RSF helps fund education and arts projects that are holistic and therapeutic, especially those that foster spiritual awareness or increase access to learning and the arts.
With this focus in mind, the RSF provided a Seed Fund grant to the Women’s Resource Center of the Grand Traverse Area (WRC). WRC requested support for their new art therapy program, Art for Empowerment, led by Art Therapist Dr. Barbara Macintyre and WRC advocate Susan Britton.
Through community collaboration, the WRC provides education, support, counseling, housing and advocacy to end domestic and sexual violence and promote an equitable, safe environment for all. The WRC serves five counties in northwest Lower Michigan.
The Art for Empowerment teaches domestic violence shelter clients sewing skills while working with an art therapist skilled in addressing victimization and anger management through creativity.
The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as “the therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, by people who experience illness, trauma or challenges in living, or those who seek personal development. Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others; cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art.”
From January 7th through February 25th 2013, a total of 38 women participated in Art for Empowerment. The goals for clients were to:
Learn sewing skills using sewing machines and hand stitching
Design and sew basic functional art items such as journals, tote bags and small handbags
Learn basic business and entrepreneurship skills to market and sell items
Work with an art therapist to address their life situations
Develop a sense of empowerment and self-sufficiency
Participants spent the first two sessions creating reflection journals with hand-stitched bindings. Every other page of the journal had an empowerment statement followed by space for the participant to write a reflection. Dr. Macintyre worked with each woman, one on one, to discuss their written responses. The reflection journals were re-visited during the last session and many women found their initial answers had evolved significantly due to an improved outlook on life provided by their experience in Arts for Empowerment.
The women spent the rest remainder of the program creating small purses and tote bags. Discussion followed regarding “cutting, weaving and piecing together” a new life for themselves. The last session involved a discussion on the “value” of each bag, both symbolically and on a retail level.
Exit interviews revealed that all participants found the project “extremely worthwhile,” learned a new useful skill, and would repeat a similar program if offered.
To learn more about the important work of Women’s Resource Center for the Grand Traverse Area, visit their website. To read about other RSF Seed Fund grantees, visit our past blog posts and stay tuned for the announcement of our 2013 grantees later this month.
Ellie Lanphier is Program Assistant, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
“Sustainable food is about farmers being good to the land, making sure that the land is useful and rich for future generations,” says Anthony Chang, founder and Executive Director of Kitchen Table Advisors in Mountain View, CA. However, the chances of survival for small, sustainable farms in the U.S. can look pretty bleak. According to USDA research, 50% of small farms fail in the first 5 years and only 25% will survive for 15 years. Kitchen Table Advisors, a 2012 RSF Seed Fund grantee, is working to improve those percentages, helping sustainable farms become sustainable businesses by providing them with in-depth financial management support and the tools needed to stay viable for the long term.
Catching up with Chang on their progress since receiving the Seed Fund grant, he reported that Kitchen Table Advisors officially launched their pilot project last month, featuring a small group of sustainable farmers in Northern California who are working to create a better food system. Chang will sit down at the kitchen table with these farmers, one-on-one, to discuss business planning, record keeping and strategies for using business and financial data to achieve long term goals and objectives on their farms.
Among the pilot group are Caleb Barron and Jonathan [Johnny] Wilson of Fogline Farm, an integrated organic farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Chang says “After going through UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Food Systems program, Johnny started Fogline Farm in his late 20s as a way to make the world a better place through growing good food and taking care of the land with regular crop rotations, animals roaming in the orchards, minimal inputs and waste.” Fogline Farms strives to grow the highest quality fruits, vegetables and meats for their community. Kitchen Table Advisors seeks to empower Johnny and Caleb, and all the farmers in their pilot project, with the business tools, resources and knowledge they need to ensure their long term economic viability.
