Greater Good Blog

One Family Foundation’s Journey: Lessons From Launching an Impact Investing Portfolio

Cyrus Kharas
One Family Foundation’s Journey: Lessons From Launching an Impact Investing Portfolio

Over the past five years, the Richard W. Goldman Family Foundation has matured into its role as an impact investor. As our peers make consequential choices about where and how to invest for the greatest impact, we wanted to share lessons from our journey.

While our board continues to learn and refine our strategy, we have gained four critical insights that guide our decision-making and actions.

Lesson #1: Know your capacity and bring in impact investing expertise when needed

Lesson #2: Streamline decision-making

Lesson #3: Focus first—then expand your investments over time

Lesson #4: Impact investing can respond nimbly to immediate and urgent needs

For the full article and additional lesson insights, read more on Exponent Philanthropy.

About the Authors
By: The Richard W. Goldman Family Foundation Board of Directors and Cyrus Kharas

The Richard W. Goldman Family Foundation promotes equality and reduces barriers to opportunity across generations for our nation’s most disadvantaged. It does this by increasing access to education, health, and financial resources for families during children’s early years.

Cyrus Kharas is a director at Arabella Advisors and co-head of the firm’s impact investing team. He works across a broad range of Arabella’s individual, institutional, and corporate clients, and contributes to the firm’s analysis of trends and opportunities in the impact investing field. He has substantial experience in economics, international development, capital markets, and social impact, and brings this expertise to support projects across Arabella.

Back to Blog