWAN investment and grant recommendations comply with regulations and Impact Asset policies
  • makes the final grant and investment decisions
  • tracks investment results, and
  • generates financial reports.

Why Impact Assets?

Impact Assets’ only mission is to support impact and is the only major philanthropic fund administrator that allows funds to be invested in private, impact companies. By way of contrast, other major philanthropic fund administrators, such as Fidelity Charitable, support investment options only in public companies.

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