Sorenson Impact Foundation

Quick Stats

• EIN: 45-3203840
• Annual Giving: $2,350,000 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: 3-6 months (for PRIs)
• Grant Range: $25,000 - $700,000
• Average Grant: $175,000 - $200,000
• Geographic Focus: Global (110+ countries across 5 continents)
• Founded: 2012

Contact Details

Address: 6330 South 3000 East, Suite 630, Salt Lake City, UT 84121

Phone: 801.490.1003

Website: https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org

Application Portal: https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/how-to-apply/

PRI Application: https://form.typeform.com/to/VEcZejLo (Pitch deck submission)

Overview

Established in 2012 by Jim and Krista Sorenson, the Sorenson Impact Foundation is a charitable foundation dedicated to advancing the flow of capital into innovative, scalable solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. The Foundation operates with a unique approach, having moved 100% of its assets into mission-aligned investments by 2020, making it one of the few foundations in the United States to fully commit its endowment to impact investing. With a portfolio of over 60 companies operating in more than 110 countries, the Foundation has positively impacted 775 million lives (68% low-income) as of 2023. Since 2024, the Foundation has broadened its focus to address the rapidly growing wealth gap crisis by investing in solutions that promote upward mobility through ownership, including home ownership, employee ownership, stakeholder trusts, and broad-based entrepreneurship.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

2025 Grant Program: Advancing Ownership & Empowering Responsible AI

• Amount: Typically $25,000 - $250,000 (average $175,000-$200,000)
• Deadline: July 31, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. MST
• Focus: Two primary areas:
  1. Responsible AI and emerging technologies that foster inclusive growth, equitable access, and long-term economic resilience
  2. Ownership economy solutions advancing economic empowerment through ownership opportunities
• Application Method: Online submission via Google Forms (https://forms.gle/GrGBZpnsd4gFiChp8)
• Note: This is an annual RFP; applications accepted once per year

Program Related Investments (PRIs)

• Amount: Varies (example investments range from $50,000 to $250,000+)
• Structure: Equity, convertible debt, revenue-based financing agreements, and loans
• Target: Post-revenue, for-profit impact startups at Seed to Series A stage
• Application Method: Rolling basis via Typeform pitch deck submission
• Decision Timeline: 3-6 months from submission to decision
• Geographic Scope: Global - will evaluate proposals from every country and sector

Funding Mix: The Foundation deploys capital across a spectrum including grants (40%), program-related investments (60%), and mission-related investments, with innovative deal structures like loan guarantees to leverage additional capital.

Priority Areas

Current Strategic Focus (2024-2025):

• Ownership Economy: Solutions promoting upward mobility through home ownership, commercial real estate, stakeholder trusts, employee ownership, and broad-based entrepreneurship
• Wealth Gap Solutions: Addressing the rapidly growing and deeply expanding wealth gap crisis
• Responsible AI & Emerging Technologies: Ensuring digital technologies are developed and deployed to foster inclusive growth

Ongoing Investment Sectors:

• Access to quality education and EdTech solutions
• Workforce development and skills training
• Access to healthcare
• Financial inclusion and access to capital
• Clean energy and environmental solutions
• Affordable housing preservation
• Water and sanitation
• Agriculture and food security

Priority Populations:

• Historically marginalized communities
• Low-income individuals and families
• Underserved or underrepresented communities including people of color, women, and rural entrepreneurs
• Indigenous communities
• First-time homebuyers and those excluded from wealth-building opportunities

Alignment Framework: All investments align with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including eliminating poverty, providing clean water and sanitation, and creating sustainable cities and communities.

What They Don't Fund

While the Foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their focus is clear:

• They target post-revenue companies for PRIs (not pre-revenue startups)
• Focus is on Seed to Series A stage for PRIs
• Solutions must have measurable social impact core to the business model
• Must directly solve critical issues for underserved populations
• Must be innovative and scalable rather than incremental improvements

Governance and Leadership

Founders

Jim Sorenson - Chairman

• Son of billionaire James LeVoy Sorenson
• Founded Sorenson Media in 1995, a leader in video encoding and streaming technology
• Serves on the Executive Committee for the US National Impact Investing Alliance
• Previously served as Chairman of Village Capital
• Currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Economic Innovation Group

Quote from Jim Sorenson: "Early-stage, concessionary, risk-taking capital is so needed for those social entrepreneurs" and "We seek to be a model for other institutions on how to use capital markets to achieve exceptional impact outcomes."

On ownership opportunities: "It is really helping those that have been left behind to be able to participate in passive wealth-building opportunities... If we could get investors to invest in home equity in a way that benefits the first-time home buyer … we've really engineered a solution that is utilizing the power of free markets and capitalism to benefit those that have been left behind."

