DRK Foundation is a global venture philanthropy firm supporting early stage, high impact social enterprises. We believe that with early funding and rigorous support, exceptional leaders, tackling some of society’s most complex problems, can make the world a better place. The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation was founded on a belief in the power of innovation and the conviction that with bold support, passionate individuals with great ideas can change the world. Borrowed from our venture capital legacy, we find, fund and support exceptional leaders with innovative and highly impactful ideas that have the potential to scale. We provide unrestricted capital, and, most importantly, we provide rigorous, ongoing support by joining the board of directors and partnering with the leader to help build capacity in the organization and scale their impact. Learn more about Our Model.
We invest in early-stage organizations and are often their first institutional investor and first “outside” board member. We invest in a wide variety of sectors: our current portfolio includes organizations working both domestically and internationally, helping to provide critical access to healthcare, education, food security, social justice, water and sanitation, transparency and accountability, and shelter.
Funding Amount
For profit: $300,000.00 over 3 years. For profit: $150,000.00 initial and additional $150,000.00 depending on achievement
Target
Early Stage companies looking to address critical social or environmental issues.
Eligibility
Operating in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Post-pilot, pre-scale organizations. Independent nonprofit and impact first, mission-driven for-profit entities, including US 501(c)3 and its non-US equivalents, C corporations, B corporations, and hybrid organizations. Organizations with one or more founders who are full-time or intend to be.
