The mission would focus on creating a comprehensive, AI-powered directory of vetted experts in the impact investing and innovative finance space. This would serve as a critical infrastructure tool for the IFI community and potentially the broader impact ecosystem, addressing the persistent challenge of finding specialized expertise for complex impact-focused financial structures.

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Guiding Questions:

1. Who is this for — and what are we solving?

• Who are the core users, and what specific pain points do they face in finding and vetting impact-focused experts?

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2. What defines a trustworthy expert — and how do we reflect that?

• What constitutes “expertise” beyond credentials, and what information should be included in a profile to build trust?
• What standards and mechanisms (e.g. peer validation, diversity criteria) should guide inclusion and verification?

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3. How do we build a matching system that’s smart, fair, and easy to use?

• How should user needs be captured and translated into useful filters or metadata?
• What role can AI and public data play in enriching profiles and improving results?

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4. How do we engage the broader ecosystem in building and maintaining this?

• How can we involve IFI Chapters, partners, and global networks to crowdsource, validate, and expand the directory?
• What incentives will encourage experts to participate and keep their profiles current?

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5. What keeps this useful and sustainable over time?

• What governance or business models will ensure long-term quality, access, and evolution?
• How might the tool grow to include other types of expertise beyond legal/financial?

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Deliverable: 

• Create a searchable database of vetted experts (lawyers, structuring specialists, tax advisors, etc.) with specialized knowledge in impact investing
• Develop AI capabilities to intelligently match users with appropriate experts based on specific needs
• Establish a verification and recommendation system to ensure quality and relevance
• Build a sustainable model for maintaining and updating the directory

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Member curation: Any members interested in helping to build this type of public good

Length: 10 - 12 sessions

Timing: Monthly Meetings (September - August)

Whether you're a newcomer curious about alternative ownership structures or an experienced practitioner looking to unlock scalable financing mechanisms, this peer learning group offers a collaborative space to explore the strategic and practical challenges of funding purpose-driven and self-determined enterprises. Participants will engage in candid discussions about reimagining investment approaches that preserve mission-alignment, share real-world experiences, and collectively develop innovative strategies to support steward-ownership models beyond traditional bootstrapping methods.

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The facilitators from Purpose Foundation will draw from their practical experience and steward-ownership financing toolkit as a foundational framework, but the primary goal of this mission is to create a collaborative space that deepens our collective understanding of financing for steward-ownership.

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We'll leverage our expertise and case studies as conversation starters, actively inviting diverse perspectives to:

• Unpack the structural logic behind steward-ownership financing
• Critically examine current investment barriers and limitations
• Generate collective insights on innovative financing mechanisms
• Develop practical strategies to scale mission-aligned investment models

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Guiding Questions:

• What are the minimum structural elements required to create a financially viable and mission-aligned steward-ownership investment model?
• How can we design financing mechanisms that preserve an organization's core purpose and self-determination while still attracting meaningful capital?
• What barriers currently prevent more widespread adoption of steward-ownership financing, and what innovative approaches could help overcome these challenges?
• How do we balance financial sustainability with maintaining the fundamental principles of steward-ownership across different investment stages and sectors?
• What case studies or practical examples demonstrate successful financing strategies that truly embody steward-ownership principles?
• How can we develop co-investment or collaborative funding approaches that support the growth of more "Patagonias" without relying solely on bootstrapping?

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Member curation: This mission is designed for asset owners, family offices, foundations, and technical experts seeking to deeply understand and advance financing models for steward-ownership. 

Length: 5 sessions

Timing: Monthly meetings (September - February)

This building mission is designed for asset owners (especially those utilizing Donor-Advised Funds) who are concerned about the inefficiencies and missed opportunities embedded in the current DAF system. Despite their philanthropic intent, too many DAFs sit idle, locked in traditional structures that benefit intermediaries more than the causes they were created to support.

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This mission seeks to confront this inertia head-on by producing a clear, practical, and practical guide that empowers DAF users to take control of their giving. This guide will provide:

• Key questions asset owners should ask their wealth advisors to better align investments with philanthropic goals.
• Examples of innovative DAF practices and high-impact fund structures already being used to avoid idle capital.
• Actionable steps asset owners can take to improve how their DAFs are invested, with a focus on transparency, urgency, and impact.

Whether you’re rethinking your philanthropic toolkit or seeking to maximize the catalytic potential of your giving, this work is an invitation to rethink the role of DAFs and unlock their full potential for impact.

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Guiding Questions:

1. Why do DAFs remain idle, and who benefits from the current system? Within the same line of thinking, what assumptions do we hold about DAFs, and how do they shape our giving and investing behavior?
2. What are examples of DAF structures or practices that are already pushing toward catalytic or impact-first outcomes?
3. How can we design or influence DAF strategies to be more urgent, transparent, and accountable to the issues we care about?
4. What would a DAF ecosystem look like if it were optimized for public benefit—not just tax benefit?
5. What questions should asset owners be asking their wealth advisors about how DAF capital is held and managed?

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Member curation: Asset owners and intermediaries involved with DAFs

Length: 5 sessions

Timing: Monthly meetings (September - February)