Our Grassroots Finance work coincides and contributes to the growing divestment movement, which is facilitating a shift from investments in fossil fuels and other extractive companies to more environmentally and economically sustainable enterprises.

What We're Working On

We are cultivating relationships with individuals and organizations in the divestment movement, which will help us determine and analyze any legal barriers that divestment campaigns may be facing and determine the best strategies for channeling divested funds into farmland and other community-based enterprises. 

What we have learned so far: Foundations and large-scale institutions are unlikely to make direct investments in small farms, because managing many small investments may not be their core competency. This has led us to focus on creating and supporting intermediary organizations, such as Permanent Real Estate Cooperatives and funds like California FarmLink, which can receive foundation investment capital and invest it in multiple land acquisitions and enterprises.

Read more here and stay tuned for more details!