Organization · Grant Maker
REDF
REDF (Roberts Enterprise Development Fund) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that supports employment social enterprises (ESEs) by investing in businesses that provide training and employment opportunities for individuals facing barriers.
Overview
What REDF does
What REDF is
REDF (Roberts Enterprise Development Fund) is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that supports employment social enterprises (ESEs) by investing in businesses that provide training and employment opportunities for individuals facing barriers.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports grantor capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Grant Maker
- Founded
- Founded in 1997
- Approximate age
- About 29 years
- Structured capabilities
- Grantor
- Last reviewed
- April 9, 2026
Official channels
Find REDF elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
REDF as a grantor
Grant thesis
Redefine Alliance focuses on using business as a force for good by investing in employment social enterprises that help individuals facing barriers to employment achieve economic mobility.
Focus narrative
Redefine Alliance invests in businesses that reveal and reinforce the talents of people overcoming barriers to employment. Their strategies include building strong ecosystems, advancing the field of employment social enterprises, and generating evidence-based practices that support economic empowerment. They operate nationally, with specific regional focuses in Los Angeles, Illinois, and Appalachia.
Value and support
Beyond funding, Redefine Alliance offers capacity-building resources, mentorship, and access to a network of employment social enterprises to foster inclusive work environments and long-term change.
Grant economics
- Dilutive
- No
- Nonprofit only
- Yes
Eligibility and fit
- Stages
- Accelerator
- Audience
- Founders
- Inclusion focus
- women-founded and minority-founded
- Sectors
- HealthcareConsumer
- Regions
- United States
Process and recipient context
Application process
Redefine Alliance provides catalytic investments for employment social enterprises at critical points in their development. They also offer a six-month accelerator program for leaders of early-stage enterprises, flexible loan capital through the Roberts Impact Investing Fund, and fellowship opportunities for graduate students to assist these enterprises.
Recipient context
Notable portfolio companies include AnnieCannons, which trains women in technology; DC Central Kitchen, providing culinary training and job placement; Dion's Chicago Dream, focused on job opportunities for underserved communities; and Wrigley's Coffee, employing individuals facing barriers to work.
Common questions
What to know about REDF
Upseed classifies REDF under the Grant Maker organization type. Its current public profile includes grantor capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
April 9, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.