Dohmen Company Foundation Announces $60 Million Impact Investment Fund at the White House

The Dohmen Company Foundation (DCF) today announced the launch of the Dohmen Impact Investment Fund during a live-streamed event at the White House. The Fund will invest $60 million to accelerate the growth and impact of for-profit social enterprises advancing proven food solutions that improve human health. The White House hosted the event to highlight leading organizations that are actively engaged in the President’s bold goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases by 2030.

“Our nation is sick. The standard American diet and its underlying dependency on processed food is largely to blame,” said Rachel Roller, DCF President and CEO. “The DCF Impact Investment Fund seeks to advance a healthier food system through strategic investments in solutions that align with our mission to reverse and prevent diet-related disease.”

“We believe that convenient access to healthy food for all Americans is the answer to our nation’s greatest public health threat. Food, the very thing that's making us sick, can become our prescription to health.,” said Cynthia Dohmen LaConte, DCF Board Chairperson. “Our intention is to make access to healthy, whole food as ubiquitous as today’s unhealthy fast food.”

The Fund plans to positively impact more than five million consumers over the next 5-10 years by investing in 5 to 10 proven food solutions with established and growing business-to-business and consumer markets. The Fund will intentionally accept lower than average returns on its invested capital in return for investments that can demonstrate a Social Return on Investment or SROI. Financial profits achieved through Impact Fund investments will fuel the foundation’s charitable giving activities and public awareness strategies.

Roller participated in a panel discussion during the White House event at which time she urged others to prioritize investments in the healthy food and nutrition ecosystem. “More investment is needed to promote the healthy food industry and make unprocessed, whole foods readily and equitably available. We encourage other foundations, socially conscious businesses, and investors to join us in advancing a healthy eating movement by pursuing a similar self-sustaining investment model with a capital and social return,” said Roller.