COMMUNITIES FIRST FUND
Investing for Impact Sponsor, Communities First was founded to seize on the opportunity of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, announced in a January 2021 executive order. Through this initiative, the federal government committed to “delivering 40 percent of the overall benefits of relevant federal investments to disadvantaged communities.” Therein, the federal government articulated a promise to intentionally direct substantial investments into communities in order to combat racial inequity and advance racially just development. To fulfill this promise, the Biden administration and its federal agencies and state and local partners must build strong relationships and partnerships grounded in the expertise and leadership that already exists in communities across the country. It also must coordinate all of the government and align the breadth of resources at its disposal, especially from the Infrastructure Investment (IIJA) and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in service of their equity goals.
Communities First plays a crucial role in actualizing the racial justice values of Justice40 and expanding its potential by creating bridges between communities and governmental planning processes that are often inaccessible to the very people they are meant to serve.
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