Our Approach
Tapasya Foundation makes significant, performance-based investments to scale the most promising strategies that address key drivers of poverty and boost economic and social mobility for young people and families across America.
The Challenge
In the United States, one of the world’s wealthiest nations, one in five young people lives in poverty. This statistic — which encompasses some 15 million people — has barely shifted over the last decade.
At the same time, the national rate of upward mobility has dropped by 40% over the past 50 years. Only half of America’s children will earn more than their parents, perpetuating the cycle of intergenerational poverty for those who start at the bottom of the economic ladder.
The challenges faced by these young people and their families are massive, complex, and persistent.
Young Individuals & Families
To ignore multi-generational poverty is to undermine our nation’s future. Although solutions exist today that put people on the path to economic opportunity, social sector leaders lack access to the capital necessary to expand these solutions to a scale big enough to move the needle on the complex drivers of poverty affecting young individuals and families.
Social Sector Leaders
Visionary leaders with evidence-based programs are making a meaningful difference in the lives of young people and families across the country. But without robust growth capital or any market incentive to think big and bold, they cannot deliver their strategies at a significant scale.
Philanthropists
Nonprofit leaders need capital to scale up their programs, and there are philanthropists ready and willing to invest in their work. Unfortunately, the market for social sector investment lacks sufficient, existing infrastructure, meaning many philanthropists have no efficient means to deploy large amounts of capital toward high-impact solutions that are ready to scale.
WHY WE DO THIS WORK
Tapasya Foundation seeks to transform the life trajectories of young people and families in poverty.
Tapasya Foundation’s Pioneering Solution
Solutions to the challenges that limit economic and social mobility for young people and families living in poverty do exist. But even the most promising solutions cannot reach far enough, fast enough without significant, long-term investment – the kind that no single investor can take on alone.
Tapasya Foundation Partners’ collaborative model unlocks substantial philanthropic capital and invests it in social sector leaders so they can expand the impact, influence, and reach of their strategies. Across our four portfolios, we make flexible, right-sized investments in both national and place-based solutions to amplify impact across the country while addressing problems specific to targeted communities.
We believe our pioneering approach offers value for three key stakeholders.
Young Individuals & Families
Nonprofit leaders need capital to scale up their programs, and there are philanthropists ready and willing to invest in their work. Unfortunately, the market for social sector investment lacks sufficient, existing infrastructure, meaning many philanthropists have no efficient means to deploy large amounts of capital toward high-impact solutions that are
ready to scale.
Nonprofit leaders need capital to scale up their programs, and there are philanthropists ready and willing to invest in their work. Unfortunately, the market for social sector investment lacks sufficient, existing infrastructure, meaning many philanthropists have no efficient means to deploy large amounts of capital toward high-impact solutions that are
ready to scale.
By pooling resources, our Partners invest more efficiently and effectively than anyone could alone, while sharing the costs, risks, and successes. We provide Partners with best-in-class expertise, including rigorous sourcing and due diligence on a steady flow of investment opportunities and regular performance reporting.
Our Process
Tapasya finds and funds scalable solutions to the problems that limit economic and social mobility for young people and families in poverty.
Sourcing
Initially, we scout organizations and various sources to identify successful leaders and innovative strategies. Prospects are rigorously vetted against our selection criteria, ensuring an active pipeline of potential investments
Due Diligence
Initiating the due diligence process involves a comprehensive evaluation of an organization's various facets, encompassing operations, current financial health, program efficacy, and prospective growth. A key element of this analysis is determining how a substantial influx of philanthropic funding could stimulate expansion and create a nationwide impact on a pressing social issue.
Planning and Initial Investment
Initial 1- to 2-year grants are designed to help organizations develop Scaling Plans. These plans serve as blueprints for quality growth and are used as the basis for structuring investments, preparing organizations for the larger challenge of rapid expansion and increased impact.
Ongoing Management
The work doesn’t end with the financial investment. Each investee is also paired with a Managing Director who provides strategic counsel to the CEO and board. Performance is monitored and reported quarterly to the Partners.
