Grantmaking is not the only way that Tides donors can support positive social change. Through an invested donor advised fund, Tides can make Mission Related Investments (MRIs) to support your philanthropic goals, similar to the private foundation vehicle of a Program Related Investment (PRI). In addition to generating potential financial return, these investments must also align with Tides mission and values. 

Currently, the Tides portfolio contains more than 30 MRI’s totaling $9 million in the form of direct equity investments, convertible debt, and loans: 

• Equity Investments in innovative green businesses, fair trade and sustainable business ventures; film and video projects; and non-profit real estate/green shared spaces developments. These investments have been made primarily in the United States.
• Direct loans for support of community investing, micro lending in the form of investment notes and unsecured loans. Borrowers are primarily in the United States, although micro-financing programs may be located in developing countries worldwide.
• Direct land purchases to protect land or to provide nonprofit retreat facilities.

Learn more about making MRIs at Tides >

Socially Responsible Investment Portfolio

If you have charitable assets that you want to distribute over a long time horizon, Tides offers the option of invested donor advised funds where you can choose between several socially responsible investment vehicles, including a socially screened fund and a small cap fund that proactively invests in innovative, socially responsible companies.

Through an invested donor advised fund, we can also help you create mission-related investments (MRIs) in the form of low- or no-interest loans or private equity investments in emerging and mission-related business ventures that have a clear social return.

Your Invested donor advised fund enjoys the benefits and absorbs the risk of investment.  Tides invested funds are managed by Walden Asset Management, a socially responsible investment group based in Boston. In fact, Tides is the largest provider of donor advised funds to have socially screened investment portfolio.