About the Alliance for Community Development - Double Bottom Line Investing for Regional Economic Development

The Alliance for Community Development is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1999 by leaders in small business and economic development in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area to develop a venture capital fund that would invest equity in businesses in underserved communities and industries.

Early in this process, the Alliance and the Bay Area Council agreed to work together to develop the new venture capital fund as a part of the Community Capital Investment Initiative, a regional strategy using private investments in combination with support services and business resources provided by broad regional network of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private corporations to reduce poverty and encourage smart growth.

After years of planning and meetings with investment managers and investors, the Bay Area Equity Fund: A Double Bottom Line Fund ("Fund") was established in 2003. Currently capitalized at $75 million, the Fund invests in businesses located in or near neighborhoods in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area (the 9-county Bay Area plus Santa Cruz County) whose median household incomes are 80% or less than their county's median household income. (See neighborhoods for a description and map of these neighborhoods).

As a co-sponsor of the Fund, the Alliance has played a key role in developing the concept and structure of the Fund and, together with the Bay Area Council and JPMorgan H&Q, in raising funds from investors.

In partnership with these organizations, the Alliance works actively to:

Identify, review, refer, and develop potential investment recipient companies;
Provide management and technical assistance to smaller companies located in or near low income neighborhoods with the potential to grow rapidly and create jobs for local residents;
Develop an active regional network of private corporations, and government and non-profit organizations that are interested in collaborating on double bottom line strategies;
Host conferences and events for companies with the potential to achieve double bottom line results to assist them in accessing capital and growing their businesses;
Advocate for the use and development of double bottom line strategies to create new jobs and economic opportunities for low income neighborhood residents.

For information on current programs of the Alliance, see our news page.

For a list of Alliance Board, officers and staff members, see board of directors.

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