You can join Kitchen Table Advisors in their effort to build a healthier regional food system by becoming an advocate, volunteering or making a financial contribution. Follow Kitchen Table Advisors on Facebook or LinkedIn for the latest news and opportunities to support the economic viability of sustainable small farms. Email info@kitchentableadvisors.org if you’re interested in volunteer opportunities related to marketing & communications, business development, events or fundraising. Or donate here to Kitchen Table Advisors through their fiscal sponsor, the Trust for Conservation Innovation.
Click here for more information about the Seed Fund and how you can provide support.
Ellie Lanphier is Program Assistant, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
As we barrel full speed ahead into 2013, we wanted to take a moment to recognize all of the giving that took place within our wonderful donor community at the end of 2012.
In November and December of 2012 we made 127 grants, totaling $1,859,345; processed 103 gifts (including 10 stock gifts) totaling $9,373,839; and opened 6 new Donor Advised Funds!
During this giving spree, Global Citizen Year (GCY), a San Francisco based non-profit, received a grant from one of our donor advised funds in December of 2012. GCY promotes the global Bridge Year, a year of service and learning for graduated high school seniors before they begin college. Through facilitating this experience, GCY hopes to help create the next generation of global leaders by encouraging them to reimagine their own role in the world.
GCY recruits and trains high performing high school seniors to become Global Citizen Year Fellows, who then dedicate their Bridge Year to highly immersive apprenticeships in areas such as education, public health, or microfinance in communities throughout the developing world. The 2012 class of Fellows completed their apprenticeships in Brazil, Senegal and Ecuador. You can read about their experiences on their blog From the Field. Program fees for the experience are determined on a sliding scale, based on the ability of the Fellow and the Fellow’s family to contribute, and are capped at a tuition ceiling.
Quite a few colleges in the US are beginning to encourage college freshman to defer enrollment for one year, and spend that year learning outside the classroom. These colleges have noticed more maturity, focus and perspective in students who have taken a Bridge Year. You can read Harvard’s view on the Bridge Year, or Gap Year, on their website.
The CEO and founder of Global Citizen Year, Abigail Falik, announced a goal to facilitate a global Bridge Year for 10,000 American students by the year 2020. With a great start and a goal like that, we at RSF look forward to following their exciting story.
Ellie Lanphier is Program Assistant, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
In the photo above, a student of Rose Rock School waters the plants that surround her school in the Norman, Oklahoma sunshine. Her school believes that a child’s development is enhanced by taking part in daily tasks and caring for his or her learning space.
The photo captures the spirit of Rose Rock, a school serving 2-6 year olds that strives to offer innovative education in a nurturing environment. A quick glance at the wonderful photos found on Norman resident Sarah Warmker’s photography page provides a glimpse into the caring, safe and creative setting founder Shanah Admadi and her team has created for their young learning community.
“Our long-term goal is to help lead children toward conscious adulthood, in which they respect diversity, interact harmoniously with all people, nurture and protect the natural world, and give joyfully to the communities in which they live.” – Rose Rock School website
Rose Rock School is a Life Ways North America Representative Site. LifeWays Child Care proposes that childcare programs can closely resemble the warm, relaxed atmosphere of a home, and that children can benefit from forming strong bonds with consistent caregivers. An emphasis on creative play rather than structured lessons is a hallmark of the LifeWays school of thought. Every day at Rose Rock the children care for the garden, play outside, and participate in the preparation and clean-up of home cooked organic meals enjoyed family style around a small table or outside on a picnic blanket.
In May 2012, The Rose Rock School Foundation received a grant from the RSF Seed Fund to establish a biodynamic garden and apiary on the school’s new site, a historic home in central Norman. Shanah provided an update on the progress they had made on this project:
“Since Rose Rock School received the grant last May, we have utilized the money to help in us tending our new 4-acre plot of land (in the center of town) with biodynamic field sprays.We have had many Rose Rock community work days, spent trimming trees, removing trash and brush, and envisioning our future at this site. Until the rezoning and construction is finished, the bees we purchased will continue to live at an off-site location outside of town. We chose to keep them at a quieter location, while they organized themselves and recovered from their journey through the mail. Since their arrival, they have established a healthy hive, foraged on local wildflowers, and endured their first Oklahoma summer. We look forward to bringing them to their new home when it is ready.”
