Business for Impact Workshop: Foundation Funding for Businesses

Impact-driven businesses are often pushed towards traditional bank loans to obtain critical funding for their work. While bank loans are an important source of funding, they often lead to high levels of debt. Loans are not the only answer. In the Greater Philadelphia region, there is an extensive and growing network of Foundations that are able to lend to impact-driven businesses. Join SBN for an engaging panel discussion on how these foundations operate, why a business’s impact matters to foundations, and how businesses can navigate a foundation's grant application process.

This is a follow-up workshop to our presentation last year by Ellizabeth Killough on how businesses can work through foundations to secure funding. This year, join us for a focused conversation between fountains and businesses who have successfully applied for grant funding. This workshop will help business owners in navigating the process of applying to foundations to receive grants.

This program will be open to MED Week attendees as well as SBN members and other community members.

Date: Wednesday, October 9 

Time: 12 – 1 pm

Location: Virtual

This program is FREE for SBN members, non-members, and MED Week participants. This program is part of 2024 Philadelphia Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week. 

**A Zoom link will be sent to all registered attendees on October 8.

Speakers:

Elizabeth Killough, Co-CEO, UnTours Foundation 

Elizabeth Killough is the Co-CEO of the UnTours Foundation. Elizabeth’s work at the foundation includes promoting mission-aligned investing as a way to challenge and redefine the role that philanthropy and finance play in our economy. The UnTours Foundation owns UnTours, a unique travel company that is the world's first B Corp. Elizabeth played a key role in building a Fair Trade movement nationally helping to make Media the "First Fair Trade Town in the US" now followed by 44 other US cities and towns plus many houses of worship, schools, and universities. She is a vegan and long-time activist focused on environment, animal, and human rights. Her past work includes guiding organizational development, advocating change in US policy toward Central America, and addressing domestic hunger.

Tess Hart, Founder, Triple Bottom Brewing 

Tess Hart is the cofounder of Triple Bottom Brewing, a craft brewery with a social enterprise that creates jobs for people who face barriers to employment and connects small farmers to the growing craft beer industry. Triple Bottom Brewing is a certified B Corp – the first in Pennsylvania. Before receiving her MBA and MEM from Yale, Tess was a Senior Associate at Hattaway Communications, a mission-driven communications firm where she led the development of messages and communications strategies for nonprofits, social enterprises, and foundations across various issue areas. She also worked in internal communications for the World Wildlife Fund and spent a year on Capitol Hill working for Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), the Chair of the Armed Services Committee. Tess graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a BA in Classics and Political Science.

Jill Fink, The Merchants Fund

Jill Fink has been an agent for social change throughout her career. She has a background in nonprofit leadership, higher education, and social impact entrepreneurship, always aligning her work with her values and a higher purpose. Jill owned Mugshots Coffeehouse, a founding B-Corp, for 13 years. She credits her experience as an entrepreneur with her ability to serve small business owners effectively and with empathy at The Merchants Fund, where she has served as Executive Director since 2018. She is an appointed member of the Mayor’s Food Policy Advisory Council and volunteers at Ronald McDonald House with her dog and sidekick, Josie.