We are inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and recognize that to truly address some of the complex challenges the goals aim to overcome, we must make systems-level change. Doing so requires engaging with partners that have a range of perspectives and experience, examining the complicated roots of these issues, and accounting for the varied consequences of the work. The foundation paves the way for such change by supporting innovative grantees and investees as they launch and experiment with new solutions, helping them build a track record that can attract more capital from a broader range of donors and investors.
Our nimble nature allows us to take big leaps and fill crucial gaps. We do so through grants and impact investments.
The Osprey Foundation supports Water for People, an organization that promotes the development of high-quality water and sanitation services that are accessible to all. Photo courtesy of Water for People.
Grants
We empower our grantee partners to make decisions in response to on-the-ground circumstances and we rely on their expertise to develop and shift tactics that will help them achieve their goals. Along with programmatic and capacity-building support, when indicated the foundation provides operating support, which grantees often sorely need but do not frequently receive from other donors. General operating support allows grantees to make decisions in service of the communities they serve—not just the donors to whom they are accountable. The foundation also gives many grantees multi-year funding, which allows them to build capacity and expand the scope of their project work while reducing their development and administrative burden.
The Osprey Foundation invests in Pro Mujer, an organization that disburses microloans to women in Latin America alongside financial and empowerment training. Photo courtesy of Pro Mujer.
Impact Investments
Impact investments are avenues for action, allowing foundations like ours to use more of their resources in targeted, effective ways; discover areas in which there are not yet solutions; and build sturdy structures that are capable of scaling those solutions. Many philanthropists have the opportunity to use of all their assets, beyond grants, to push forward their missions, build on the momentum of markets, and provide capital that can propel their investees in ways grants cannot. The Osprey Foundation looks for solutions that can be sustained and scaled.
What We Are Reading
2023 Philanthropy and Digital Civil Society: Blueprint
Philanthropy and Digital Civil Society: Blueprint is an annual industry forecast about the ways we use private, philanthropic resources for public benefit in the digital age. Lucy Bernholz, a research scholar and the director of Stanford University’s Digital Civil Society Lab, authors the Blueprint each year to provide an overview of the current funding landscape for digital civil society, point to big ideas that matter, and direct readers’ attention to areas where they can expect to see important breakthroughs in the coming year.
How Leaders Can Boost Women’s Economic Power
Melinda French Gates’ piece in The Economist highlights the critical role of gender equality in economic stability, poverty reduction, and overall global growth. Gates emphasizes the need to increase women's access to affordable capital, as it can boost entrepreneurship and drive economic empowerment for women in emerging economies.