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Sorenson Impact Foundation
The Sorenson Impact Foundation was established by James Lee Sorenson, an entrepreneur who built and sold multiple technology companies, most notably Sorenson...
Sorenson Impact Foundation
The Sorenson Impact Foundation was established by James Lee Sorenson, an entrepreneur who built and sold multiple technology companies, most notably Sorenson Media. The foundation channels his wealth into a mission-related investment portfolio, treating its endowment as a tool for direct impact rather than merely a source for grantmaking. Salt Lake City serves as the operational home, with deep ties to the University of Utah's Sorenson Impact Institute. The foundation deploys capital across a mix of direct private equity, venture capital funds, and real asset strategies. Its portfolio spans affordable housing through vehicles like Jonathan Rose Companies and HIP Sustainable Real Estate, sustainable timberland via The Lyme Timber Company, and a range of early-to-growth-stage impact funds. The strategy is buyout-heavy, targeting enterprises where capital and operational expertise can scale social outcomes in education, workforce development, and financial inclusion. Geographic focus is primarily the United States, with select global exposures through its fund commitments. May 2024: The foundation continued its strategy of anchoring first-time impact funds and direct co-investments in social enterprises, reinforcing its role as a field-builder in the impact ecosystem. Jim Sorenson remains chairman, with his son Luke Sorenson serving as a director. The foundation is a long-standing member of the Global Impact Investing Network and Mission Investors Exchange, signaling a posture of collaborative, not proprietary, deal sourcing. Unlike foundations that outsource impact measurement to consultants, SIF integrates it directly into the investment process through its foundational partnership with the University of Utah's Sorenson Impact Institute. This academic-practitioner hybrid structure — housing both a $13 million endowed institute and an active investment portfolio under the same family umbrella — creates a feedback loop where academic rigor informs deal selection and portfolio management.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
2012
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Salt Lake City
Corporate office
Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Principals
James Lee Sorenson
Founder and Chairman
Krista Sorenson
Director and Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes the investment decisions at the Sorenson Impact Foundation?
Founder Jim Sorenson serves as chairman and remains closely involved in the foundation's investment strategy. His son, Luke Sorenson, holds a director role. The foundation's tight team operates with a lean governance structure, pulling in sector-specific expertise from its partnership with the University of Utah's Sorenson Impact Institute for due diligence and impact measurement.
Is the Sorenson Impact Foundation a grantmaker or an investor?
It functions primarily as an investor through its mission-related investment portfolio. While it maintains a conventional grantmaking arm, the foundation is best known in allocator circles for its program-related and mission-related investments that target market-rate or near-market-rate returns. The portfolio is structured more like a family office direct-investment platform than a traditional charitable foundation.
What asset classes does the foundation allocate to?
The foundation invests across private equity buyouts, venture capital funds, and real assets including sustainable timberland and affordable housing. Known positions include The Lyme Timber Company for land conservation, Jonathan Rose Companies for green affordable housing, and HIP Sustainable Real Estate for mixed-use development. It also commits as a limited partner to impact venture capital funds.
Does the foundation invest directly in companies or only through funds?
SIF does both. It acts as a limited partner in impact-focused venture capital and private equity funds, but also participates in direct co-investments and direct buyout transactions, particularly in real assets and affordable housing. The direct deals tend to cluster around areas where the family or its academic partner at the University of Utah has operating expertise.
How is the foundation related to the University of Utah's Sorenson Impact Institute?
The Sorenson Impact Institute is housed at the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business and was seeded with a $13 million endowment from Jim Sorenson. The foundation and the institute operate as separate entities but share a tight strategic alignment. The institute provides research, impact measurement frameworks, and student-analyst support that informs the foundation's investment process, while the foundation serves as a living laboratory for the institute's methodologies.
Where did the underlying wealth for the foundation come from?
The primary wealth source is James Lee Sorenson's exit from Sorenson Media, a video compression technology company he led. He also co-founded and sold several other technology ventures. The Sorenson family wealth includes related entities such as the James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation and the Sorenson Legacy Foundation.
What is the foundation's strategy for co-investing alongside other allocators?
SIF actively co-invests and syndicates with other mission-aligned family offices and foundations. Its membership in the Global Impact Investing Network and Mission Investors Exchange reflects a deliberate field-building approach rather than a proprietary deal-hoarding posture. The foundation often serves as an anchor investor or convening partner for first-time impact fund managers.
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