For Partners

At SvF we believe that it is necessary to collaborate and share resources in order to tackle the world’s most pressing environmental and social problems. Because of this we are always looking to partner with other investors, incubators and organizations on our investments, due diligence and capacity building efforts. By working with practitioners our fund members get the hands on experience that complements their academic work, while our partners get access to the assets of one of the top universities in the world.

Housed within the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Ross School of Business, SvF directly connects yo with one of the top rated MBA programs both for entrepreneurship and for social and environmental impact. As part of the larger University of Michigan community, SvF is uniquely positioned to collaborate with some of the country’s best graduate schools and has developed working partnerships with the following programs: engineering, public health, natural resources & environment, education and law. By working with SvF you gain access to these resources as well as to the largest living alumni base with over 425,000 members that include entrepreneurs, gate-keepers, investors and policy makers around the world.

Capacity Building

Our mission at SvF is not only to provide entrepreneurs with the capital to scale their enterprise, but also to provide them with technical assistance so they can achieve their desired impact. By tapping into the business acumen of fund members as well as the wider University of Michigan community, we can help them further develop their business models, organizational strength, and skill sets to either prepare them for investment and/or to ensure their success post-investment.

We are currently working with entrepreneurs at Hub Ventures in the Bay Area to further develop their businesses. Capacity building projects can take the form of semester consulting projects or summertime internships. If you know of an enterprise or organization that could benefit from our capacity building program, please contact us at: .

To Submit Business Plans

If you know of a social enterprise that meets the following criteria, they may submit an executive summary and business plan to [email protected] by Friday, October 21st.

All entrants will receive constructive written feedback within one month of the close date. If you have any questions please send an email to the address above. We look forward to seeing their innovative ideas!

Our Investment Criteria

Social Enterprise: The Social Venture Fund focuses exclusively on for-profit social enterprises, existing independently or within the legal structure of a pre-existing organization (LC3, 501c3, LLC, etc.)

Change Agent Entrepreneurs: We invest in inspiring leaders, both students and non-students, capable of assembling a world-class management team that shares their passion and commitment to the enterprise’s sustained social impact.

Alignment with Investment Areas: We invest in enterprise generating a profit and responding to critical challenges within Education, Food Systems & Environmental, Health, and Urban Revitalization.

Investment Amounts and Stage: We invest $50,000 – $250,000 in pre-revenue and post-revenue companies.

Location: We focus on businesses based in the US. The Urban Revitalization circle is particularly interested in plans for the Southeast Michigan/Detroit area.

Returns: We look at companies that can help us achieve a portfolio wide financial return equal to the 10 Year Treasury Bond and a blended social & financial return equal to that for traditional early stage investments.