Dearfield Fund For Black Wealth

When you’re growing your business, having a home changes everything. We see this every day at the Dearfield Fund. Take, for example, Nahjee Maybin, CEO of Kenyatta Computer Services. With a solid financial foundation in his home, Nahjee sees nothing but possibilities for his business. He is able to lean in more to his work and take even more risks as he develops new revenue streams. He and his wife Oneida Maybin are also diversifying their personal investments and building a legacy of wealth for their children. Black-owned business contribute more than $200 billion to the economy every year, according to the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee. And, as Brittany N. Cole wrote earlier this year “despite being underrepresented and facing disparities in access to capital, market opportunities, and institutional support, Black-owned businesses are thriving, marking a significant upswing in both number and economic impact.” Investments in the Black community - whether investing in a home, a business or both - ripple through the community and are passed down for generations. #BlackWealthCannotWait #BlackBusinessMonth Listen to what the Maybins have to say about building wealth and business opportunities in our impact report 🔗 🔗 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g7FcAbKz

What is philanthropy's role in closing the #racialwealthgap and creating pathways to Black homeownership? Dearfield's Managing Director Aisha T. Weeks, MPA, Cindy Willard from Impact Charitable and Benjamin Perry from The Denver Foundation will answer that question in an conversation hosted by Philanthropy Colorado. Join us this Wednesday, July 31st, and bring your questions, ideas and insights.

Growing up as a military kid, Charlyn Moss wanted to set down roots in the Denver area. She wanted to create a safe space to connect with her inner self, her team at Working Within and her faith community. She has created a home and a life that is rich in fellowship, and we're humbled to be a part of that journey. Listen to Charlyn, in their own words, explain how homeownership has enriched her life in our annual letter and report here: https://lnkd.in/g7FcAbKz

When we met Myria, she told me about how she moved from her parents’ table directly to her husband’s table and now, after divorcing at 60 and surviving cancer, she was finally at her own table. Today, Myria describes her home — a two-bedroom condo she purchased in July 2023 — in one word: Mine. From the kitchen cabinets to the photos of grandchildren on the wall, for the first time in her life, Myria has the autonomy to make her own choices and build her own life on her terms. Listen to Myria's enriching story of homeownership in our Annual Letter and Impact Report at the 🔗🔗🔗 https://lnkd.in/dcb3jZKS

To understand impact, you can't just look at numbers. You have to listen to the people you serve. We are lucky to hear from Dearfield homeowners, whose individual stories enrich our work and inspire us. And now, in our Annual Letter and Impact Report, you can listen to four of these homeowners and hear for yourself how homeownership has enriched their lives. Their stories are rich in independence, opportunity, fellowship and peace. Thank you Charlyn Moss, Nahjee Maybin, Oneida Maybin, Ajenai Clemmons, Ph.D., Peter Adeyeye and Myria Giles for trusting us with your stories. Thanks to our incredible investors at JPMorganChase, RWJF, World Education Services, A TO Z IMPACT FOUNDATION, Align Impact, Kaiser Permanente, Kachuwa Impact Fund, Anna J. Morris Revocable Trust, Delta Fund, The Denver Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, Impact Charitable, Inspira Financial Trust, LLC and our founders at Gary Community Ventures. Hear from homeowners here >>> https://lnkd.in/dcb3jZKS

Black wealth is a beautiful thing. A new report from the University of Michigan - Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy showed that Black homeowners in the City of Detroit have amassed nearly $3 billion in wealth. We believe that increasing Black homeownership is a key strategy in closing the #racialwealthgap, and we're inspired by this progress in Detroit. #blackwealthcannotwait #racialwealthgap #homeownership

We are thrilled to finally share the news ... JPMorgan Chase & Co. is joining us in our work to close the #racialwealthgap through homeownership. We're humbled to be one of nine organizations to receive a $3 million grant to support families throughout their homeownership journey. Read the press release >>> https://bit.ly/jpmcdear

Own Your Home. Own Your Future. That was the vision of Olivier "O.T" Jackson, the businessman who founded Dearfield, Colo - a historic Black settlement and the namesake of the Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth. The land would be dear, Mr. Jackson believed, because ownership was the key to building wealth and finding freedom. Today, April 6th, is Mr. Jackson's birthday and a reminder to us to continue his legacy and the legacy of Dearfield's residents by proudly, and without apology, centering race in our work. Their vision for #blackwealth lives on today in Denver's Black community. Since launching, we have helped nearly 200 first-time Black homeowners unlock the door to their first home and their wealth-building journey with support from A TO Z IMPACT FOUNDATION, Anna J. Morris Revocable Trust, The Denver Foundation, Gates Family Foundation, Gary Community Ventures, Impact Charitable, Kachuwa Impact Fund and Kaiser Permanente, Millennium Trust Co., LLC, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and World Education Services.

"There is agency and freedom in home ownership, the power to determine your future and the legacy you leave behind. This legacy, this resistance, this wealth – it is worth celebrating." Dearfield's Client Success Manager Tiffany Roan, MPA shares her perspective with Gary Community Ventures and reflects on the work ahead to achieve equity.

Dearfield Managing Director Aisha T. Weeks, MPA is featured in the #womenshistorymonth issue of the National Organization of African Americans in Housing newsletter. The piece highlight's Aisha's call to catalyze economic development that dismantles long-standing barriers to racial equity and financial inclusion. Read more at the 🔗🔗🔗 https://bit.ly/dearwhm