Slideshow: Dos and Don'ts for Social Entrepreneurs Seeking Impact Funding

Last week, more than 1,500 people crowded into historic Fort Mason on the San Francisco Bay overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The retrofitted military relic was an appropriate venue for the The Social Capital Markets Conference, which a

Omidyar Network

The charitable venture of eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, Omidyar Network brought the nimble verve of Silicon Valley to philanthropy back in 2004. This

Acumen Fund

A pioneer in using for-profit investment to solve social problems, Acumen employs what the company calls patient capital; it's ok for the returns to be a litt

Impact Assets

This group is working to make it easier for everyday investors to put their retirement money where their values are. Impact Assets is collecting social impact inve

RSF Social Finance

RSF behaves like a cross between a bank and foundation, with some grants and $230 million in loans since 1984. They focus on companies that commercial banks t

Good Capital

City Light Capital

This venture fund has been finding small and growing companies making innovations in safety, education, and the environment since 2004. They give out between $1 and $3 million per investment, and it's a h

Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs

This international network of 140 funders focuses on small businesses in developing countries because building that sector creates jobs and local wealth. Think of it as a motley mix of