Shanah and team plan to build fencing to surround the apiary, for the protection of the children and the bees, while planting a variety of plants on the school grounds to serve as a nectar source. The school will benefit from the produce grown and honey harvested while also facilitating critical learning about the importance and value of sustainable agriculture. Remaining honey will be sold locally, to provide a revenue stream to help support the school.
For more information about the RSF Seed Fund, please visit our website. To make a donation, please visit our donations page.
Ellie Lanphier is Program Assisstant, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
Modern consumers want and expect sustainable, local seafood. Restaurants need to be able to tell their customers where their food is coming from and how it got to their plate. Fishermen hope for better prices and more realistic expectations in a volatile, unpredictable industry. Recognizing that all of these parties really desired the same dream, Stephanie Mutz, Sarah Rathbone and Kim Selkoe launched the first season of Community Seafood, a community supported fishery (CSF) in Santa Barbara, California which connects residents directly to the local catch.
This past April, RSF made a grant from the Seed Fund to Commercial Fisherman of Santa Barbara, to launch season one of their CSF. Much like a CSA, a CSF share eliminates the intermediaries between the producer and the consumer, ensuring that the subscriber pays a fair price while their money goes directly to the fishermen that caught their dinner.
Mutz, commercial fisherman and co-founder, caught up with us for an update on their first season and beyond:
“We are now in our second season of our CSF. Our customers are having a lot of fun knowing where and how their seafood is caught, who caught it and how to prepare it. We are taking the confusion out of seafood by doing the homework for our customers, and they know they are doing their share in preserving the local marine resource while supporting local fishermen. We really are accomplishing our goal of building community when our customers start talking to each other when they pick up their seafood, and before you know it, they are inviting each other over for dinner!”
Steve Escobar with a trap of spot prawns
Their subscribers benefit from the plentiful waters of the Santa Barbara Channel, and share in the fluctuations inherent to the trade. They buy a share and receive the “catch of the week,” of whatever is fresh and in season. Increased variety for customers equates to healthier ecosystems, allowing time for species recoup.
California-caught seafood is some of the most environmentally friendly available, due to stringent fishing regulations such as setting aside protected areas and seasonal closures. However, currently 90-95% of local seafood landed in Santa Barbara Harbor is exported overseas, leaving local fishermen at the mercy of volatile foreign markets and bound to the unsustainable practice of catching a lot of one kind of fish to sell at low wholesale prices. The frustration is compounded by local consumers who, at the same time, are demanding sustainable healthy seafood right off the boat.
This small group of fisherman and scientists has been able to see the connection between the wants and needs of the community and those of the producers. While they still have adjustments and improvements to address as they make headway into the second season, Santa Barbara fishermen say Community Seafood provides a connection to their community that they wouldn’t have otherwise, and valuable feedback about their work. Some say it has granted a greater sense of purpose in their day-to-day activities. While it’s yet a small portion of their overall business, all parties involved hope to see it grow.
This grant was made possible by the RSF Seed Fund. Every spring, RSF provides small gifts (between $500 and $5,000) to seed new initiatives that offer innovative solutions in the field of social finance, or address issues in one of our three focus areas (Food & Agriculture, Education & the Arts, and Ecological Stewardship). Individual gifts to the RSF Seed Fund can help germinate the next generation of restorative projects. Click here to donate to the RSF Seed Fund today.
