Many of the catalytic funders we studied didn’t fit neatly into categories such as corporate, community, private (or family) foundation. Regardless of their legal status, these foundations and operating charities successfully catalyze change and create wide scale impact. They include health conversion and other special foundations, operating charities; and organizations with other legal forms that still enable donors to do more than give. Examples include:

• Consumer Health Foundation of Washington, D.C.
• KnowledgeWorks and its subsidiary, The Strive Partnership, of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and others

The following organizations are excellent examples of intermediaries that raise money and then donate or loan it to social entrepreneurs, who then leverage the funds to catalyze wide scale systemic change:

• Acumen Fund
• Ashoka
• Draper Richards Foundation
• Echoing Green
• Kiva.org
• Venture Philanthropy Partners
• New Schools Venture Fund, and more