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New global philanthropic collaborative for systems change, Co-Impact, launches with support from GDI as strategic implementing partner

“Co-Impact is an innovative new model for philanthropy that has the potential to make a big difference in the lives of the world’s poorest. We’re pleased to be part of it.”
-Bill and Melinda Gates, Co-Chairs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

We’re thrilled to share that Co-impact – a new global philanthropic collaborative that GDI helped shape – launched this week to bring together ultra high net worth donors from across the globe and drive large-scale results for millions of people across the developing world.

Co-Impact will begin by investing a pooled $500 million in high-potential systems change efforts that proven social change leaders are driving in the areas of health, education, and economic opportunity. Co-Impact’s initial core partners are Richard Chandler, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jeff Skoll, Dr. Romesh and Kathy Wadhwani, and The Rockefeller Foundation. The collaborative will make its first systems change grants in the first half of 2018 – each up to $50 million, flexibly structured, and directed to initiatives with proven leadership and results that are poised to scale even further.

Founder and CEO Olivia Leland announces Co-Impact at an event with partners in New York

We’re incredibly excited to see such a powerful group of philanthropists and social impact thought leaders rally behind systems change, and are proud to have contributed to the thoughtful approach Co-Impact is taking. As a strategic implementing partner for Co-Impact since early 2016, GDI built off our seminal piece on systems change, “What’s your Endgame?” and study on multi-stakeholder initiatives “More than the Sum of its Parts: Making Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Work” to provide early-stage strategic support and thought partnership to Co-Impact.

We helped Co-Impact formulate investment criteria, a portfolio strategy, a systems change approach, a pitch deck, and a business plan, among other elements critical to achieving its bold vision of fundamentally reimagining how the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors can work together for systems change. GDI also supported Co-Impact by sourcing opportunities for investment and conducting due diligence on shortlisted opportunities.

GDI’s collaboration with the Co-Impact team continues as we provide implementation support for specific grantees and develop investment strategies in the key focus areas of health and economic opportunity in particular. GDI is also working with Co-Impact to reimagine how technology and open data architecture can support innovation and mass scale as part of their systems change efforts.

Learn more about Co-Impact here, and give us a shout if you’d like to learn more about GDI’s role in shaping the collaborative.