The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) has named 30 community organizations as recipients of Field Empowerment Fund grants.
Supported by Morgan Stanley, the $5 million Field Empowerment Fund provides unrestricted grants to NCRC members to respond to the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The goal is to help start and scale up innovative investments that promote COVID-19 economic recovery in historically underserved communities. A second round of grants from the fund will be awarded in 2022.
Awarded amounts vary and are for a one-year term. Awardees can use the funds for capacity building, loan capital and operations.
The 2021 awardees are:
- Access Plus Capital, Fresno, California
- Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation, Oakland, California
- Birmingham Business Resource Center, Birmingham, Alabama
- Bridging Communities, Detroit, Michigan
- Capital Area Asset Builders, Washington, D.C.
- Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, Washington, D.C.
- Community First Fund, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Community Link Programs of Traveler Aid Society of Central Carolinas Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina
- Community of Caring CDC, Columbus, Ohio
- Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Tampa, Florida
- Economic and Community Development Institute, Columbus, Ohio
- Fahe, Berea, Kentucky
- Hartford Community Loan Fund, Hartford, Connecticut
- Latino Economic Development Center, Washington, D.C.
- LINC UP Nonprofit Housing Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Local Enterprise Assistance Fund, Boston, Massachusetts
- Manna, Inc., Washington, D.C.
- Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance, Dorchester, Massachusetts
- My Project USA, Columbus, Ohio
- Neighborhood Home Solutions, Inc., St Petersburg, Florida
- Pathstone Enterprise Center, Inc., Rochester, New York
- PIDC Community Capital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Pima County Community Land Trust, Tucson, Arizona
- Reinvestment Partners, Durham, North Carolina
- Southwest Community Development Corporation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Southwest Economic Solutions Corporation, Detroit, Michigan
- Texas Association of Community Development Corporations Austin, Texas
- The Enterprise Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- The South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development, Charleston, South Carolina
- Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Washington, D.C.
“As pillars of the community, our members know what interventions are needed to help their communities not only recover from the pandemic but thrive,” said Jesse Van Tol, CEO of NCRC. “The Field Empowerment fund is our way of supporting their leadership and vision. We are confident that with our additional support, these community organizations can help their communities rebound.”
Selection criteria focused on organizations that:
- Operate in markets that have been significantly impacted by the pandemic
- Are led by people of color and/or women
- Serve low-income and low-wealth communities, and communities of color
- Increase access to affordable housing and homeownership
- Serve small businesses and micro-businesses
“We are pleased that the Field Empowerment Fund is taking a grassroots model to recovery and will support organizations that are at the frontlines of helping communities overcome the pandemic and historical inequities,” said Sabrina Terry, Chief of Programs and Strategic Development at NCRC.
For more information about the Field Empowerment Fund, please contact development@ncrc.org.
