About Equity Trust

When good food and housing is unaffordable to families, there's a problem. When small farmers can't afford land to grow food on, there's a problem. Equity Trust works with groups across the country struggling to find equitable solutions to economic problems such as these. We provide loans and ideas, and we help people gain community ownership over resources like land, food, and housing that are vital to the health of the community.

• Mission and Core Values
• Remembering Chuck Matthei, Founder
• Staff and Current Volunteers
• Board of Directors
• Funders
• Support Equity Trust
• How to Volunteer
  

We believe that poverty is not simply a lack of income but, the result of market forces and patterns of absentee ownership that drain assets and earnings out of low-income communities. In fact, although we are often unaware of it, low-income communities generate significant earnings, and are rich in ideas, practical skills, and other non-monetary resources. Gaining community ownership over resources that are vital to the people who live there (like land, food, and housing) is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty. While absentee ownership drains assets and earnings out of an area, community ownership retains those assets and earnings. When a community's human resources and capital can be retained, built upon, and recycled locally, suddenly the strength of the community's capacity becomes clear, and sustainable change becomes possible.

Equity Trust helps communities employ innovative ownership models that address both public and private interests. We work with people to make economic changes that balance the needs of individuals with the needs of the community, the earth, and future generations.

In light of the global issues we face today, a widespread conversation about how we use land and resources has never been more critical. Equity Trust is seeing an upsurge of new enthusiasm to create community access to land, food and housing, and we're excited to be hearing from more and more people who want to explore alternative models of ownership.

Many thanks to Jeff Drury and to Peggy Scherer for their work on this website; to Julian McNamara and Kate Farrell for most of the photos, to Amanda Walker for the pictures she shared, and all who have contributed to our work.