SELF awarded $500k in funding to advance racial equity and connect BIPOC communities to greater social and economic opportunity through healthy, safe, and resilient homes across the SE United States.
MIAMI, December 14, 2021 – Citi Foundation has awarded the Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) a $500k grant as part of its third iteration of Community Progress Makers.
The Citi Foundation first launched Community Progress Makers in 2015, with the goal of providing unrestricted grant support to community change agents who were working to catalyze economic opportunities for underserved communities across the United States.
This funding is part of a $25 million initiative to prioritize organizations that support the BIPOC community through the following focus areas: affordable housing and access, environmental sustainability, economic development, financial health and wellness, social justice, workforce readiness, and family-sustaining employment.
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF), the first non-profit Green Bank and Certified Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI), helps to rebuild and empower underserved communities by providing access to affordable and innovative financing for sustainable property improvements, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, wind-hazard mitigation, and water conservation.
Bringing together public, private, and non-profit resources, SELF intends to create replicable and scalable solutions which deepen the organization’s impact in reducing climate risks and building wealth through safer, healthier, and more resilient homes in Miami’s BIPOC communities.
Duanne Andrade, SELF CFO, said: “The SELF team is honored to be a Progress Makers Grantee, along with 49 other incredibly impactful organizations in the nation! These unrestricted grant funds will help SELF improve access to equitable capital for home and property owners in BIPOC communities, to help reduce climate risks and build healthier, safer and more resilient neighborhoods. We are incredibly grateful to everyone at the Citi Foundation for helping organizations like SELF deliver deep impacts at a time and place of urgency.”
“The Citi Foundation understands that to make a difference we must address racial equity, climate, wealth, safety and health, all at the same time. We’re thrilled that Citi has chosen us, and we look forward to continuing our work in South Florida with more impact than ever,” said Doug Coward, SELF Executive Director.
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About Solar Energy Loan Fund
The nonprofit SELF organization is a community-based lending organization committed to social, environmental, and financial justice. As a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), SELF’s mission is to rebuild and empower underserved communities by providing access to affordable and innovative financing for sustainable home improvements. SELF is the first “green” Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) in the Southeast.
About Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant communities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach deploys the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com.
Citi Foundation full announcement brochure:
https://www.citigroup.com/citi/foundation/data/cpm_brochure2022-2023.pdf?ieNocache=972
Media Contacts:
Ernest Calderon, Marketing Director, SELF, marketing@solarenergyloanfund.org
SELF website: www.solarenergyloanfund.org
HQ, Tel. # (772) 468-1818
>>> To schedule an interview with Citi Foundation, contact Stephanie Hyon, at stephanie.hyon@citi.com and 212-816-3397