Integrating Philanthropy and Investing to build Community Ownership

For Rostam Zafari, the real work of integration starts before the money moves, by questioning what capital is supposed to do in the first place. Rather than optimizing for financial return, he asks what he calls a "return on joy," structuring grants, investments, and storytelling, as one coordinated practice in service of community ownership.

In this conversation with Kirsten Andersen, CSP Director of Research, Rostam shares what capital integration can look like in practice; the entities behind it, the tradeoffs involved, and why he measures success in terms broader than financial return. Join us for a conversation on what integration requires in practice, not just in theory.