INVESTMENT + PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
We invest to materially change outcomes for RPS students.
Richmond Ed Fund strategically deploys philanthropic capital and partnerships around priorities shared with Richmond Public Schools. We look for opportunities where our investment can unlock something larger, strengthen or test a promising approach, and create a path to lasting change.
Current opportunities
There are currently no open opportunities to submit a funding or partnership inquiry. Future opportunities and submission timelines will be posted here
What we look for in an investment
An opportunity may be a strong fit when it:
Strategic fit
Is this solving a problem REF and RPS have prioritized?
Leverage
Could REF’s investment unlock something larger?
Path to scale
If successful, who will own, sustain, or expand the work?
Return
What student outcome should change because this investment exists?
Evidence or learning value
Are we scaling something that works or testing a hypothesis important enough to justify the risk?
We generally don’t invest in:
One-time activities without measurable student outcomes
Work disconnected from REF or RPS priorities
Programs without a path to adoption, sustainability, or scale
Event sponsorships
How REF invests
IM² : Identify and Invest. Manage and Multiply.
Our approach to investment is active from the start.
We identify opportunities tied to priority outcomes, invest with clear expectations, manage for performance and learning, and multiply what works.
IDENTIFY
Back organizations and ideas best positioned to move priority outcomes at scale.
INVEST
Deploy capital with clear expectations for what should change.
MANAGE
Track performance, learn honestly, and adjust or exit when the work is not moving the metrics.
MULTIPLY
Bring in public, private, and national capital to sustain and expand what works.
How requests work
Specific windows
REF will post opportunities when we are actively considering new funding or partnerships.
Brief first step
Start with a short inquiry, not a full proposal. We’ll first look at whether the opportunity may be a fit.
Potential fit
We may ask for more information or invite a conversation before making a decision.