About C3
C3 is an investment, learning, and market development initiative to promote greater and more effective use of catalytic capital and enable a more just, equitable, and resilient world.
Our Goal
The Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) is a collaborative effort launched in 2019 to to increase the knowledge, awareness, and use of catalytic capital–a vital form of impact investing that is patient, risk-tolerant, concessionary, and flexible in ways that differ from conventional investment.
Through both grantmaking and investing programs, C3 is demonstrating the power of catalytic capital as synergistic with other forms of investing across the full continuum of capital (including commercial rates of return) to safeguard the environment, support those most in need, and ultimately to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The C3 Strategic Partners—The Rockefeller Foundation, the Omidyar Network, and the MacArthur Foundation—are jointly funding the $10 million grantmaking work; MacArthur is financing more than $123 million in C3-related investments. This website seeks to capture a range of critical catalytic capital information in one place for the benefit of the field.
Grantmaking
Supporting field-building work, helping to answer critical questions about the scope of the need for catalytic capital, identifying when and how catalytic capital can be most effective, and demonstrating what tools and practices are needed. Grants and contracts are supported by C3's strategic partners.
Investing
Deploying capital to funds and initiatives that demonstrate a powerful use of catalytic capital. Investments are meant to reduce risk, build track records, increase the scale of promising fund managers and set the stage for other investors to participate. The MacArthur Foundation provides financing for C3-related investments.
C3 Strategic Partners
The C3 Strategic Partners are jointly funding the $10 million C3 Grantmaking program. Together, they are supporting field-building work to advance learning and market development related to catalytic capital—helping to answer critical questions about the scope of the need for catalytic capital, when and how catalytic capital can be most effective, and what tools and practices are needed. The C3 Grantmaking program is housed at and administered by the New Venture Fund (NVF).
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.
Established by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, Omidyar Network is a social change venture that has committed more than $1 billion to innovative for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations since 2004.
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation to enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish.
Grantmaking Leadership
A Project Advisory Board and program officer lead C3’s grantmaking work related to learning, market development, and field-building. MacArthur Foundation’s impact investment team manages C3-related investments in impact funds, organizations and initiatives.
Urmi Sengupta
Chair, Project Advisory Board
Urmi is senior program officer on the Impact Investment team at the MacArthur Foundation, where she focuses on grantmaking for field-building and collaborative activities to support increased investor awareness and participation in impact investing.
Chris Jurgens
Member, Project Advisory Board
Chris is a senior director at Omidyar Network on the Reimagining Capitalism team, where he leads the strategy and portfolio focused on Corporations, Capital Markets, and the Common Good.
Lorenzo Mendez
Member, Project Advisory Board
Lorenzo is a principal on the Innovative Finance team at The Rockefeller Foundation. He leads Rockefeller’s program-related investment work, which consists of a growing portfolio of investments that support the foundation’s philanthropic goals.
Stacy Xiao
Program Officer, Grantmaking
Stacy leads implementation of C3 Grantmaking’s main approaches: strengthening the evidence base for catalytic capital; advancing practice in the field and working with impact investing networks; and fostering solutions and infrastructure. Contact her at stacy.xiao@newventurefund.org.
Banner Photo: Young Leaders of the Americas fellows/courtesy of Agora Partnerships.