Restoration Investment Trust (RIT)
A Regenerative Finance Model for the Genesee–Finger Lakes Region
Overview
The Restoration Investment Trust (RIT) is a blended-finance vehicle designed to channel public, private, and community capital into ecological restoration and community resilience projects. RIT treats natural systems—forests, wetlands, soils, and watersheds—as productive assets, generating measurable ecological, social, and financial returns.
Goal: Enable small communities to thrive while regenerating the region’s ecosystems, creating wealth that circulates locally, and fostering long-term resilience.
Structure & Governance
- Legal Form: Public benefit trust or community investment cooperative.
- Governance: Trustees represent municipalities, land trusts, Indigenous stewards, cooperatives, and community investors. Decisions follow consent-based or sociocratic principles.
- Accountability: Transparent reporting of both financial flows and ecological impact using open dashboards.
Capital Stack
RIT combines multiple funding sources to finance projects:
| Source | Use |
|---|---|
| C-PACE financing | Commercial/multifamily retrofits for energy, water, resilience |
| Green bonds / climate notes | Wetland restoration, reforestation, agroforestry |
| Philanthropic grants | Early-stage risk mitigation |
| Municipal contributions | Land, matching funds, revolving loans |
| Community investment shares | Local ownership, democratic participation |
Returns:
- Financial: Modest dividends from ecosystem service payments, energy revenue, and property value uplift.
- Ecological/Social: Gains in biodiversity, soil carbon, water retention, local employment, and resilience capacity.
Portfolio Design
RIT’s projects balance risk, impact, and diversity:
- Urban: Green roofs, stormwater gardens, building retrofits.
- Agricultural: Regenerative farms, agroforestry, soil carbon enhancement.
- Rural/Natural: Wetland restoration, reforestation, pollinator corridors.
- Community: Food hubs, repair cafés, circular economy initiatives.
Each project contributes to a bioregional balance sheet of ecological health and social wellbeing.
Measurement & Reporting
RIT uses open-source ecological accounting frameworks to track outcomes:
- Carbon sequestered (tCO₂e)
- Soil organic matter (%)
- Biodiversity index
- Local jobs created
- Energy savings & resilience indices
- Community ownership ratio
Dashboard: Accessible online, providing full transparency to investors and community stakeholders.
Regenerative Feedback Loop
Profits are reinvested into:
- Early-stage restoration projects
- Education & workforce training
- Technical assistance for local enterprises
This creates a self-perpetuating regional endowment for ecological and social resilience.
Implementation Pathway
Phase 1: Seeding (Years 1–2)
- Establish founding partners: municipalities, NYSERDA, land trusts, cooperative finance institutions.
- Pilot demonstration sites: urban retrofit, agroforestry, wetland restoration.
- Launch $10–20M community green bond.
Phase 2: Scaling (Years 3–5)
- Diversify project pipeline aligned with C-PACE and local priorities.
- Open portal for small-investor participation.
- Begin ecological dividend distributions.
Phase 3: Replication (Year 5+)
- Share the model with neighboring bioregions.
- Adapt to local ecological and economic contexts.
Key Benefits
- Ecological: Accelerates carbon sequestration, habitat restoration, water quality improvement.
- Economic: Creates local jobs, retains wealth regionally, leverages multiple financing streams.
- Social: Strengthens community engagement, equity, and capacity for collaborative governance.
- Scalable: Model can be replicated across bioregions with adaptation to local context.
Contact / Further Information
Center for Regenerative Community Solutions (CRCS)
Email: jcloud@crcsolutions.org | Web: www.crcsolutions.org