THE GREENHOUSE PROJECT
We are a nonprofit impact investor that reshapes the flow of resources to seed inclusive, local economies of interdependent, impact-driven organizations.
What We Do
Organize
Activate local residents, institutions, and impact-driven entrepreneurs into impact investment in support of our mission
Capitalize
Raise capital and deploy friendly investments to businesses and nonprofits that align with our mission and impact criteria.
Collaborate
Support investees with social capital and technical assistance; incorporate community feedback to refine investment approach
Our Investment Approach
The Greenhouse Project assesses the financial risk, return, and impact alignment of all potential investments, pursuing a collection or portfolio of investments that best delivers on our mission and impact criteria while meeting financial return targets.
The Greenhouse Project creatively structures its investments to best meet the needs of organization and project leaders, leveraging a broad set of investment types: term loans, balloon loans, lines of credit, revenue-based finance, and near equity. These financial investments are combined with non-financial forms of investment - social capital and technical assistance - to set investees up for success in the long run.
The Greenhouse Project will make investments across Central and Upstate New York, paying special attention to its home in Syracuse.
Mission & Impact Criteria
Our mission is to reshape the flow of resources to seed inclusive, local economies of interdependent, impact-driven organizations. The Greenhouse Project will only make investments that align with our mission. We developed our Impact Criteria to make explicit how we will evaluate investment opportunities for alignment with our mission. We do not expect every candidate for investment to meet all of these criteria, and will work with interested leaders to incorporate more mission-alignment into their organization or project.
Asset Ownership & Control
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Inclusive Access to Capital
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Intersectional approach
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Shared Ownership & Stewardship
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Co-ops, Trusts, Nonprofits
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Opportunities for Wealth Building
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Profit-sharing
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Product / Service Impact
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Filling Community Gaps
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Safe, affordable housing
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Sectors of need (e.g. grocery, daycare)
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Environmental Benefits
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Avoiding Negative Screens: oil/gas, pollutants, weapons, private prisons, pharmaceuticals)
Reliable & Accessible Jobs
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Jobs Created or Sustained
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Quality of Jobs
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Living wage pay
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Benefits
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Career advancement
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Accessibility
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Degree requirements
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ELL support
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Local Circulation
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Spending with Local Providers
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Local Partnerships and Reach
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Interdependence
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Relationships with existing & prospective portfolio
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Contributions to community
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Our Fund
In furtherance of its mission, The Greenhouse Project plans to launch The Greenhouse Project Fund, an evergreen charitable loan fund. The fund will raise debt and grants from a broad set of stakeholders - foundations and philanthropy, local and federal government, anchor institutions, HNWIs, and local, unaccredited investors.
Our fund will then structure and deploy this capital across a broad set of debt capital types to businesses, nonprofits, and projects that advance our Impact Criteria.
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Interested in becoming an investor in The Greenhouse Project? Please contact zack@greenhouseprojectinvest.org for more information.
Get Capital
The Greenhouse Project creatively structures its investments to best meet the capital needs of mission-aligned businesses, projects, and nonprofits, selecting from a variety of capital types and structures. Capital types are chosen in partnership with investees.
Term Loans
Balloon Loans
Lines of Credit
Revenue Based Finance
Near Equity
Fixed, monthly payments to repay the loan. May include payment holidays or interest-only periods
One large payment to repay the loan, often with interest-only period or payment holiday before. Good for bridging to key contracts, receivables, or grants
Capital that can be drawn and repaid as needed by mature organizations and projects.
Variable, monthly payments set to a specific % of revenue collected. Helps align repayment with seasonal or growing organizations
Loans taking flexible structures with long payment holidays designed to function like equity for investees and enable growth
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Beyond financial investment, The Greenhouse Project also provides non-financial forms of investment, including technical assistance and sharing our social capital. We begin working alongside organization and project leaders before investment and will continue this service indefinitely. We believe this kind wraparound support is vital to delivering on our mission. Your success is our success.
Our People
Meet the wonderful people who work on the Greenhouse Project!
Aliana Piñeiro
Board Member
Emad Rahim
Board Member
Maura Ackerman
Board Member
Bill Brower
Board Member
Indaria Jones
Board Member
Zack Neville Young
Founder & CEO
Board Member
Our Commitments
ETHICAL UNDERWRITING
REFLECTIVE OF COMMUNITY
LOCAL ORGANIZING
LOCAL PARTNERSHIP
NATIONAL PRESENCE
The Greenhouse Project will not use credit scores or other traditional tools for credit evaluation that have established biases. Instead, the Greenhouse Project will work shoulder to shoulder with leaders to build collective understanding of financial health, risk, and potential impacts, and make investment decisions accordingly.
The Greenhouse Project will seek to reflect the rich diversity of its target communities in its investees, team, and governance structures to enhance our collective intelligence and reduce the risk of systemic bias.
The Greenhouse Project will hold regular community meetings, facilitating relationships between investors, investees, partners, and local residents and soliciting feedback on our approach.
The Greenhouse Project will partner with local business development organizations, peer investors, anchor institutions, government, and other relevant stakeholder groups to ensure our work is effective and additive to the community.
The Greenhouse Project will also form and maintain relationships nationally with peer fund managers, impact investors, and philanthropy to learn from others' experiences and share our own learnings with the impact investment field.