# Russell Sage Foundation

Russell Sage Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 112 E. 64th St., New York, NY, United States
- **Founded:** 1907
- **Assets under management:** 361 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** russellsage.org

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Margaret Olivia Sage created the Russell Sage Foundation in 1907 with a $10 million gift. The foundation operates as a private operating foundation that funds social science research across the United States. The endowment deploys capital across public equities, fixed income, and alternatives. Confirmed positions include commitments to HarbourVest Partners through HarbourVest International PE Partners III/IV and to Commonfund Capital through Commonfund Capital International Partners IV/V. Additional holdings cover Hitchwood Capital Fund, Varadero International Ltd., and IL & FS India Realty Fund. Geographic exposure spans the United States and India. The foundation maintains a headquarters at 112 East 64th Street in New York. It reported an endowment valued near $361 million. In September 2024 the foundation sponsored the RSF Visiting Scholar Program in New York. Bruce Western assumes the presidency in September 2025. Service providers include TIFF as investment advisor and BNY Mellon as custodian. The foundation structure separates grant-making from investment operations through an investment committee chaired by David Laibson. This governance model routes capital to external managers while retaining direct control over research grant allocation.

## Sectors

- Education

## People

- Sheldon Danziger — President
- Bruce Western — Incoming President
- Jennifer Lee — Chair of the Board of Trustees
- David Laibson — Treasurer and Chair of the Investment Committee

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Russell Sage Foundation?

David Laibson serves as Treasurer and Chair of the Investment Committee. The committee oversees allocations to external managers including TIFF.

### Does Russell Sage Foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The foundation acts as a limited partner in private equity and hedge fund vehicles. Positions include HarbourVest International PE Partners and Commonfund Capital International Partners.

### What investment stages does Russell Sage Foundation typically target?

The endowment targets established private equity and hedge fund managers rather than early-stage direct investments.

### How is Russell Sage Foundation related to its parent or related vehicles?

The foundation operates independently with no parent entity. It maintains membership in the Council on Foundations and Philanthropy New York.

### What is Russell Sage Foundation's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?

No direct co-investment activity is disclosed. Capital flows through fund commitments to managers such as HarbourVest Partners.

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- [Aspen Wealth Management](https://altss.com/profile/aspen-wealth-management-awm)
- [The Golub Corporation](https://altss.com/profile/the-golub-corporation)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/russell-sage-foundation-rsf

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