How it Works

No one knows what a community needs better than the people who live there. The Social Impact Fund, seeded by generous philanthropists, supports local organizations, small businesses or individuals with grants or loans. The fund is nimble and reactive. It meets entrepreneurs in the communities where they are and takes a bottom-up approach to finding solutions. It’s designed to work in cities and rural areas alike.  The fund is at work in three cities: Boston, Chicago, and Flint, Michigan. Investment windows are open for specific periods.

It also is backed by the strength and experience of the American Heart Association. For decades, the association has worked in communities to inspire positive health and well-being. As a trusted broker of information, it already has contacts with city leaders, business leaders, colleges, health systems, and public health partners.

The fund is not a for-profit venture. It looks for projects that provide a high rate of social return. 

And it doesn’t give money directly to people in need. It supports programs aimed at addressing the economic and social conditions that can affect a person’s health, such as :

• Social cohesion   
• employment
• education
• housing
• food access