The Collaboration Fund is Backed by the Ford Foundation & John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Salt Lake City, UT — The Sorenson Impact Institute today announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its newly launched Collaboration Fund. The $1 million pooled grant fund, which includes an anchor commitment from the Ford Foundation along with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is designed to support strategic collaboration and consolidation among nonprofit field-building organizations in the impact investing and inclusive capital ecosystems.
“Organizational leaders who see the opportunity to create greater impact through consolidation are often faced with prohibitive expenses and deep organizational complexities that can act as barriers to building a more resilient impact investing ecosystem,ˮ said Margot Brandenburg, senior program officer at the Ford Foundation. “This fund reflects our belief that accelerating impact depends upon effective collaboration and those leaders that are willing to enter into these initiatives need and deserve our support.ˮ
Launched at a critical moment, the Collaboration Fund seeks to reduce fragmentation and financial stress across nonprofit organizations advancing impact investing and inclusive capital ecosystems. The RFP supports mergers, acquisitions, and other forms of collaboration by helping offset integration costs and other financial barriers. Applicants can review the RFP and submit their proposals here.
“The explosive growth of these organizations is an overall positive sign for our field,ˮ said Katie Macc, CEO of the Sorenson Impact Institute. “As the ecosystem expands, our goal is to increase collaboration, make best use of available resources, and ultimately accelerate our collective impact. We are excited to work collaboratively with Ford, MacArthur, and others on this critical initiative and applaud their continued foresight.ˮ
The Collaboration Fund targets nonprofit organizations or international equivalent structures whose work creates value for the impact investing ecosystem. This may include organizations that develop shared infrastructure or frameworks, provide education and thought leadership, convene stakeholders for common goals, produce publicly available research, or advocate for policy or other conditions which enable market growth.
Grant funding may be used to accomplish a range of activities directly tied to consolidation efforts, including feasibility studies and due diligence, legal and consulting costs, integration planning and implementation, staff transition and change management, and strategic communications that help destigmatize and celebrate these forms of collaboration for the field.
The RFP will go live on Thursday, March 12, 2026, and responses will follow a two-step process: a letter of intent (LOI) followed by a full proposal for those organizations invited to the second step. LOIs will be due on Thursday, June 11, 2026. Organizations invited to submit a full proposal will be notified by email within 30 days of the LOI due date. Full proposals will be due on Friday, August 22, 2026, with funds distributed in one lump sum within 30 days of notification.
About Sorenson Impact Institute
Proudly housed at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business, our mission is to expand the market for impact investing and to equip the next generation of impact leaders, forging a future where impact is seamlessly integrated across sectors worldwide. Through our diverse expertise, we connect capital to measurable social, environmental, and financial outcomes. Leveraging our unique position at a leading public university, we drive critical innovations and research, amplify thought leadership, and provide world-class experiential learning and academic programming. Our headquarters, the Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, is a pioneering live/work ecosystem that fosters a shared vision for the betterment of people and the planet. Learn more at sorensonimpactinstitute.com.
About The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For 90 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Learn more at fordfoundation.org.
About The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation boldly invests in creative solutions to urgent challenges, sparking hope for our future. We strive toward transformative change on some of the world’s most pressing social issues, including the existential threats of climate change, criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the U.S., expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, and strengthening the well-being of Native communities. In addition, we maintain enduring commitments in our hometown of Chicago, where we invest in people, places, and partnerships to build a more inclusive Chicago and in journalism and media, where we invest in more just and inclusive news and narratives. We also make awards to extraordinarily creative individuals through the MacArthur Fellows program and for solutions to critical problems of our time through 100&Change. Learn more at macfound.org.