Ellie Lanphier is Program Assistant, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
‘Tis the season for charitable giving! With only a few weeks left in 2012, it is time to start thinking about what charitable donations you would like to make this year if you have not done so already. Charitable donations are an excellent way to reduce your tax burden for the year, and what better way to end the year than by making greater good possible. If you intend to make a donation to RSF, start a donor advised fund, or make an addition to an existing fund, plan on getting those gifts in to RSF by no later than Friday, December 28th as our offices will be closed on Monday, December 31st.
Want to make a donation but having trouble deciding to which organization? Let us help you decide! We are always looking for additional support for the RSF Seed Fund, which makes small grants annually to support new initiatives that fall within RSF’s mission statement and focus areas. If interested, please visit our donations page where you can easily make a credit card donation or contact me directly with any questions!
In 2012 Bikes Not Bombs received a Seed Fund grant to support its youth created and run mobile bike shop and mechanics training center.
Another worthwhile organization to consider is the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) located in Santa Cruz, CA. OFRF is not only an RSF grantee but is also a Social Investment Fund investor! OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policy that brings more farmers and acreage into organic production. Since its founding in 1990, OFRF has been a leading champion for American organic family farmers and envisions that one day, organic farming will be the leading form of agriculture in America.
One of OFRF’s four areas of focus is Education. OFRF believes that improving organic education for all ages is critical if America is to transition to an organic farming majority. An area of particular emphasis for OFRF is America’s universities. The organic food industry has experienced more than quadruple growth in the last decade, and OFRF constantly assesses and reports how agricultural universities are helping meet organic consumer demand by training organic farmers, conducting useful research, and organizing effective outreach.
OFRF is currently Raising an Organic Barn to provide stronger structure to increase organic acreage and farmers in our country. Learn more here:
Catherine Covington is Senior Program Associate, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
What does it mean to live sustainably, particularly in regards to stewardship of land? 2012 RSF Seed Fund Grantee stone circles has made this question central to its work. stone circles, located in the small town of Mebane, NC, has a mission to strengthen and sustain people committed to transformation and justice, and its mission comes alive through spiritual practice and principles, a sustainable relationship with the land, radical hospitality, and strategic collaboration.
Photo courtesy: stone circles
stone circles was founded in 1995 and has continually been at the forefront of the national movement to transform social change work by creating strong and explicit links between individual and social transformation. It does so by working at the local, statewide, and national level and provides trainings, workshops and retreats that offer transformative experiences that link commitment to sustainability and practice with frameworks for strategic action.
Since 2008, stone circles has been working to create a more equitable and just food system in central North Carolina. In 2011 the organization began researching ways to directly support local sustainable agriculture. One major discovery was the barriers that young adults of color face when trying to enter the farming profession. In addition to training and mentoring, farmers of color oftentimes lack the access to the resources and the decision-making groups that are fueling the growing movement around local food sustainability. The RSF Seed Fund grant is specifically intended to support a 10-day residential training program for young farmers of color at The Stone House, stone circles’ 70-acre rural retreat and training center. The program will include practical farm skills training in organic agriculture practices, food systems education, and personal practices for self-renewal that focus on the experience of deeply resting and replenishing the body and spirit.
Photo courtesy: stone circles
In preparation for the upcoming training, stone circles has put on a number of food justice workshops. According to evaluation summaries, beyond increasing their knowledge of food justice, participants also reported a deepened ability to relate across lines of difference. One of the highlights for many people was the opportunity to share personal stories of race, ethnicity, and class backgrounds, as it connected them to each other and to the larger framework being presented.
To learn more about the RSF Seed Fund and how you can help support new and inspirational projects like this one, click here.
Catherine Covington is Senior Program Associate, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
Bikes Not Bombs uses the bicycle as a powerful vehicle and tool for social change. Each year, Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) takes in 5-6,000 donated bicycles and gives them new life through one of their many youth programs, international development projects, and retail shop/vocational training center.
