Our Mission

Investing in leadership to create a more equitable, livable, and vibrant New York City.

Our Values

Equity. We strive to shift and share power across communities.
Trust. We commit to being in relationship grounded in mutual respect, and shared wisdom and expertise.
Innovation. We seek bold, fresh approaches to solve complex challenges.

RSCF Theory of Change. Mission: investing in leadership to create a more equitable, livable, and vibrant New York City. Values: Equity, Trust, Innovation. Invests in leadership models, the nonprofit sector, and NYC community leaders.

Our History

The foundation is the namesake of Robert Sterling Clark, a member of the prominent New York business family, who lived from 1877-1955. Much of the Clarks’ wealth came from their relationship with the Singer Corporation, the leading purveyor of sewing machines. Clark’s father, Edward, is credited with helping create a global market for then-new Singer sewing machines in the late 1800s.

Robert Sterling Clark and his wife Francine were avid art collectors, and eventually went on to found the world-renowned Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

The couple also had a heart for broader philanthropic causes outside the realm of the arts. Robert Sterling Clark incorporated his eponymous foundation in 1952, and it was endowed three years later upon his passing. Forward-thinking ahead of his time, Clark left no specific directives for how foundation resources should be allocated—instead preferring to defer to evolving philanthropic needs. As the world would change, so too was the foundation free to adapt and prioritize projects and areas of grantmaking focus.

Our Foundation Today

As a private foundation, the gift of freedom and flexibility that Robert Sterling Clark gave us is one we celebrate, as it has brought us to where we are now. Today, the foundation champions leadership development—investing in individuals and the organizations that develop them, building the field, and commissioning key pieces of leadership research.

Our approach is rooted in trust-based philanthropy—we consider our grantees to be true partners, and we empower them to keep their focus on their important work by reducing the demands often associated with grant applications and reporting. We prioritize allocating unrestricted, multi-year grants and provide support beyond-the-check whenever possible. Our staff and board engage in learning to reflect our mission-aligned impact, incorporating a variety of learning methods, such as our signature CHAT (Check-In Analysis Tool), which replaces site visits and written grantee reporting as an annual conversation between foundation staff and grantees.