Richmond Waldorf School
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 75 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
Our approach to a holistic Waldorf education lays the foundation for a life full of meaning and purpose. (See 4a)
- Income
- $4.0 million
- Spending
- $3.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- 1.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 81%
- Employees
- 74
- Volunteers
- 186
- Highest pay
- $122,818, director of administration
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100.
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 46% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 75 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $2.8 million spent. Established in 1996, Richmond Waldorf School is a Pre-K through 8th grade independent Waldorf School located on a 2.8 acre urban campus in Richmond, VA. We serve 192 students through a developmentally- appropriate curriculum that honors each student for who they are and seeks to develop their whole person - intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically. RWS emphasizes hands-on learning with an artistic and practical approach to academic subjects. Waldorf students develop meaningful skills in a way that inspires confidence, builds practical skills, and cultivates creativity. RWS Faculty and Administration are dedicated to growing Waldorf education and share the common goal of raising a new generation of students to care for each other, themselves, and the world around them. Waldorf class teaching is demanding and enormously rewarding work. Our educators model what it means to be a whole human and the pedagogy reinforces strong and meaningful relationships. One notable aspect of our grades program is that the Waldorf teacher remains with their class for multiple years - often from first through eighth grade. This paradigm centers healthy child development by showing students how their teacher works to continually cultivate an atmosphere of awareness and interest, present new opportunities for self-discovery, and demonstrate their service to the world. With a specialized curriculum, investing in a faculty of credentialed Waldorf teachers and staff is naturally a large portion of the program's expenses. 70% of RWS faculty have over ten years teaching experience. Just as our teachers grow our students' sense of self-reliance, our school aims to continually offer increased professional development opportunities and compensation.
- $92,211 spent. An investment in high quality supplies is integral to delivering a Waldorf curriculum. Our students use natural beeswax crayons, colored pencils, and watercolors for their main lesson books and artwork. In handwork classes, students knit and crochet with hand dyed wool roving and yarn. Using only hand tools, children in the woodworking program concentrate on honing their skills to make practical, beautiful objects. Developing endurance is the cornerstone of our bike program, where every child learns to master life on two wheels. Because we believe that every human is musical, we strengthen children's musicality through songs, dances and games and then build up literacy teaching various wind instruments, culminating in formal string instrument instruction. In the Early Childhood program, teachers work with handmade and natural toys and fabrics, including wooden figurines, handmade dolls, and playsilks. All these tactile, sensory supplies speak to our mission to connect the head, heart, and hands of our students, delivering a balanced, holistic, and fully integrated curriculum.
- $45,199 spent. Today's child needs connection with the natural world more than ever. Field trips enliven the curriculum for the students by expanding their sensory experiences with the content they are studying in the classroom. From multi-day overnight trips to locally curated day destinations, the school invests heavily in these experiences to support the deepening of the students' knowledge and understanding of the world around them. A few of the multi-day rites of passage at RWS include a third grade trip to live and work at a biodynamic organic farm, fifth grade camping trip to a Virginia bee sanctuary, and a sixth grade caving excursion. To bring academics to life, RWS partners with other independent schools on Pentathalon and Medieval games. For the younger children who are not quite ready to leave the nest overnight, RWS has long established relationships with local farms, orchards and specialty museums.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1990.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.