A 27 year old community organization in Jamaica Plain, MA, BNB received a RSF Seed Fund grant in spring of this year to support Chain Reaction, its youth-created and run mobile bicycle shop and mechanics training center. BNB sought funding to cover the cost of parts needed to repair and refurbish donated bicycles in order to provide transportation to low-income communities as well as keep those bicycles out of the solid waste stream. Chain Reaction fixes and re-sells bikes priced between $50 and $75 and offers free bike mechanics lessons. Realizing that in low income neighborhoods people had less accessibility to bike supplies and repair shops, a key component of Chain Reaction is the capability to travel where people need them most.
Stephane Alexandre, one of BNB’s Youth Employees explained her participation in the program: “giving back feels good because I am actively making a difference in one person’s life. If I can just help one person see, I mean really understand, the possibilities that a simple bicycle can bring, then I would have done my job that day.”
Through Chain Reaction, BNB seeks to reinforce academic learning, build critical thinking skills, provide unemployment training, and cultivate leadership while solidifying a lifelong commitment to environmental and social justice.
Many of our donor advised fund clients recommend grants to domestic organizations that they have a close connection to. Perhaps they have volunteered with the organization, know someone on the staff or board, have seen the impact of the organization’s work in their own community, or are passionate about an issue or problem the organization is tackling. However, what does one do if you are passionate about supporting causes outside the U.S. but don’t know where to get started or what support is needed and where?
One of donor advisors recently recommended a grant to Global Greengrants, a domestic non-profit with international grantmaking expertise. The mission of Global Greengrants is to mobilize resources for global environmental sustainability and social justice. It does so by raising money from individuals, foundations and corporations then donating those funds to worthy charitable causes around the world. One might ponder the direct impact a gift to a regranting organization but Greengrants is able to add tremendous value to its donors’ gifts through its unique grantmaking model—small grants recommended by local experts.
Bidhichandrapur Chetana (BCC) is a community organization in West Bengal, India. The group has used 4 small grants from Greengrants to spread organic farming in their community. Photo by Tamsin Green.
Greengrants acts as a bridge between donors and local groups on the ground, and it does so through a model of activist-led grantmaking. Greengrants has strong, local connections with extraordinary community leaders and activists around the world. Journalists, lawyers, scientists, academics and a variety of other individuals act as advisors on nearly 20 advisory boards. The advisors provide local knowledge and on-the-ground details, which are two key ingredients for making impactful grants at the grassroots level. These advisors are often on the front lines enabling Greengrants to find promising grantees and ensure success through active monitoring and mentoring. To learn more about Greengrants’ grantmaking model and the important challenges it is confronting in areas such as biodiversity conservation, climate justice, and food and agriculture, please check out its website. My favorite page is the grantee highlights section!
During the months of March and April, RSF’s donor advisors recommended 66 grants from their Donor Advised Funds for a total disbursement amount of $1,002,334! Donor Advised Funds are a unique charitable giving vehicle offered by RSF that allow donors to make tax-deductible contributions to RSF and then recommend grants from their fund to qualified nonprofit organizations of their choice. A donor can be an individual, group, family, corporation, trust, or a foundation, and they benefit from access to RSF’s innovative Impact Investing Portfolios. Unlike other Donor Advised Fund investment programs, a donor’s contribution is invested directly in enterprises and funds with core social and environmental missions to ensure greater mission-alignment and the deepest impact possible.
Catherine Covington is Senior Associate, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance
Education & the Arts
Allgemeine Anthroposophische Gessellschaft
Inquiring Systems, Inc.
Villa Esperanza Services
Global Citizen Year
GreatNonProfits
Democracy Now!
Global Purpose
Duke University
Community School for Creative Education
Camphill Soltane
Tides Foundation
Collective Heritage Institute
Awakening Entelechy
Ecole Rudolf Steiner-Montreal
Marion Institute
Center for Biography and Social Art
Rose Rock School Foundation
Women’s Resource Center
Charter Foundation
Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Truthout
Maine People’s Resource Center
The University of Maine System, Inc.
