Updated posts August 2026
Return on Good: Turning Philanthropic Vision into Measurable Impact
In the dynamic world of philanthropy and impact investing, few firms stand out for their dedication to creating meaningful impact and fostering positive change. Return on Good, a visionary consulting firm co-founded by husband and wife duo Jay Kelly and Ann Oleson, emerges as a beacon of guidance for philanthropists, nonprofits, and impact investors navigating a genuinely transformative journey. Impact Wealth spoke with Jay and Ann to explore their mission, success stories, and strategic approach to cultivating a brighter future for generations to come.
The Converge Legacy and Return on Good’s Genesis
Before founding Return on Good, Jay and Ann’s entrepreneurial spirit flourished through Converge, a highly successful digital marketing agency focused on higher education. For nearly a decade, they collaborated with renowned institutions like the Wharton School, leveraging digital platforms to connect students with tailored graduate programs. The agency’s tremendous growth, culminating in an Inc 500 listing, paved the way for a fortuitous venture capital offer and a successful exit sale.
Inspired by Ann’s family’s longstanding commitment to philanthropy and her own experience with a family office, Jay and Ann recognized an untapped market at the intersection of impact investment and philanthropy, one that transcended traditional practices. Their aspiration was to empower philanthropists and impact focused individuals to create immediate, transformative change through US donor advised funds, flexible investments, and foundations. Return on Good was born from that mission: to become the premier strategic partner for those looking to return good to the world and leave behind a lasting legacy through philanthropic gifts or ESG investment.
Return on Good’s three focus areas are strategic philanthropic planning, helping family offices align their vision, values, and philanthropic dollars to return the most good; impact investing, helping for-profit businesses focused on social good connect with investors, raise funds, and build marketing infrastructure; and nonprofit support, helping organizations develop marketing and fundraising strategy and structure to raise donated dollars.
Empowering Strategic Philanthropic Planning
At the heart of Return on Good’s mission lies strategic philanthropic planning, a key pillar that allows clients to align their values with a comprehensive, long term approach to giving. Drawing from Ann’s personal experience aligning her own family’s philanthropic efforts, Return on Good guides clients in fostering deep connections among family members and stakeholders. By surfacing core values and shared aspirations, they help build a foundation for lasting impact across generations.
Return on Good also offers bespoke guidance to family offices following significant liquidity events, or when seeking to make targeted impact in specific areas. This personalized approach allows clients to navigate the complexities of strategic giving with a clear vision and genuine sense of purpose.
The Confluence of Impact Investment and Nonprofits
As the philanthropic landscape continues to evolve, Return on Good recognizes the increasingly seamless blending of impact investment and nonprofit work, a trend gaining real momentum. By connecting with innovative organizations, including medical technology ventures, apps focused on group therapeutics and mental health, cybersecurity and risk assessment innovation, and unique tech funds, Return on Good helps clients discover opportunities to return good to the world in ways that generate meaningful returns, both financially and socially.
Through strategic partnerships built on a deep network of personal connections and relationships within the family office space, Return on Good ensures clients are equipped to make a lasting difference. Their expertise as seasoned relationship builders, business partners, and digital sales and marketing executives allows them to define and bring brands to life, attracting the right investors and guiding clients through successful investments and fundraising campaigns.
Success Stories That Transform Lives
The transformative impact of Return on Good’s work speaks directly to the success of its mission, with the majority of its impact investments concentrated in ESG focused technology and apps. ROG remains selective about who it works with, ensuring alignment in both values and expertise. By tapping into their marketing savvy, the firm has developed strategies to attract investors for innovative medical technology companies such as Lumicell, which detects residual cancer cells left behind after surgery, and WellnessWits, a group therapeutics app offering whole person solutions for chronic disease care and prevention, work capable of transforming lives and creating a lasting ripple effect. A new London based client, Mettle, brings a one-of-a-kind mental health app for men, co-founded by Bear Grylls and endorsed by Dr. Alex George. Return on Good’s portfolio of impact investment opportunities is uniquely curated to include only companies the partners themselves would personally invest in, a distinction that keeps the firm deeply invested in the success of every opportunity it brings to market.
The return on investment for every client is uniquely tailored to their specific goals, whether that means raising millions for a new building, developing a tech platform, scaling globally, or securing essential capital for future ventures. Return on Good’s unwavering commitment to achieving client intentions reflects its ability to craft solutions capable of genuinely changing the world.
Charting a Visionary Path Ahead
Return on Good’s future holds a wide range of inspiring possibilities. The firm’s goal is to become the go-to resource for all things impact investment, aligning investment portfolios with charitable giving and guiding individuals and organizations toward meaningful, lasting change. From attending influential conferences such as The Future of Everything and London Family Footprints Office Events, Return on Good continues expanding its horizons and building a network of trailblazers committed to making a genuine difference.
Why Curated Expertise Sets Return on Good Apart
At the core of the firm’s growth is a deliberate focus on intentional scale rather than rapid expansion. Return on Good partner Jay has built what the firm calls The Wisdom Council, an extensive network of experts spanning a variety of verticals with deep, hands-on experience. That network includes a specialist in social good and water source projects, a science and philanthropy advisor who previously worked at the Gates Foundation, a CFO from a top family office, and other seasoned voices who bring perspective to every project the firm takes on. Through this network, Return on Good is able to support and deliver on client projects, returning good to the world in ways that are both measurable and genuinely impactful.
A World of Curated Impact Philanthropy Awaits
As the world witnesses the emergence of a new era in philanthropy and impact investment, Return on Good leads the way through a visionary approach built on strategic partnership. The firm’s distinct advantage lies in its expansive network across industries and countries, its deep relationships within the family office space, its digital marketing expertise, and its meaningful partnerships with social good companies and nonprofits alike, allowing it to curate a distinct strategy for each partner that maximizes impact toward their specific investment and philanthropic goals. With an unwavering commitment to changing lives and fostering positive change, Return on Good embodies the true essence of curated impact investment and strategic philanthropy, guiding the journey toward a brighter, better world for all.
