Mission-Aligned Investments use the corpus of the Foundation's endowments to make financial investments focused in Forsyth County.
Other foundations may have missions that focus in specific program areas, such as for human services or the environment, and they may choose to invest in projects that promote that mission. However, as a community foundation, our investments are focused geographically—specifically on Forsyth County, NC.
The Foundation has a variety of mission-aligned investments, including the Inclusive Economy Portfolio, which serves as a responsive opportunity for mission-aligned investments in Forsyth County that are also aligned with the Foundation’s two focus areas.
The Winston-Salem Foundation Committee established the Inclusive Economy Portfolio to complement and augment the Foundation’s work on Building an Inclusive Economy and Advancing Equity in Education.
Through the Inclusive Economy Portfolio, the Foundation seeks and makes investments in enterprises and economic opportunities that:
Our investment partners:
Loans and investments will range between $100,000 and $1,000,000, with the Mission Aligned Investing Subcommittee evaluating each proposal on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants to the Inclusive Economy Portfolio will be asked to submit basic project information that allows the Foundation to determine if the project is eligible for its loan program. If the project is determined to be eligible, Foundation staff and consultants will work with the applicant to assemble materials for a full underwriting application for the proposed investment.
Submissions are accepted at any time. After receipt of initial materials, organizations will be contacted within 30 days as to whether they are invited to submit a full proposal. The process will take three to four months from receiving initial materials to closing an investment.