Mary’s Pence invests in justice for women – literally
Minnesota Women’s Press | November 2015
By Terri Peterson Smith
In the investment world, “angel investors” are those who provide the first financial backing for entrepreneurs and their fledgling companies. That title seems doubly appropriate for St. Paul-based Mary’s Pence, an organization formed by women of faith to fund women’s economic development projects in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Unlike traditional investors, Mary’s Pence doesn’t expect a financial return on its investment, but seeks a less tangible benefit instead – a better world for women.
With a combination of twice yearly grants and lending pools, Mary’s Pence provides seed money for innovative projects that aim to foster sustainable systemic change for women, whether through new organizations, programs, structures or new ways of thinking.