About Us

We solve systemic funding gaps across the impact finance ecosystem.

Our Story

Since our founding in 2012, Open Road has consistently worked to “unstick” capital for impact-driven organizations.

Our evolution—from philanthropy to advocacy to lending—reflects our dedication to meeting the shifting needs of nonprofits, social enterprises, and entrepreneurs.

Anchored by our mission to make capital markets more effective and accessible, we are constantly developing and deploying the right financial tools to serve the unique needs of mission-driven companies and nonprofits.

2012 – 2016

Open Road began by using small, one-time grants to help impact-first organizations solve timing delays and administrative hurdles. During this time, we disbursed $7.6M to 46 organizations globally through charitable and recoverable grants. Through this work, we learned firsthand just how catalytic small amounts of funding can truly be.

2017 – 2020

Open Road launched our first bridge loan product using balance sheet capital. This early testing of our model was important to understand if there was sufficient demand for our services from impact-first organizations addressing social inequality and climate change. Named Open Road Ventures, this fund disbursed $27M to 79 organizations, keeping $263M on track through both grants and loans.

2020 – 2025

Open Road launched its first external fund, the Open Road Impact Fund, in 2020 with $18M in investor capital. Over the next five years, we recycled this capital 3x, disbursing $54M to 94 organizations, keeping $549M on track. We closed the fund and repaid all investors in April of 2025.

2025 –

Open Road made the strategic decision to incorporate as a nonprofit and become “Open Road Impact”, allowing us to keep impact at the forefront of our work.

Our History

Our Work

Open Road’s work to unstick capital for impact spans the ecosystem. From lending directly to enterprises addressing climate change and social inequality to working with other funds, philanthropies, and family offices to move additional capital toward impact, Open Road is committed to working urgently to create lasting, sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

For Impact Companies

For Partners

Keeping Impact on Track

Whether it’s closing a Series A round or supply chain delays, we provide fast, flexible, and affordable financing in the form of short-term bridge loans that ensure impact companies can continue to scale their growth without interruption.

Loans

Solving Funding Gaps

Open Road works with other lenders, funds, individual investors, family offices, and philanthropies to unstick capital and accelerate impact across the ecosystem. From addressing federal funding freezes to helping others develop their own impact-first strategies, Open Road’s expertise is grounded in practicality and ambition.

Work With Us

Our Customer-Centric Approach

We partner with impact companies and investors who share a common drive to create better lives and stronger communities. Our work is shaped by your needs. Our commitment is to make your impact possible. Through transparent and trusting relationships, we put you first–because that’s what impact investing should look like.

Empathy

We are a funder who listens. Impact is a journey, and we work to put ourselves in your shoes to ensure that roadblocks don’t get in your way.

A Thought Partner

We’re in this with you. Our job is to support you and provide perspective to ensure your application is best positioned for approval.

Transparency

Our responsibility is to be upfront about your potential fit in our portfolio. We'll inform you on weaknesses and strengths we see in your model.

Speed

Fast and flexible funding. That’s what we do. We understand urgency and we prioritize quick feedback.

Customized Solutions

Challenging problems often demand nontraditional solutions. We provide a variety of creative support tailored to the roadblock or opportunity at hand.

Rolling Cycle

Roadblocks can emerge at any point, which is why proposals for loans are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Our Team.

Reliable.
Driven.
Committed.

Our model allows us to maximize impact while still being lean and entrepreneur-friendly. We take pride in partnering with the best-in-class companies, investors, philanthropists, and governments as partners. We hold them to the same high bar and seek proactive, transparent, and customer-centric partners.

Our Team

Because of Open Road, not a single one of our partners or customers had to fall through the cracks and we were able to maintain critical momentum to come through the crisis stronger than we had entered. Most funders recoil when they see desperate situations but Open Road rushes in and knows how to separate short term crisis from long term impact potential.

Galen Welsch

Jibu

Let's Chat

Whether you are a foundation or investment firm, our funding model reaches impact companies globally.