The GreenLight Fund, a nonprofit working to create economic opportunities for children and families living in poverty, has announced a $4 million commitment from Bain Capital to scale its services, deepen its impact, and expand its reach.

As part of a new strategic partnership, the funding will enable GreenLight to leverage Bain's network, business partners, and portfolio companies to improve outcomes for young people and families in the areas of childhood literacy, college access and persistence, teacher effectiveness, health, family economic mobility, and youth aging out of foster care. GreenLight identifies programs and interventions that have demonstrated measurable results and chooses those that are the best fit for the community. Since launching in Boston in 2004, the organization has expanded its work to Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, Philadelphia, the Bay Area, and the Twin Cities, with several cities to be added over the next few years.

"This new partnership represents an important milestone for GreenLight as we continue to make real progress on dismantling deep-rooted racial and economic disparities with innovative entrepreneurial programs that are rooted at the local level," said GreenLight founder and board chair John Simon. "We are so thankful for Bain Capital's support, which will have a huge impact on so many children and families. To scale effectively, our portfolio organizations often require additional financial resources, on-the-ground support, and networking capabilities. Adding a partner of Bain Capital's caliber to our mission-focused coalition of community, government, and business leaders will allow us to scale our reach and national footprint more quickly and effectively as we seek to bring proven programs that drive lasting impact and create opportunities for all children and families to thrive."