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About Us
Propel Philanthropy is grounded in the belief that some of the most transformative philanthropic impact comes from funding that accelerates the social sector itself. We provide free on-site curated listings that not only strengthen the sector but also help funders achieve highly leveraged, far-reaching results. We pay particular attention to promising social impact infrastructure organizations, recognizing that with the right support, some can deliver exceptional, sector-wide impact.

Propel Philanthropy’s work is guided by five convictions:

  1. We must invest in social impact-related infrastructure. We cannot begin to estimate how much good it could do for the social sector. Conversely, we cannot calculate the opportunity loss we will incur if we don’t.
  2. Failing to build robust infrastructure affects all of us. Had we made sufficient investments in infrastructure ten years ago, we’d now have far greater charitable and human capital, usable data, and other sector-wide resources. If we fail to invest moving forward, all of our efforts will be compromised.
  3. The ROI funders can achieve by investing in infrastructure is extensive—and, in some cases, exponential. There are many examples where infrastructure funding has unlocked remarkable results.
  4. Small grants sometimes drive big results. Some assume that it takes large grants to invest in infrastructure. But that is not always the case. As shown on our Stories of Impact page, small, strategic grants can transform organizations.
  5. Investing in broad, far-reaching strategies can positively impact many lives, communities, causes, and environments. In theory—and often in practice—the wider the reach of the organization you support, the greater your impact. A capacity grant to a small nonprofit can often do more than improve a single program—it can strengthen the organization. Support for a coalition or network can amplify results for many members. Support for a social impact infrastructure organization can go even further: It can accelerate entire fields, sectors, and regions.

We Advocate for Increasing Social Sector Funding

Most notably, Propel Philanthropy partnered with Alliance Magazine and the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support (WINGS) on two critical campaigns. One drew considerable attention to the roles, aspirations, and challenges nine leading social impact infrastructure organization leaders faced. The second took a deep dive into why five funders supported these organizations. Together, these campaigns drew new awareness to the value of this subsector of organizations to tens of thousands of readers globally.

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Convening Funders
Propel Philanthropy convenes funder-to-funder meetings to accelerate the social sector. The more charitable capital we unlock, the bigger, more inclusive, and equitable pie we can create. The same principle applies broadly. We are delighted to share that we have brought together funders from major foundations to small private donors. We warmly invite all with their own endowments to join us. Meetings are held quarterly on Zoom and last an hour.

Join Us on Our Learning Journey

Explore More on Our Website

  • Directory of SIIOs
    Browse our list of SIIOs that collectively strengthen the social sector across many cause areas and geographies.
  • Stories of Impact
    See real examples where small, strategic infrastructure grants led to impressive results.
  • Listings for Funders
    We provide funders with listings that we believe have the potential to bring about exceptional results by positively impacting many people, organizations, communities, or environments.
  • Get in Touch
    With nearly six years of experience making successful, far-reaching infrastructure grants, Peter Brach is available to help funders identify highly leveraged, far-reaching opportunities. We invite you to explore how he can support you.

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