RSF Social Finance Names Vice President, Client Development

Erika D. Williams will lead RSF’s Philanthropic Services and Client Engagement teams in activating capital for transformative change

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (July 6, 2021)—RSF Social Finance has hired Erika Danina Williams for the new position of Vice President, Client Development, effective July 6. Williams will oversee the Client Engagement and Philanthropic Services departments and work closely with the CEO and executive team members to advance RSF’s leadership in activating money for transformative social, ecological, and cultural change.

Williams, who has deep experience in finance along with expertise in nonprofit development and leadership coaching and development, will cultivate and steward long-term relationships with RSF donors, investors, and partner organizations. She also will develop and lead client engagement, fundraising, and business development strategy for RSF’s assets under management, including donor-advised funds, the Social Investment Fund, and specialized philanthropic funds.

“Erika has a unique combination of creative skills, finance background, and passion for working with people to move money for good. She’s an outstanding addition to our team at RSF, and we’re excited to welcome her,” said RSF CEO Jasper van Brakel. “Erika joins us at a moment of great opportunity. I look forward to working with her and our clients to shape the future of relationship-based finance at RSF.”

Williams described her new role as an “out-of-this-world opportunity” drawing on all her talents. “What struck me was the variety and ambition of RSF’s work,” she said. “I love getting to know donors and investors, finding out what lights them up, and advising them on how to reach their goals, so RSF’s offerings are a big attraction.

“RSF’s participatory strategies are unique and very much align with the mission to promote a more just society,” she added. “When you put a stake in the ground and say ‘Justice and equity are what we’re striving for,’ you need to show what you’re doing to achieve that, and these strategies put words into action.”

Before joining RSF, Williams was the development manager at the Oceanside Museum of Art in California, where she helped grow major gifts by 300%. She also co-founded and served as CEO of Color Your World Personal Development & Coaching, which provides research-based training, coaching, and mentoring services for corporate executives and small business owners.

Williams previously worked at major financial institutions, including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and Wells Fargo & Co. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

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About RSF Social Finance 
RSF Social Finance offers innovative opportunities to invest, give, and get funding that generates positive social, economic, and environmental impact. Since 1984, RSF has made over $800 million in loans and grants supporting social enterprises in the areas of food and agriculture, education and the arts, and climate and the environment. Find out more about how RSF connects social entrepreneurs with diverse forms of capital. Follow @RSFSocFinance.

Media Contact 
Sarah Grolnic-McClurg
Thinkshift Communications
sarah@thinkshiftcom.com
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