Since 2004, the Responsible Endowments Coalition (REC) has worked with students, alumni, and other university stakeholders to make endowments a force for social, racial, environmental, and economic justice.
After 15 years of fond memories and with careful consideration, REC has decided to close our doors. In doing so, we celebrate the many wins activists have had over the years. We recognize that these achievements are the result of the ecosystem of youth and student organizing, and are grateful to have played a part in that. We honor the broader movement, and the leadership coming from frontline communities who are most directly impacted by issues of injustice.
REC has chosen to sunset peacefully and with integrity. This means:
- Issuing a Public Statement on REC’s decision to sunset responsibly
- Surfacing lessons learned for the nonprofit and organizing spaces
- Sharing the Full Report of REC’s stakeholder Listening Tour
- Making REC Legacy Resources available to the public online, on both our website and in a public Google Drive folder
- Creating a referral list for youth activists
- Elevating peer organizations in a email to key funders
- Disbursing Responsible Endowment Funds per alumni wishes
- Granting remaining REC funds to peer organizations
REC has served an important purpose, evolved over time in response to student needs, and reached a point where stepping aside made the most sense. This decision is made not in sadness but in gratitude for having been part of something bigger than a single entity. We offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made REC what it is since 2004, and to those who have offered their wisdom over the past few years through this transition.
“I think the importance of doing activist work is precisely because it allows you to give back and to consider yourself not as a single individual who may have achieved whatever but to be a part of an ongoing historical movement.” – Angela Davis