3rd Creek Foundation

What they do

Founded in 2007 by Dave and Pam Straley, 3rd Creek Foundation operates as the philanthropic arm of the 3rd Creek consortium. The foundation is distinctive for its dual approach: deploying traditional grants alongside a dedicated allocation for impact investments. They focus on providing affordable loan capital to early-stage enterprises that create dignified economic opportunities, improve incomes, and provide essential services for the ultra-poor in emerging markets. Despite its small size, the foundation is highly regarded in the impact ecosystem for its catalytic, relationship-driven approach to funding the "missing middle" in developing economies.

What they look for

The foundation's mission is to help individuals achieve economic independence. They support early-stage programs and enterprises that create sustained economic improvement and dignity for the ultra-poor. They explicitly look for businesses whose core models impact the ultra-poor, assessing the leadership team's commitment to serving people in extreme poverty, their drive to grow the business, and their ability to repay loans. They favor models that generate jobs, increase incomes for smallholder farmers or artisans, or provide cost-saving essential goods.

Stage

Pre-seed, Seed

Sectors

Food and agriculture, Climate

Based

Incline Village, US