Race, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
REI Purpose Statement
Racial equity and the belief that one’s opportunity should not be limited by who they are or where they live is the foundation of Reinvestment Fund’s mission. The pursuit of equity must guide our work and be embedded in our company culture.
We best serve our mission and the communities in which we work when we uplift the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of staff, advisors, and community partners. As such, we are committed to building a workforce that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities we serve and cultivating a workplace culture in which all people feel welcomed and empowered to be their full selves. For these commitments to be realized, we must remain accountable, transparent, and collaborative in all that we do.
REI Commitments
Our commitment to Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI) is the keystone for our organization. In order to advance and hold ourselves accountable to our strategic priorities—which include centering our work on equity and investing in our internal growth and transformation—we know that our progress must be cultivated and reflected both externally in our products and internally through our employee experience.
To those ends, we commit to these practices:
- To actively listen to and learn from the experiences and perspectives of our employees and the communities in which we work.
- To implement policies and practices that promote racial equity and address systemic barriers to equity and inclusion.
- To provide training and resources to educate our employees on issues of race, equity, and inclusion and empower them to be advocates for change.
- To hold ourselves accountable for progress towards our race, equity, and inclusion goals through regular assessment, measurement, and transparency.
- To partner with community organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to advance racial justice and equity in our society.
And these internal goals:
- Ensuring equitable access to career opportunities and prioritizing targeted development for Black and Brown employees.
- Establishing protections for Black and Brown Women: Create space for reflection, bringing voice-to-power, intentional pathway planning, and prioritizing well-being within the workplace to foster and encourage psychological safety.
- Developing and adopting an organization-wide REI Governance Framework.
Here are some examples of how we’ve centered equity work in our products:
Centering our work on equity is the right thing to do – plain and simple. We seek and are committed to creating supportive solutions and strategies for addressing and dismantling systemic racism
We continue to diversify our partnerships to build and reinforce our reputation as a trusted, credible leader. Over the last three years, Reinvestment Fund has invested $280 million—45% of our portfolio—to organizations owned or led by people of color. We are committed to equitable products and have designed loan policy revisions to leverage innovative loan structures and practices to expand our ability to serve a wide range of borrowers.
Our Policy Solutions team identifies and quantifies racial disparities in mortgage credit, access to high quality early childhood education, home appraisals, property tax assessments, and other areas of economic and social wellbeing. The team then works with partners in the public, nonprofit, and legal services sector to develop and implement strategies to overcome and even break down systemic barriers facing people and communities of color. Policy’s achievements include contributions to major initiatives to reduce the impact of foreclosures and evictions on Black and Brown communities, advance fair housing rights, and eliminate barriers to homeownership.
Our Capacity Building and Capital Access team is dedicated to strengthening and empowering communities by focusing on Early Childhood Education, Equitable Food Systems, and Social Determinants of Health. We connect small business owners and mission-based organizations with grants and technical assistance, aiming to promote racial equity and improve access across these vital areas.
And examples within our employee experience:
We look at our employee experience holistically. As such, we offer wellness programming from self-care to financial wellness, performance development processes that are continuously evaluated and iterated to increase objectivity and equity, compensation practices with a rigorous eye toward pay equity, and an REI Council made up of staff from across the organization which supports accountability and communication across all levels and departments within Reinvestment Fund.
Join Us
We invite you to join us in our journey towards a more equitable and inclusive future. Whether you’re a member of our team, a community partner, or an external stakeholder, your voice and perspective are invaluable. We are stronger together, building a thriving workplace and ensuring we partner with vibrant communities to help shape new legacies.