Key Takeaways
- • Apollo Opportunity Foundation is applying Apollo Asset Management's portfolio company playbook to more than 190 nonprofit grantees, pairing each with a pro bono deal team of five to 10 employees from Apollo or Athene.
- • The foundation has distributed more than $13 million to date across 28 organizations and has committed $100 million over the next decade.
- • Scott Kleinman, co-president of Apollo Asset Management and chair of the foundation's board, says the primary value comes from deal teams working directly with nonprofit leaders rather than from capital alone.
- • Support covers board structure and governance, process streamlining, AI tooling, and curriculum updates, with Acceleration Project reporting 35 identified process changes.
- • Monthly virtual trainings and an October leadership summit address AI, leadership transitions, fundraising, real estate and succession planning amid AI disruption and an uneven labor market.
Summary
Apollo Opportunity Foundation, launched in 2022, is extending elements of Apollo Asset Management's portfolio-company playbook to nonprofit organizations, according to a report first published by Business Insider and covered by Traders Union. The foundation is providing 28 organizations with funding, operational support and access to firm expertise, with more than $13 million distributed so far and $100 million committed over the next decade. Its model reaches more than 190 grantees, each paired with a pro bono deal team of five to 10 employees drawn from Apollo or Athene.
Scott Kleinman, co-president of Apollo Asset Management and chair of the foundation's board, said the support mirrors the firm's work in operational guidance, data and digital transformation, talent management and recruitment. He stated that capital is part of the model, but that the main value lies in deal teams working directly with nonprofit leaders.
Lauren Coape-Arnold, global head of citizenship at Apollo Global Management and executive director of the foundation, said engagements often begin with board structure and governance, including identifying board and advisory candidates and assessing how leadership can support long-term expansion. Jane Veron, cofounder and CEO of Acceleration Project, said Apollo helped the organization identify 35 processes for removal or change, from onboarding to technology and client data capture, and that the work includes an AI tool to review client business-challenge notes and asynchronous training tools to speed consultant onboarding.
Reuben Ogbonna II, cofounder and executive director of The Marcy Lab School, said Apollo's deal team helped revise the school's curriculum to reflect changing software engineering roles, adding business and industry context, cloud fundamentals and core DevOps knowledge.
The foundation also runs monthly Apollo-led virtual training sessions covering AI, leadership transitions, culture, real estate, fundraising and succession planning. At its October leadership summit, grantee executives met Apollo leaders and took part in sessions focused on adapting organizations to current economic and labor conditions. The initiative responds to pressure on nonprofits from AI disruption and an uneven labor market, as organizations manage tighter budgets and smaller teams.
Scott Kleinman, co-president of Apollo Asset Management and chair of the foundation's board, said the support mirrors the firm's work in operational guidance, data and digital transformation, talent management and recruitment. He stated that capital is part of the model, but that the main value lies in deal teams working directly with nonprofit leaders.
Lauren Coape-Arnold, global head of citizenship at Apollo Global Management and executive director of the foundation, said engagements often begin with board structure and governance, including identifying board and advisory candidates and assessing how leadership can support long-term expansion. Jane Veron, cofounder and CEO of Acceleration Project, said Apollo helped the organization identify 35 processes for removal or change, from onboarding to technology and client data capture, and that the work includes an AI tool to review client business-challenge notes and asynchronous training tools to speed consultant onboarding.
Reuben Ogbonna II, cofounder and executive director of The Marcy Lab School, said Apollo's deal team helped revise the school's curriculum to reflect changing software engineering roles, adding business and industry context, cloud fundamentals and core DevOps knowledge.
The foundation also runs monthly Apollo-led virtual training sessions covering AI, leadership transitions, culture, real estate, fundraising and succession planning. At its October leadership summit, grantee executives met Apollo leaders and took part in sessions focused on adapting organizations to current economic and labor conditions. The initiative responds to pressure on nonprofits from AI disruption and an uneven labor market, as organizations manage tighter budgets and smaller teams.
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