The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 by the founder of Kellogg's, the food manufacturing company. The financial endowment was to be used to promote the health, happiness and well-being of children. The Foundation's systems approach led them to widen their focus to support families and communities to create conditions in which vulnerable children can achieve success as individuals, and as contributors to society. As of August 31, 2018, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation had USD 8.6 billion of assets under management.
In 2007, the Foundation committed to dedicate $100 million of their endowment to Mission Driven Investments – a type of impact investment seeking to advance the Foundation's mission while generating both social and financial returns. To maximize their impact, the philanthropy has collaborated with KKS Advisors to develop an investment framework to analyze how portfolio companies are creating broader systemic change. This framework rests on 4 pillars:
Mission Aligned Framework for Investing