Education
We support education that prioritizes care, connection, and collaboration.
America’s youth are facing a social-emotional crisis. Researchers found that young people’s mental health has declined since 2012, corresponding with an increase in internet access and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our conventional education system is designed to train young people in the technical skills they’ll need to succeed in a modern workforce. However, it fails to prioritize equally important social-emotional skills like grit, empathy, and global citizenship. Without these skills, they will struggle to adapt to the challenges presented by a rapidly changing world.
Thankfully, many schools and social enterprises address this challenge by prioritizing whole-child education. We’re determined to help those vital institutions thrive.
RSF’s first ever loan was to the Pine Hill Waldorf School in Wilton, New Hampshire in 1984. In the four decades since then, we have consistently served as a financial partner to Waldorf schools. Waldorf schools prioritize community, the arts, and social-emotional learning alongside math, science, and language arts. By investing in these schools, we help them invest in turn in a holistic education for the students and families they serve.
While Waldorf education is a time-honored model for a regenerative education, it’s not the only model. As we’ve grown, we’ve expanded our focus to include other educational institutions and social enterprises that innovate within the educational system to produce better outcomes for students, families, and communities.
Our Impact
11,222
students served through schools and out-of-classroom programs by RSF borrowers
160
teachers trained by RSF borrowers
$25 million
loans committed in 2025
Invest in whole-child education
By purchasing an RSF Social Investment Fund note, you invest in the schools, businesses, and nonprofits that make learning better.
Apply for a loan
RSF offers lines of credit, finances new equipment and facilities, and provides the financing you need to grow your school or educational institution.
Latest news
RSF advances $4 million to support clean building tech and solar energy
RSF loans give mission-driven businesses and nonprofits access to the capital they need to purchase equipment, strengthen their operations, and grow their impact for the long term. Read on to meet the newest social enterprises joining the RSF community!
Why I Give – Lynnaea Lumbard
Lynnaea Lumbard is both an investor and DAF client at RSF. She recently sat down with RSF’s head of communications Will McAneny to discuss her approach to philanthropy and impact investing – and share how RSF helps her do both.
RSF’s 2025 Annual Report
In 2025, we watched people respond to challenges by aligning their resources with what they value most. RSF’s Annual Report: a reflects what we accomplished together as a community in 2025.