Equity Trust fulfills its mission in a variety of ways: our loan fund, our farms-for-farmers program, support for community land trusts, education around community ownership, and more. Some years, circumstances create situations where our work is siloed or is focused more in one area than another—loans made over here, farm land access over there. Other years it all comes together, with projects connecting across programs and drawing on multiple resources to deliver exciting outcomes. 2023 was that kind of year.
Last year the Equity Trust Fund made almost $900,000 in loans, a new peak for us, including loans to the Kinfolk Land Collectivein Georgia to acquire land to grow food for their community and work to make farming more equitable, and to the Southeast Connecticut Community Land Trust, which we have also been supporting with technical assistance. We also facilitated a zero-interest community-financed loan to help free an immigrant-owned business from predatory lenders. Meanwhile, we have been active in our Western Massachusetts region, collaborating with and supporting a collection of established and emerging CLTs and other housing and land justice organizations, and acquiring a property interest that resulted in two new units of affordable housing.
Our 2023 financial reports are also now available for review.
Equity Trust’s work is possible thanks to your contributions.
You can donate on-line or by mail to:
Equity Trust,
PO Box 746
Amherst, MA 01004
Thank you for your interest and your generous support.