permaculture

[Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture Network <lakinroe@silcom.com>]

hi everyone
 here is a writeup on Rudolf Steiner Foundation 
website about our Loan Participation Agreement 
that the Permaculture Credit Union pioneered with 
them to make more money available to loan to our 
members by selling loans to RSF, while keeping 
the management of the loans with the PCU.
        The PCU has been a leader in the banking 
and credit union field by pioneering Loan 
Participation Agreement since 2002 with larger 
Credit Unions that allow the PCU to loan more 
money  thus increasing the redirecting of money 
to support PC ethics  “care of the earth, care of 
people, and investment of surplus for the betterment of both.”
                        wes roe Board Member of 
the Permaculture Credit Union www.pcuonline.org

http://www.rsfsocialfinance.org/

01.03.2007 -
RSF Participates in Permaculture Credit Union's Earth -Friendly Lending


When Jeff Maul built his home in Santa Fe County, 
he approached his bank to convert his construction loan into a mortgage loan...

When Jeff Maul built his home in Santa Fe County, 
he approached his bank to convert his 
construction loan into a mortgage loan. They 
refused because they deemed his energy-efficient 
800- square foot home “too unusual.” He 
approached other financial institutions without 
success. His friend suggested the Permaculture 
Credit Union (PCU), because it provides financing 
and services for socially responsible individuals 
building sustainable structures.

Through PCU, Jeff Maul was able to secure a 
fixed-rate first-time mortgage loan in a short 
amount of time. PCU’s mission is to pool the 
financial resources of people who live according 
to the ethics of permaculture—“care of the earth, 
care of people, and investment of surplus for the 
betterment of both.” PCU commits 65% of members’ 
deposits to its “sustainable mortgage program.” 
In order to help PCU obtain more liquidity to 
make loans under this program, RSF joined with 
two credit unions from New Mexico in an ongoing Loan Participation Agreement.

“I believe this is the first time that a credit 
union has reached outside the credit union 
movement for an agreement of this type. Mark 
Finser, RSF’s president and CEO, was very 
receptive to the evolution in lending that PCU 
was trying to create,” says President and CEO 
Donald Sarich. “We are grateful for RSF’s 
collaboration, which has enabled PCU to take another leap forward.”

Like Jeff Maul’s loan, all loans that RSF 
purchased (e.g., updating a home and landscaping 
with sustainable systems; remediation of property 
previously used as an illegal dumping ground; 
purchasing land for an organic flower farm) are 
home or land equity lines of credit for purposes 
aligned with both PCU’s and RSF’s missions.

“Our investors, with their intention of creating 
a more sustainable future and their confidence in 
RSF, are really the ones who have made this loan 
participation possible,” says Mark Finser. “I am 
grateful to them for seeing this through.”

For more information, please visit 
www.pcuonline.org. For more information about 
becoming an investor at RSF to support 
initiatives like PCU’s “sustainable mortgage 
program,” go to our “Social Investment Fund” page 
http://www.rsfsocialfinance.org/investing/.


ABOUT RSF SOCIAL INVESTMENT FUND
Through the RSF Social Investment Fund, you can 
be a part of RSF’s growing community of 
like-minded financiers that support organizations 
that offer the most hope for our future.
http://www.rsfsocialfinance.org/investing/

Benefits to investing in the RSF Social Investment Fund include:
Broadening your impact. Pooled with the 
investments of RSF’s investors, your investment 
with RSF is leveraged to do greater good for 
society supporting many socially constructive organizations;
Diversifying your portfolio. The Fund is focused 
on preserving your capital and providing you with 
dependable returns. Since its inception, RSF has 
always honored an investor’s request for repayment.
Maintaining your liquidity. While we especially 
appreciate our long-term investors, you may 
request redemption of your investment before the 
next quarter-end of the calendar year.
Generating social returns. Significant social 
return is generated for society in a variety of 
ways such as environmental stewardship, fairly 
traded products and organically grown 
agriculture, and schools that address the 
intellectual, emotional, aesthetic, and social needs of the whole child.


We depend on investors like you to help us 
respond to the urgent requests we receive from 
organizations that are intent on transforming 
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