What we do
Partnering with individuals, families, and foundations, we co-create solutions that have a lasting impact and spark systems change.
Bold Solutions to Big Challenges
Building Impact Partners is a philanthropy advising firm that works together with changemakers to help people, communities, and society move forward for good.
Delivering support at every step
Bringing together a passionate team of problem-solvers with insights, imagination and implementation experience to co-create effective solutions that endure.
Expanding what giving can be
Working across philanthropy, from high-impact grantmaking to program innovation to activation to advocacy, to redefine what's possible.
Strengthening capacity for systemic change
Building up the knowledge, skills and mindsets to transform systems and advance more just and equitable futures for all.
Our purpose
We tailor each engagement, working alongside clients and communities from early-stage intention to program execution.
Our shared purpose and passion are to realize the potential of philanthropy as an engine for systems change, and advance equity and opportunity for all. Building Impact Partners helps donors move from good intentions to real-world impact.
We envision a future where wealth is activated with urgency and at scale, where every donor is giving in a personally meaningful way to solve the challenges that matter.
13
Years of Impact
Thirteen years advising donors, with more than $1.5 billion in total grantmaking advised.
1,200+
Community Partners
Partnering with individuals, families, and foundations to spark lasting systems change.
In our clients’ words
Partnering with individuals, families, and foundations, we co-create solutions that have a lasting impact and spark systems change.
“We started working with Building Impact at an interesting moment in our philanthropic journey — we were passionate about what we wanted to accomplish, but knew it would be a challenge to go from ideas to action. The BI team has rolled up its sleeves, working closely and effectively with our family and advisors, helping us turn that passion and energy into concrete results. With their depth of knowledge, experience and expertise guiding us, we are keenly aware of their value added, and together we are in the process of actualizing something deeply meaningful.”
“We worked with Building Impact Partners to help us design and implement our Heckscher Foundation Workforce Challenge, a revolutionary initiative which offered funding to New York colleges or community-based organizations to develop partnerships with employers to provide jobs for underserved youth in New York. They designed and managed everything from the communication strategies to the organizational structure and implemented every aspect of the project with insight and brilliance that transformed our vision into a resounding success.”
“Our relationship with Building Impact Partners has been quite unique. Working closely with us, they’ve listened with curiosity, engaged our grantees and other stakeholders deeply, and come back with ideas and recommendations that are grounded in our local context and relationships. The team was not only responsive to our needs — they were invested as partners in achieving our mission.”
$1.5B+
In Total Grantmaking Advised
What we stand for
Our mission, vision, and values guide and inspire us in all we do.
Entrepreneurial
We push through fears to ask hard questions, seek evidence, and take action.
Purposeful
We pursue transformational, systemic change and know that the path to get there requires innovation, persistence, and pragmatism.
Equity-Minded
We find creative avenues to help philanthropists play a more active role advancing equity and opportunity for real people, right now.
Growth-Oriented
We commit to our own constant growth and the growth of others as a key aspect of deepening our impact.
Relational
We embrace the humanity of our teammates, our clients, and their partners by offering empathy and understanding while holding each other accountable to be our best selves.
How we work with you
We tailor each engagement, working alongside clients and communities from early-stage intention to program execution.
STEP 01
Define Your Theory of Action
The most effective philanthropists ground their giving in a clear mission rooted in their own values and experience. We help donors create a strong foundation that leads to the change they want to see in the world.
STEP 02
Identify Levers for Impact
Issues ranging from education to the environment are complex. We help donors develop an understanding of the ecosystem around their issues, as well as specific opportunities and challenges that will set the stage for deeper impact.
STEP 03
Create an Effective Strategy
Ultimately, these insights are only meaningful when leveraged to drive action. We work with donors to build a giving strategy that generates measurable results.
STEP 04
Drive High-Impact Grantmaking
We help donors move dollars into the field quickly and effectively without sacrificing accountability by becoming an extension of their team.
Insights
Sharing ideas and innovations energizes us all to be effective changemakers.
Questions? Answered
How we work with donors, families and foundations, and what an engagement involves.
We partner with individuals, families, and foundations to co-create solutions that have a lasting impact and spark systems change. Our clients come to us as individual donors and families, family offices, professional advisors such as CPAs, attorneys and wealth managers, and foundation executives.
We tailor each engagement, working alongside clients and communities from early-stage intention to program execution. In practice that usually runs through four stages: defining your theory of action, identifying the levers for impact, creating an effective strategy, and then driving high-impact grantmaking as an extension of your team.
We bring expertise in education, workforce development, advocacy, and more, along with experience in creating new nonprofits and in program implementation. Everything we do is rooted in rigor, research, and our own first-hand experiences as practitioners.
We offer a broad range of services and can engage in a range of ways, from helping clients align their political giving to their philanthropy, to leveraging a 501(c)3 partner organization to streamline their giving. We also offer support at a variety of levels: consulting 1:1s with clients, educational and training sessions for wealth management firms, and an outsourced offering in coordination with your manager.
Yes. Advisors Accelerator is a professional development program designed for philanthropy advisors seeking to master the essential conversations for influential advising. Rather than focusing solely on technical expertise, this cohort-based program gives advisors the tools to help their donors unlock more impactful and joyful giving.
Our office is at 1040 1st Avenue #306, New York, NY 10022, and we work with donors and community partners across the country. The best way to reach us is by email at info@buildingimpact.co, or through the form on this site.
Still have questions?Read all FAQ’s