Why do good institutions fail?
The local school loses its best teachers. The regional hospital can't replace aging equipment. The climate adaptation program gets scrapped after an election. The pattern is always the same: short-term money funding long-term missions.
IRSA (Institute for Regenerative Systems Architecture) studies this problem—and designs solutions.
Regenerative Capital
Capital designed to match mission timescales
The Mismatch
Funding and missions operate on fundamentally different timescales. This temporal mismatch is why institutions break down.
Funding Cycles
1–7 years
These cycles create "fragility" — forcing renewal at short intervals
Mission Cycles
25–100+ years
These are the timescales real problems operate on
The gap: Funding cycles are 10–100× shorter than mission cycles. Every time a cycle ends, institutions face potential collapse. This is structural fragility.
Our Framework
We've built an interconnected body of theory to solve this. Four layers, each building on the one below.
Regenerative Capital Theory
A new category of capital
Perpetual Social Capital
The flagship instrument
Alignment + Behaviour
Why it works
Regenerative Cycle Architecture
The diagnosis
Perpetual Social Capital
Our most developed solution: capital that cycles forever without interest or debt.
Give
$100K as a gift
Receive
Used for real needs
Pay Forward
When able (no interest)
Repeat
Helps next person
30-Year Impact Comparison
System Value Multiplier (SVM) = Total impact per dollar over 30 years
Traditional Grant
$100K → helps once → gone forever
1.7× system value
Debt
$100K → returns with interest → excludes many
19× system value (but creates burden)
Perpetual Social Capital
$100K → helps → cycles back → helps again → forever
16–27× system value (no debt, no interest)
Go Deeper
PSC is one piece. Here's the complete research program—10 interconnected papers building a new field.
Foundations
Mechanisms
Applications
Explore the Tools
22+ interactive dashboards to model, visualize, and explore
Re:School
Learn to design systems that strengthen over time. Executive education, advisory services, and programs for foundation leaders, policy makers, and social entrepreneurs.
Executive Education
Intensive programs for senior leaders
Advisory Services
Strategic consulting for implementation
In-House Programs
Custom training for organisations
Open Learning
Free explainers & dashboards