Krista Sorenson - Director

• Executive MBA from the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah
• Works alongside Jim facilitating projects and ideas around the world
• Serves on several community boards including Ballet West, Utah Department of Arts and Museums, and CHOICE Humanitarian

Executive Team

Lindsay Zizumbo - Executive Director

Paul Ludlow - CFO

Meredith Shields - Managing Director

Jenny Romney - Executive Assistant

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee is comprised of private equity and venture capital investors as well as business professionals from healthcare, real estate, and financial services industries:

• Meredith Shields (Managing Director)
• Brent Andrewsen
• Chad Gilbert (Advisor)
• Jake Hodson (Cottonwood Equity)
• Chid Liberty (CEO and Cofounder at Liberty & Justice)
• Mark Ludwig (Managing Director at Sorenson Capital)
• Martin Muoto
• Ben McAdams
• Eric Sorenson
• Krista Sorenson
• Luke Sorenson

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Foundation offers two distinct application pathways:

For Grants (Annual RFP):

1. Review the current year's RFP focus areas (2025: Responsible AI and Ownership Economy)
2. Complete the online application via Google Forms before the July 31 deadline
3. Submit proposals that demonstrate alignment with focus areas and potential for scalable, systemic impact through equitable innovation
4. Access to both philanthropic capital and catalytic capital (impact-focused investments, potentially in the form of debt)

For Program Related Investments (PRIs):

1. Complete the PRI Deal Intake form and submit pitch deck via Typeform: https://form.typeform.com/to/VEcZejLo
2. Optional: Get your company's Investment Readiness Level through Abaca's VIRAL assessment tool
3. Phase I: Initial review by the Foundation team
4. Phase II: Due Diligence with the Diligence Team at Sorenson Impact, focusing on financial, legal, competition, co-investors, and management strength analysis
5. Presentation to Investment Committee for final investment decision

Eligibility for PRIs:

• For-profit impact startups
• Post-revenue companies
• Seed to Series A stage
• Business model tightly intertwined with achieving high social impact
• Global scope - all countries and sectors considered

Decision Timeline

For PRIs: 3-6 months from initial submission to final decision

For Grants: Timeline not publicly specified, but annual RFP cycle suggests decisions made within several months of July 31 deadline

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, the Foundation made 11 grants totaling $2,350,000 in 2023, and maintains an active portfolio of over 60 PRI investments, suggesting they are selective but active funders.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. Interested parties should contact the Foundation directly at 801.490.1003 or through their website for guidance on reapplying after an unsuccessful submission.

Application Success Factors

What the Foundation Looks For

From their stated criteria:

1. Innovative and Potentially Disruptive Solutions: The Foundation seeks solutions that go beyond incremental improvements to offer transformative approaches to social challenges

2. Measurable Social Impact Core to Business Model: Impact must be integral to how the organization operates, not an add-on. The Foundation uses "impact as a proxy for quality" in investment decisions

3. Directly Solving Critical Issues for Underserved Populations: Must demonstrate clear benefit to historically marginalized communities, with at least 68% of impact reaching low-income populations based on portfolio standards

4. Strong Leadership: The Foundation values diverse leadership, with 51% of their 2023 portfolio being female-led or founded, and 60% led by people of color

5. Scalability: Solutions must have potential to reach large numbers of people or create systemic change. Portfolio companies have collectively impacted 775 million lives

Evidence of Success - Recent Investments

Q4 2023 Portfolio Additions:

• Kiip: $250K investment for technology increasing uptake in social services for low-income individuals
• Totem Technologies: Native-led fintech startup transforming banking infrastructure for Indigenous communities
• Redemption Holding Company: Black-owned company acquiring bank to expand access to capital for people of color (developing first Black-owned bank in Utah)
• NESsT Lirio Fund: Debt fund providing working capital to small businesses in Andes-Amazon region
• Participant Assistive Products: Wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy

Other Portfolio Examples:

• Dollaride: Transportation platform serving transit-underserved communities
• Taleemabad: EdTech company in Pakistan reaching 8.5 million children weekly
• Instill Education: EdTech supporting educators and aspiring teachers in Africa

Strategic Positioning Advice

Align with Current Focus: The Foundation's 2024-2025 strategic shift toward ownership economy and responsible AI represents a significant opportunity. Applications addressing home ownership, employee ownership, stakeholder trusts, or ethical AI deployment aligned with economic empowerment will be particularly competitive.

Demonstrate Ownership Approach: Given Jim Sorenson's emphasis on "hand-ups not handouts" and market-based solutions, proposals should emphasize how they enable ownership and wealth-building rather than providing temporary assistance.

