Institutions like the William Penn Foundation play a critical role in natural resource restoration and protection efforts through their support of new and successful programs, projects, and conservation initiatives. However, ensuring the Delaware River watershed is a safe and reliable water resource in the long-term requires the philanthropic investments to be catalytic in nature, spurring further investments from the public and private sectors. With funding from the William Penn Foundation, the EFC led an 18-month project called the Innovative Financing Panel. This project sought to identify how philanthropic capital can leverage private capital to achieve greater watershed health. Essential to the project was a panel of 12 experts, representing multiple disciplines (science, finance, policy), interests (conservation, agriculture) and institutions (local government, universities).