Inside the MDI Process
Tools to Get You Started
Here are some practical ideas, questions to ask, and general practice suggestions (particularly for foundations) just starting a mission investing effort.
Ready, Set, Go
We at the Kellogg Foundation never cease to be amazed by what can happen when ideas are planted in fertile ground. After all, a big part of our work is about creating the conditions that make positive change possible. It is just that this does not always happen so close to home.
Having celebrated our 75th anniversary in 2005, we – the staff and leadership of the Kellogg Foundation – spent several years refocusing our work on improving the lives of vulnerable children, families, and communities. This involved a multi-year visioning process that involved the entire staff of the Foundation. Throughout, the question was posed: What will really make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children? In other words, what do kids who come from families in poverty, and who have multiple risk factors need to be successful? The answer was clear: they must be educated kids, healthy kids, and in secure families.
These elements became the basis of our programming strategy as it exists today, along with a reaffirmation of our commitment to promoting civic engagement and seeking racial and gender equity so that all children can prosper and grow.
These priorities also became the basis for internal conversations on how we, one of the nation’s largest foundations, could do our work more effectively. One idea that surfaced fairly early on was to pilot a mission-driven investing program. The thought was that mission-driven investing might give us an additional set of tools to help accomplish our goals.
The documents below describe the story of how the idea of mission-driven investing was conceived, developed and launched at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The focus is on the United States, although the story of how we also have engaged in Africa is mentioned from time to time. The intent is to share information that will help others understand what it takes to do mission-driven investing. For this purpose, the story is organized into three sections:
