Fueling the Journey
This journey toward equity is different – there is no final destination. We will never simply “arrive” at equity, park in the garage, and declare our trip over. Instead, we will measure success by the number of roadblocks eliminated, storms weathered, and paths cleared for those who come after us. To do that work, we’ll need partners to help fill our tank.
We’re bringing to bear the collective expertise of every member of the team in the next phase of our organization’s work. Whether our work starts with innovative financing, experience-backed consulting, or capacity building, we’re prepared to bring the full spectrum of Locus (formerly Virginia Community Capital Social Enterprises) products and services to every project and partnership. Powered by community visions and the work of partners already on the ground, we will approach every opportunity with a catalytic mindset and an openness to new solutions.
How can we partner with you?
Our Areas of Focus
Affordable Housing
Clean Energy
Small Business
Healthy Food Access
Our Products and Services
Our flexible financial products help build sustainable communities. We work with small business owners who want to finance business acquisition, equipment, owner-occupied real estate, and more. Offerings include conventional loans and lines of credit, SBA and USDA products and lending for municipalities and nonprofits.
We provide financing for commercial real estate and affordable and workforce housing, including multi-family developments, commercial properties, medical centers, healthy food grocers, and much more. We have a proven track record of providing innovative financing options for harder-to-structure projects where other lenders and financing institutions might not be willing to lend.
Locus’ subsidiary, Locus Bank, is an FDIC-insured, certified B Corp and CDFI bank. Locus Bank offers banking products tailored to community banks and socially conscious investors, including Money Market Accounts and CDs.
We help expand healthy food options while building relevant experience and institutional knowledge in fresh food financing. Borrowers include food hub operators, retail and wholesale distributors, value-added processors and producers, and food business incubators.
Guarantees are a powerful credit-enhancement tool that can provide investors with the ability to leverage more capital to address social and environmental challenges. The Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP) has partnered with a group of philanthropic organizations to offer guarantees that support small businesses, affordable housing, and climate solutions.
The Capital Region Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can help entrepreneurs in the Richmond region start or grow a business with expert advice and free resources, including trainings and networking events.
A proverb states, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Locus is an on-the-ground partner in communities looking to expand their ecosystems. We have a network of community development partners that stretches across the Commonwealth and beyond. If we can’t do it, we know who can.
Share Your Ideas
We want your help.
We need your help as we travel the road toward equity. We want to learn more about the vision you have for your community. So we have a question: What does an equitable community look like to you?
2022 Learning Exchange
More Than a Moment
We relaunched our Learning Exchange series in 2022!
If you couldn’t join in person, you can watch videos from our events, including our capstone event in December. During this series, More Than a Moment, we explored how various stakeholders — financial institutions, philanthropies, impact investors, and others — have reimagined their work in response to the community development movement.
Let’s do more, together.
There are many ways to partner with VCC Social Enterprises on the road toward equity. Are you our next visionary collaborator?