Better outcomes
Require
Better Investments
Richmond Ed Fund identifies barriers that carry a real cost for young people and the city. We invest flexible capital toward clear outcomes, follow the evidence, and help what works reach larger systems.
The Cost of the Status Quo
$1,900
underfunding per student across the district
$18M
lost each year in productivity and tax revenue from educational gaps
–8%
income drop in low-income households between 2005 and 2019, compared to -4.2% nationwide
Public schools carry enormous responsibility for preparing young people for what comes next, often while working within limited resources and systems that were not designed to solve every challenge shaping opportunity.
When those barriers persist, the costs extend beyond the classroom, affecting workforce opportunity, economic mobility, and what becomes possible for Richmond’s next generation.
One North Star.
Three Investment Platforms.
How We Invest: IM²
Across each area, we use a consistent investment approach: Identify → Invest → Manage → Multiply.
Identify
Find high-cost barriers and high-leverage opportunities
Our North Star: Every Richmond student graduates ready for a choice-filled life.
We work toward that future through three connected areas of investment: public education, economic mobility, and venture + reinvestment. Together, they allow us to invest both in the experiences young people have today and in the systems and opportunities that shape what comes next.
Manage
Track execution, evidence,
cost, and risk.
Multiply
Scale, transfer, influence systems, or reinvest when the evidence warrants it.
Learn more about our three investment platforms
Invest
Deploy capital behind a defined outcome.
Richmond Ed Fund + RPS Strategic Plan
REF has evolved alongside Richmond Public Schools. Dreams4RPS helped shift our role from traditional fundraising to catalytic capital for public education. RPS remains an anchor partner, but our North Star points to young people beyond the schoolhouse. Today, our portfolio spans public education, economic mobility, and venture + reinvestment, connecting what happens in school to what becomes possible afterward
How We Invest: IM²
What our Capital is Buying
$140K
raised for home libraries
$987K
invested in early literacy professional development
$2.3M
invested in compensation incentives for staff
5290
families supported through the crisis response fund