About Us
Our Mission
Creating and protecting ownership and economic opportunity for people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth families and communities.The nonprofit Center for Community Self-Help and its financing affiliates Self-Help Credit Union, Self-Help Federal Credit Union, and Self-Help Ventures Fund provide financing, technical support, consumer financial services, and advocacy for those left out of the economic mainstream. Since its founding in 1980, Self-Help has reached out to female, rural and minority communities across North Carolina, in Washington, D.C., California, and many other states.
- We help borrowers nationwide to build wealth through ownership of a home or business.
- We strengthen underserved communities by financing nonprofits, childcare centers, community health facilities, public charter schools and residential and commercial real estate projects, and manage retail credit union branches providing responsible and fairly priced accounts and services.
- We operate a secondary market program that enables private lenders to make more loans in low-wealth communities.
Over time we have learned, and demonstrated, that low-income borrowers pose no greater credit risk than others. Our borrowers have proven their determination to repay their loans, build their businesses, improve their communities, and build wealth through home equity.
