The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) has been awarded $1 million from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to support racial equity research and training for lenders to expand access to credit and capital for small businesses owned by people of color.
The grant will support NCRC’s work to address a set of overlapping systemic challenges that block equitable access to credit. The grant will support NCRC’s efforts to ensure that loan origination data is collected and reported by the CFPB, and used to monitor and enforce fair lending. NCRC will also offer training for lenders to help them root out discriminatory behaviors and implicit biases; and continue to produce original research and analysis to create a more just financial system for entrepreneurs of color.
“The work supported by this grant could not be more timely,” said Jesse Van Tol, CEO of NCRC. “The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is both a thought partner and an important funder of our strategic approach, which combines promoting strong federal lending protections and enforcement with research and training to achieve real world changes and enable more advocates and entrepreneurs to realize a more equitable marketplace.”
“We are pleased that NCRC looks not only to the challenges of today but also advances solutions,” said Jeanne Wardford, program officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “Their focus on long-term solutions ensures more entrepreneurs of color, underserved communities, families and children have an opportunity to thrive.”
