Accelerating the transition: Lessons from Transition Accelerator’s journey 

Contributor: Denise Cheng, FGII MID Panel | Senior Philanthropy Advisor, UBS 

Foundations Group for Impact Investing (FGII) regularly hosts Market Information Days (MID), offering funders and philanthropists a chance to explore the social impact investment landscape and learn about investment opportunities from For Purpose Organisations (FPOs). For organisations actively seeking impact capital and support, MIDs provide an opportunity to showcase investment-ready opportunities, connect with potential funders and partners, receive feedback and gain valuable insights from an engaged audience of philanthropists and impact investors. 

At the recent Sydney event, attendees heard from MID alumna Izzy Jensen, Managing Partner of Transition Accelerator (TA), who reflected not only on the realities of financing Australia’s climate and energy transition, but also how presenting at a FGII MID helped sharpen the organisation’s message, deepen engagement with funders and shape its growth journey.  

For Jensen, the challenge is not a lack of ideas or ambition. It is a question of capital.  Transition Accelerator was established in 2024 to address a persistent gap in the market: projects with strong environmental and social outcomes struggling to access the patient, risk-tolerant funding needed to move from concept to implementation.  

From ambition to activation 

While substantial investment is flowing into the energy transition, many early-stage climate and nature projects, from emissions reduction to biodiversity restoration, remain stuck between grant funding and commercial finance. 

Traditional investors are often reluctant to take on the risks associated with emerging projects, while project developers can struggle to secure the capital required to demonstrate viability and attract larger investors.   

Transition Accelerator (TA) was designed to sit in that gap. 

Using a deemed distribution funding model alongside philanthropic grants, TA mobilises capital to projects that deliver meaningful emissions reductions while creating a pathway for future investor participation. Ancillary Funds can lend capital to TA at a concessional or zero rate, rather than granting outright, with the gap between that rate and the market rate counting towards their annual distribution obligations.  The approach aims to help projects progress from concept to investment readiness. 

TA’s first project, Wilyun Pools, illustrates the model in action. A 1,200-hectare property in Western Australia’s Great Southern region, it forms part of the Gondwana Link, a 1,000-kilometre conservation corridor. The environmental plantings and sustainable forestry project are expected to abate approximately 430,000 tonnes of carbon, while a revenue-sharing and land-ownership arrangement with the Wirlomin Noongar community delivers First Nations economic and cultural benefits alongside the environmental outcome. 

TA’s $3 million interest-free loan, syndicated by TA along with a group of Private Ancillary Funds – Bowness Family Foundation, Fouress Foundation, Spinifex Trust, Tim Bishop Foundation, Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) and UBS Optimus Foundation, helped bring in a further $6 million of commercial equity to get the project moving. 

Since then, TA has also launched a small-scale community solar and battery project with White Box Enterprises, reducing energy costs and emissions for a local social enterprise. A further project is close behind: an environmental plantings project with Landcare Australia in the Snowy Monaro, working directly with farmers. 

As Jensen explained, identifying the right projects is a critical part of the model.  

What presenting at a MID taught Transition Accelerator  

When TA presented at FGII’s Melbourne Market Information Day in May 2024, the organisation was highly focused on explaining its innovative financing structure. Through engagement with the philanthropy and impact investing community, TA found that audiences were often more interested in the outcomes and the potential impact than the mechanism itself. 

“The financing model is really just the activation mechanism,” Jensen reflected. 

One of TA’s key learnings from the MID experience was the power of storytelling. While the financing structure attracted attention, conversations were far more effective when they focused first on the environmental outcomes, community benefits and long-term vision behind each project. 

The experience also reinforced the different roles played across the capital spectrum. Traditional investing typically prioritises financial return, impact investing seeks to balance financial performance with positive outcomes, and philanthropy has the flexibility to focus entirely on impact. 

The case for patient capital 

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the importance of patient and catalytic capital. 

Jensen noted that investors who take the time to understand the TA model often become committed supporters but building that understanding requires ongoing engagement and education. 

Long repayment horizons of seven to ten years can be challenging for some investors, yet they are often necessary to enable innovative projects to succeed. By absorbing early risk, philanthropic funders can help create the conditions for larger pools of capital to participate later.  

Education remains critical in helping investors understand how catalytic capital can unlock projects that may eventually deliver both impact and financial sustainability.  

Why share your story? 

TA’s experience highlights one of the key benefits of presenting at a MID: the opportunity to learn from the market while contributing to the broader impact investing ecosystem. 

For many organisations, presentations are often viewed as a chance to attract investment or raise awareness. While those outcomes can occur, the value can be much broader. Presenters gain exposure to diverse perspectives, receive feedback from experienced philanthropists and impact investors, and often leave with new ways of articulating their work. 

Perhaps most importantly, presenters contribute to the collective learning of the sector. By sharing successes, challenges and lessons learned, organisations help build a stronger and more informed impact investing ecosystem. 

As Jensen’s experience demonstrates, the value of participation extends well beyond the presentation itself. 

Looking ahead 

As TA enters its next phase, Jensen identified two priorities: expanding outreach to aligned investors and creating a permanent capital fund, seeded through philanthropic grants, to support higher-risk opportunities where catalytic capital is needed most.  

TA aims to fund at least 10 new climate and nature projects over the next three years, underpinned by a $10 million pool of permanent capital. Because that capital is recycled as loans are repaid, a single $100,000 grant can support project after project, compounding its impact well beyond a one-off gift. 

Transition Accelerator‘s journey offers a timely reminder that while financing mechanisms matter, impact remains the ultimate objective. And for philanthropy, that focus on impact may represent one of its greatest strengths. 

At Conference 2026, Transition Accelerator is hosting a breakout session, Nature repair at scale. Find out more about the Philanthropy Australia Conference here: 2026 Program. 

 
Interested in presenting at a MID? 

Every Market Information Day is shaped by organisations willing to share their impact journey, insights, challenges and lessons learned. 

Whether you’re pioneering a new impact investing approach, scaling a proven initiative, or navigating complex social or environmental challenges, your experience could help inform and inspire others across the sector. 

Like Transition Accelerator, you may also discover that presenting provides valuable feedback, new connections and fresh perspectives that help strengthen your own work. 

FGII is seeking For Purpose Organisations to speak at its upcoming Market Information Days. If your organisation has an investment-ready opportunity, a clear ask for partnership or funding beyond traditional grants, or an innovative approach to creating impact, we encourage you to nominate yourself or recommend a speaker. 

Presenting at a MID offers the opportunity to share your work with a community of philanthropists, foundations, trusts,impact investors, intermediaries and other fellow for purpose organisationswhile gaining valuable feedback and connections that may help accelerate your impact. 

Submit a speaker nomination today.