Emphasize Diversity: With 70% of invested funds owned or managed by women or people of color, and strong portfolio representation from diverse founders, applications from diverse-led organizations or serving diverse communities are prioritized.

Show Willingness to Accept Risk-Adjusted Returns: The Foundation explicitly states they "accept higher risk or potentially lower returns for significant social returns," making them ideal for early-stage ventures that traditional investors might consider too risky.

Frame Against SDGs: Explicitly connect your work to specific UN Sustainable Development Goals, as these guide all Foundation investments.

Key Philosophy

As stated on their website: "Where you invest your money, matters" - the Foundation believes companies that do better by people and the planet tend to perform better financially, and their portfolio has outperformed benchmarks while achieving significant social impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Dual Pathway Opportunity: The Foundation offers both traditional grants and program-related investments, allowing organizations to choose the funding structure that best fits their model. For-profit social enterprises should strongly consider the PRI pathway for potentially larger, more flexible capital.

2. Current Priority is Ownership Solutions: The 2024-2025 strategic focus on the wealth gap crisis through ownership economy solutions (home ownership, employee ownership, stakeholder trusts, broad-based entrepreneurship) represents the clearest alignment opportunity for new applicants.

3. Think Global, Act Local: With portfolio companies operating in 110+ countries but based in Salt Lake City, the Foundation evaluates proposals from every country and sector. Don't self-select out based on geography.

4. Impact Metrics Matter Deeply: Be prepared to demonstrate how your solution creates measurable social impact for underserved populations. The Foundation tracks detailed metrics: 68% of impact reaching low-income populations, jobs created, students reached, housing units preserved, etc.

5. Diversity is a Competitive Advantage: With 51% of portfolio companies female-led and 60% led by people of color, applications from diverse founders or serving diverse communities align with demonstrated Foundation priorities.

6. Innovative Deal Structures Available: Beyond traditional grants, the Foundation offers equity, convertible debt, revenue-based financing, loans, and loan guarantees. Be creative in proposing structures that could leverage additional capital.

7. Annual Grant Cycle Requires Planning: The grant RFP opens once per year with a July 31 deadline, requiring advance planning. However, PRI applications are accepted on a rolling basis, offering more flexibility for for-profit ventures.

References

1. Sorenson Impact Foundation Official Website - https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/ (Accessed January 2026)
2. Sorenson Impact Foundation "How to Apply" - https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/how-to-apply/ (Accessed January 2026)
3. Sorenson Impact Foundation "Our Mission" - https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/our-mission/ (Accessed January 2026)
4. Sorenson Impact Foundation "Our Team" - https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/our-team/ (Accessed January 2026)
5. Sorenson Impact Foundation "Contact Us" - https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/contact-us/ (Accessed January 2026)
6. Sorenson Impact Foundation "Program Related Investments" - https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/program-related-investments/ (Accessed January 2026)
7. Sorenson Impact Foundation 2023 Impact Report - https://issuu.com/sorensonimpactcenter/docs/sif-annual-report-2023-final-issuu (Accessed January 2026)
8. Inside Philanthropy: "It's in the Name: How the Sorenson Impact Foundation Pursues Opportunity in Impact Investing" - https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2024-5-8-its-in-the-name-how-the-sorenson-impact-foundation-pursues-opportunity-in-impact-investing (Accessed January 2026)
9. Sorenson Impact Foundation Announces Five New Program Related Investments Added to Its Portfolio in Q4 2023 - https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org/sorenson-impact-foundation-announces-five-new-program-related-investments-added-to-its-portfolio-in-q4-2023/ (Accessed January 2026)
10. Instrumentl 990 Report - Sorenson Impact Foundation - https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/453203840 (Accessed January 2026)
11. Grantmakers.io Profile - Sorenson Impact Foundation - https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/453203840-sorenson-impact-foundation/ (Accessed January 2026)
12. Candid Foundation Directory - Sorenson Impact Foundation - https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=SORE018 (Accessed January 2026)
13. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Sorenson Impact Foundation - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/453203840 (Accessed January 2026)
14. Coordination SUD: "Advancing Ownership & Empowering Responsible AI: Catalyzing Innovation for Inclusive Economic Growth - 2025 RFP" - https://www.coordinationsud.org/financement/advancing-ownership-empowering-responsible-ai-catalyzing-innovation-for-inclusive-economic-growth-2025-rfp-sorenson-impact-foundation/ (Accessed January 2026)
15. Sorenson Impact Institute: "Investing in Ownership: A Path to Shared Prosperity" - https://sorensonimpactinstitute.com/investing-in-ownership-a-path-to-shared-prosperity/ (Accessed January 2026)