Dear Friends,
Our hearts break today for Black America. They break for the legacies of slavery and segregation left unacknowledged and unchecked in our country, against every moral, ethical or religious principle we profess to hold dear.
Like most institutions in America today, the Vermont Community Loan Fund benefits from systemic racism. White America’s ability to build wealth has provided virtually all the capital we deploy to create opportunities for all Vermonters. As a financial institution and lender, we’ve employed capitalist structures and tools, even as we’ve tried to align capital with values and redistribute wealth to the Vermonters who need it most.
Despite our success in doing just that, less than 1% of VCLF borrowers historically have been Black.
A mission-driven, community-focused social & economic justice organization, the Loan Fund was founded to fight injustice and inequity. Our values demand that we do more, and better.
We talk about opportunity a lot. This moment is OUR opportunity.
Today, we’re committing $1 million to make interest-free loans to Black-owned businesses and Black-led organizations. We have a lot of work to do, listening, learning and partnering to help us define and grow this new program.
ONLY when we create opportunities for Black Vermonters do we move towards a Vermont for all Vermonters.
- The Vermont Community Loan Fund
Dear Friends,
Our hearts break today for Black America. They break for the legacies of slavery and segregation left unacknowledged and unchecked in our country, against every moral, ethical or religious principle we profess to hold dear.
Like most institutions in America today, the Vermont Community Loan Fund benefits from systemic racism. White America’s ability to build wealth has provided virtually all the capital we deploy to create opportunities for all Vermonters. As a financial institution and lender, we’ve employed capitalist structures and tools, even as we’ve tried to align capital with values and redistribute wealth to the Vermonters who need it most.
Despite our success in doing just that, less than 1% of VCLF borrowers historically have been Black.
A mission-driven, community-focused social & economic justice organization, the Loan Fund was founded to fight injustice and inequity. Our values demand that we do more, and better.
We talk about opportunity a lot. This moment is OUR opportunity.
Today, we’re committing $1 million to make interest-free loans to Black-owned businesses and Black-led organizations. We have a lot of work to do, listening, learning and partnering to help us define and grow this new program.
ONLY when we create opportunities for Black Vermonters do we move towards a Vermont for all Vermonters.
- The Vermont Community Loan Fund