RSF Social Finance Announces a Loan to the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh
Jul 28, 2011 8:15 PM ET
(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) July 28, 2011 - RSF Social Finance (RSF), a non-profit financial services organization providing capital to non-profit and for-profit social enterprises, announced today that it has made a loan the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh (WSP).
The Waldorf School of Pittsburgh was founded in 1993 to bring the unique Waldorf method and curriculum to families seeking a progressive education experience in Pittsburgh. It is currently the only Waldorf school in greater Pittsburgh. The school’s mission is stated in the words of Rudolf Steiner, who founded the first Waldorf school in 1919, “Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives.” The school’s curriculum is designed to educate the whole child – head, heart, and hand – toward the three ideals of truth, beauty, and goodness. WSP is an independent school and member of the Associated Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). Today there are 900+ Waldorf schools in over 88 countries. The school currently enrolls 104 full-time students from early childhood through grade 5. In September 2011, WSP will expand to 6th grade and intends to add 7th and 8th grades in the next two years. RSF Social Finance was impressed by the commitment of the school’s leadership and the parent-teacher community to the continued success of the organization. “In every meeting we were impressed with the level of engagement of the participants. We were pleased to see so many stakeholders at the table, all familiar with RSF and committed to the school’s financial success and plans for the future,” said Mike Gabriel, RSF Lending Manager. Over 20 families and supporters of the school helped WSP obtain attractive, long-term financing by opening investment accounts at RSF. These accounts guarantee a portion of the loan and provide RSF with additional capital to make more loans. About RSF Social Finance Located in San Francisco, CA, RSF Social Finance (RSF) is a non-profit financial services organization dedicated to transforming the way the world works with money. Since 1984 the organization has made over $230 million in loans throughout the U.S. and Canada to non-profit and for-profit social enterprises. RSF's capital comes primarily from one thousand individuals who have invested $1,000 or more in the organization's Social Investment Fund. Investors earn a competitive return on their money comparable to a certificate of deposit while their funds are deployed to social enterprises working in the areas of Food & Agriculture, Education & the Arts and Ecological Stewardship. RSF15667