The Lake County Community Foundation’s Economic Justice Pillar is supporting initiatives that build generational and community wealth. LCCF wants to ensure that our investments are building for the future with community especially with those who experience poverty and have intentionally been excluded from wealth building through laws, policies and practices.

We are shifting our power and financial resources to support those building power, income and wealth for people. We are partnering with initiatives building pathways to greater economic security, inclusion and mobility for all people by promoting business ownership, wealth and asset-building. Through our own Small Business Growth Initiative, we seek to build wealth through the infusion of financial, social and educational capital in historically disinvested communities.

Our goal is to intentionally support local initiatives that increase household income, increase generational and community wealth, increase affordable housing, and decrease debt and homelessness.

Project Examples (not limited to):

• Homeownership: Programs that promote fair housing, fair lending and innovation to increase homeownership especially in historically disinvested communities.

• Initiatives to increase stable housing: Strategies that help people who experience homelessness and/or displacement, shelter programs with long- term solutions, increased housing options, etc.

• Entrepreneurial/small business assistance: Initiatives that promote and support entrepreneurship, fuels local small business growth and improves the economic health of communities.

• Improve working conditions: Movements that improve worker health and safety, job quality and ensure workers and their communities can build power.

• Income equality: pathways for job training and workforce development, guaranteed income, certification and education programs.

• Disrupting mass incarceration: disrupting the school to prison pipeline, safety and violence prevention, culturally competent mental health services, recidivism resources, public policy, etc.

• Public policy and advocacy: education to understand the systemic barriers that people who experience poverty face and developing appropriate solutions for just and fair systems.