Pivotal Ventures
OVERVIEW: Founded by Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Gates Foundation, Pivotal Ventures invests in women’s empowerment and equality through a variety of avenues across the United States. Though it does not accept grant proposals at this time, its investments fund a range of women’s issues, from childcare to career empowerment.
IP TAKE: Pivotal Ventures is not a typical grantmaker, but an investment firm and incubator dedicated to women’s empowerment and equality. Pivotal Ventures appears to fund specific investments it identifies rather than hosting traditional grantmaking programs. As a result, ways of getting in touch or funding ranges are not yet clear. It’s not accessible or fully responsive at this time, but this could evolve, so keep checking with them.
PROFILE: Founded in 2015, the organization Melinda Gate’s company Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company she founded, is directly committed to women’s “power and influence'“ (Time). As a philanthropist, businesswoman and global advocate for women and girls, Melinda Gates has established herself as a powerhouse in women and girl’s philanthropy. As co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gates’ previous work has already reflected a deep commitment to women and girls; however, her company Pivotal Ventures goes a step further working to “partner with organizations and individuals who share [their] urgency for social progress in the United States […] in order to “grow understanding around issues, expand participation, encourage cooperation and fuel new approaches that substantially improve people's lives.”
Gates, inspired by the fleeting window created by the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements, refuses to watch the recent tide in women’s movement-building and empowerment fade into memory. According to a 2019 Time article, Melinda Gates announced she will be committing $1 billion “to expanding women’s power and influence in the United States” to achieve results by 2030. Rather than a traditional philanthropy, Pivotal Ventures is a company fund - rather, a team of strategists, investors, planners, communicators and implementors - investing in underfunded organizations that are focused on women's issues. Pivotal Ventures supports the expansion of women’s equality in three ways:
Dismantling barriers such as women's professional advancement, such as the imbalance of caregiving responsibilities, sexual harassment and discrimination, and harmful gender norms
Fast-tracking women in sectors such as technology, media and public office
Mobilizing shareholders, consumer and employees "to amplify external pressure on companies and organizations in need of reform."
Pivotal Ventures appears to fund specific investments it identifies rather than hosting traditional grantmaking programs. As a result, ways of getting in touch or funding ranges are not yet clear.
At this time, the organization does not not review or return unsolicited requests for funding or other types of support. It prefers to identify organizations in which to invest.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS: