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.​

A school for the whole child finds a home

RSF financing made possible the Chicago Waldorf School’s move to a new building and helped it serve a growing student body.

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Pioneering public Waldorf School nurtures community connections

Over two decades, RSF has supported Sebastopol Charter School with financing for essential facilities improvements.

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Knitting a community, one crown at a time

RSF’s education portfolio manager Amy Bird sent handmade felt crowns to each Waldorf school in RSF’s portfolio.

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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.

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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. 

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Latest news

Interview with Zach Knight, CEO of Blue Forest

RSF invests a portion of our DAF Liquidity Fund – the portfolio in which donor-advised fund assets are held before they’re granted out – into Blue Forest’s Forest Resilience Bonds. Learn more about our partnership in this conversation with Blue Forest’s CEO.

Meet RSF Board Member Georgia Zocca

We recently sat down with Georgia to learn more about her experience in purpose-driven finance, her decision to join our board, and her vision for RSF.

Meet Mia Solberg, Senior Associate Portfolio Manager

We recently sat down with Senior Associate Portfolio Manager Mia Solberg (they/them) to learn more about their approach to this role and what drives their work at RSF. This interview has been condensed from its original form.