Christian Community in New England
Christian Community – New York City
Consumers for Dental Choice
Pacific Zen Institute
Ecological Stewardship
Daily Acts
Science House Foundation
Bikes Not Bombs
Tengri School for Spiritual Ecology
The Cultural Conservancy
Georges River Land Trust
Amazon Conservation Team
Global Greengrants Fund
Food & Agriculture
New World Foundation
Filmmakers Collaborative
Dancers’ Group
stone circles
Trust for Conservation Innovation
Adelante Mujeres
Food Chain Workers Alliance
Creative Visions
Oakland Institute
Waldo Community Action Partners
Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training
Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association
Spikenard Farm
Michael Fields Agricultural
Rockland Farm Alliance
Social Finance
Villgro Innovations Foundation
Commercial Fisherman of Santa Barbara
Other
Mali Health Organizing Project
Stanford University
Camphill Communities California
National Peace Corps
Southern Poverty Law Center
American Himalayan Foundation
2012 RSF Seed Fund Grantee Adelante Mujeres is dedicated to providing holistic education and empowerment for low-income Latina women and their families. Located in Forest Grove, Oregon, Adelante Mujeres was founded in 2002 out of the resolve of a small group of Latino immigrants and allies who sought to improve the quality of life for themselves and their community.
Adelante Mujeres offers a number of programs in the areas of education, empowerment and enterprise. One program that RSF staff found particularly compelling was Adelante Agricultura, which provides aspiring Latino immigrant farmers with the training and skills necessary to farm using organic methods and market their products locally. Participants engage in a 12-week sustainable farming class which covers topics like organic farming techniques, land rent/purchase, soil maintenance, crop planning and pest management. Also included in the course are practical workshops at local organic farms such as La Esperanza Farm.
The most significant barrier to success for farmers participating in Adelante Agricultura is access to markets, evidenced by the fact that in 2010 participant farmers were unable to sell up to 50% of particular crops because of lack of markets. Seeking to circumvent the language and cultural barriers faced by immigrant farmers when it comes to selling their products, Adelante Mujeres is launching a social venture called the La Esperanza Distributor and applied to RSF for support of this new initiative. The Distributor is a value-based fresh produce distributor that will sell the produce grown by program participants to local food service institutions and grocery stores. Adelante will provide ongoing technical support and professional development to the farmers and has already made arrangements with five local partners to purchase produce from the Distributor in its pilot year. The goal for the project is to establish a thriving local farming community and local food economy that includes Latino farmers and their families with the hopes that a model will emerge that can be replicated regionally and eventually nationally.
To learn more about the RSF Seed Fund and how you can help support new and inspirational projects like this one, click here.
Catherine Covington is Senior Program Associate, Philanthropic Services at RSF Social Finance.
by Ellie Lanphier
During this giving spree, Global Citizen Year (GCY), a San Francisco based non-profit, received a grant from one of our donor advised funds in December of 2012. GCY promotes the global Bridge Year, a year of service and learning for graduated high school seniors before they begin college. Through facilitating this experience, GCY hopes to help create the next generation of global leaders by encouraging them to reimagine their own role in the world.
Rose Rock School is a Life Ways North America Representative Site. 
purchased will continue to live at an off-site location outside of town. We chose to keep them at a quieter location, while they organized themselves and recovered from their journey through the mail. Since their arrival, they have established a healthy hive, foraged on local wildflowers, and endured their first Oklahoma summer. We look forward to bringing them to their new home when it is ready.”
Modern consumers want and expect sustainable, local seafood. Restaurants need to be able to tell their customers where their food is coming from and how it got to their plate. Fishermen hope for better prices and more realistic expectations in a volatile, unpredictable industry. Recognizing that all of these parties really desired the same dream, Stephanie Mutz, Sarah Rathbone and Kim Selkoe launched the first season of 
Adelante Mujeres offers a number of