Announcing the 2010 RSF Seed Fund Grantees!
June 1, 2010
By Caitlyn Kowalczyk
Students and teachers at the Lakota Waldorf School
You know the saying: “a little goes a long way”? From our perspective at RSF, that could not be truer for the grantees of our Seed Fund. Every April, the Philanthropic Services department at RSF invites fellow staff members to participate in an in-house discretionary grant-making program called the RSF Seed Fund. This fund provides small grants ($500 to $5,000) to help support new initiatives that align with RSF’s mission and address issues in one or more of our three focus areas (Food & Agriculture, Education & the Arts, and Ecological Stewardship). This year we received a record number of applications, which made narrowing down the list a challenging process for the advisors. We are deeply appreciative of all of the time and effort that each organization put into their proposal, and thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the work our fellow non-profits are doing in the field. That said, we are pleased to announce the following organizations as beneficiaries of the 2010 Seed Fund cycle:
Center for Social and Environmental Responsibility – This grant will support Gary Lamb and Sarah Hearn in their efforts to research and publish Rudolf Steiner’s Indications on Money and Finance.
Demeter Association – For the organization that works to certify Biodynamic farms and products, this grant will assist in creating a website initiative in order to respond to the increased interest in the field.
Game Theory Academy – Based in Oakland, this non-profit seeks to improve the economic decision-making skills of at-risk, low-income youth. In its second year, this new project will seek to serve 500 kids in the area.
Lakota Waldorf School – This grant will assist the Lakota Waldorf School—located in the heart of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota—in creating an organic garden for the school and community.
Produce to the People – This organization is dedicated to aiding the food security and health of the San Francisco community through education, green jobs for youth, and the growth, harvest, and dispersal of organic backyard and community grown produce.
Soil Born Farms – The mission of this non-profit is to create an urban agriculture and education project that empowers the community to participate in a sustainable, healthy food system. In 2009, this Sacramento Valley-based program harvested over 20,000 pounds of produce from backyards, streets, and small orchards.
Sonoma County GoLocal Cooperative – This grant was made for the development of a Sonoma County TimeBank. The TimeBank will build a network of support that connects unmet needs with untapped resources all within the context of a larger sustainable living community in Sonoma called the ShareExchange.
Additionally, RSF is always seeking ways to continue funding new initiatives. If you would like to contribute to the Seed Fund so that we may continue to provide support for these innovative projects, please visit the donations section of our website.
Caitlyn Kowalczyk is Program Assistant for Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
- Published by Jillian McCoy
- Categories: Blog, Ecological Stewardship, Education & Arts, Food & Agriculture, Giving, Local economies
I would like to say thank you to RSF seed fund for suppying grants to organizatons in need..please continue to Support RSF Seed Fund.
Comment by Chimere RSF seed fund — August 16, 2010 @ 4:13 pm