Dissolving the Firewall Between Mission & Money: How Foundations Reexamine & Evolve Their Relationship to the Asset Base

Most foundations operate with a clear division: mission work happens through grants, while the remaining 95% of assets follow a single mandate to maximize financial returns and preserve future grantmaking capacity. That firewall between mission and money is starting to crack. Foundation leaders are asking harder questions about whether their investments undermine the very outcomes their grants aim to achieve and what opportunities they forfeit when grant dollars are their only tool. Designed for executive staff, trustees, and investment committee members, this session explores how foundations are evolving their understanding of fiduciary duty and governance to make room for impact investing, and walks through practical pathways for getting started, from issuing an RFP for values-aligned investment managers to rethinking cash management strategy to pursuing targeted local investments in your own community.