"I believe recycling our dollar within our community is essential for economic, social, and political progress. When I say community, I am speaking of all people of African descent whether we live in the same neighborhood, city, or state. We are all intertwined because we not only share a common history, but a common destiny. It was an obvious decision to become a donor with BCIF given its focus on unifying and uplifting our community through economic empowerment."

~ BCIF Member T.C.

"I became a BCIF member because I care about what's going on with Black people as a whole in this country. I know as long as we lag behind others economically, our efforts for change are going to be longer, harder, and slower. I decided to put my money where my mouth is and become involved in an effort that will produce real change for people in communities I care about. It's always time for those who are passionate about Black progress to do the same; put some 'skin in the game'! It's all about action and I choose to do that through the power of my dollar."

~ BCIF Member A.P.

"Empowering the Black community through economic development is not a Black issue. This is a matter of justice. As a white philanthropist, I can't imagine anything better than investing in justice through BCIF."

~ BCIF Donor K.G.

"Becoming a BCIF member was a 'no brainer' for me. Marcus Garvey said: 'A race that is solely dependent upon another for its economic existence sooner or later dies … so we will in the future suffer if an effort is not made now to adjust our own affairs.' We don't think twice about giving our money to institutions that have no interest in our well-being. We must return to our rich tradition of supporting one another. I was eager to join a movement that is intentional about economic empowerment for the Black community."

~ BCIF Member S.T.

"People might wonder why as a non-Black person I became a BCIF member. It's simple: I believe in the right of all Americans to experience the American Dream. Rather than give to organizations that keep people 'in their place,' I'd rather be part of an effort that helps people leverage dollars to pick themselves up by their bootstraps … or in some cases, give themselves the boots. When you have the financial capacity, you can live where you want, send your children to the schools you want, and enjoy all the social mobility that all of us aspire to have. If I'm not willing to involve myself in helping people succeed, then I'm part of the problem."

~ Anonymous BCIF Member #2

"If your community is important to you, then sustaining it should be as well. We must push through one of the most gentrified times in our history in this country but we can do it together. We must find different means of doing for ourselves. BCIF is a way to do that. For my community, it shows I put my money where my mouth is. The symbolic aspect is others get to see that we have unity and collectively can pool our money together for the betterment of our community as a whole."

~ BCIF Member R.W.

"I am a firm believer that a community's health - be it political, social, physical or mental - is closely linked to its economic health. Few communities more clearly demonstrate this than the African American Community. Our anemic economic health has ripple effects that can be seen in virtually every aspect of Black life. My desire to help shift that paradigm in my community was the impetus for my investment in BCIF. Collectively, we must begin to be more intentional and strategic with the use of our dollars and make decisions with them that grow and better our community. Participation in BCIF is one avenue to do that."

~ BCIF Member V.H.

"Cooperative economics is one of the truest forms of solidarity that allows us to pool individual resources for the service of common goals. Therefore, my commitment to BCIF reflects my commitment to the betterment and evolution of myself and my community. BCIF is essential to furthering our common goals because it provides an accessible platform, responsible oversight, and leverages the network effect. I am proud to be a member of network of change agents dedicated to reversing the trend of racial inequality."

~ BCIF Member A.W.

"Becoming a member of BCIF is a good investment and a way to fix the imbalance in how much investor dollars circulate in the African American community. We must stop complaining and just make a conscious effort to do our part. Even a dollar a month from one million people is one million dollars and twelve million a year of funds we can circulate through our community to create jobs. Those jobs aren't just minimum wage opportunities. Our investment can create management and executive level careers for African Americans as well."

~ BCIF Member A.M.W.

"I have always believed that everyone deserves an equal opportunity and wanted to help those in the community that didn't have that for whatever reason. BCIF is allowing people to improve their lives and take advantage of opportunities that they would normally never have. I truly believe everyone should payback the chance that was given to them. This is not charity, this is simply leveling the playing field. Unfortunately in America, opportunity does not come evenly to all, so if you want to help, do it where you will have the most impact, for good people who just need a small helping hand."

~ BCIF Member A.S.

"I became a member because BCIF was an innovative organization that infused capital into small businesses in key parts of the Los Angeles community. I wanted to be part of an organization that provides opportunities to individuals that are not able to get commercial loans and are stymied in their ability to grow and prosper. I want my money to go directly to entrepreneurs with a plan but no access to capital. I want to make a difference, and not ignore the institutional racism which hinders many in their ability to get ahead and prosper."

~ BCIF Member M.G.

"I became a member of BCIF because I recognized the critical need for this in the black community. Given the poor access to capital for those who want to start small businesses, BCIF is critical to fulfilling that need. I'm happy to support that work as a member. Others who understand the unique need of the black community to be empowered with access to business opportunities is why others should join. Becoming involved with BCIF says to others that our community is ready to control its own destiny and economic power."

~ BCIF Member S.D.

"I became a member of BCIF to support the economic growth and prosperity of the Black community. I believe my gift to BCIF has a profound impact on the income mobility of the Black community. For those who want to shape economic, social and political change for our community, partner with BCIF!"

~ BCIF Member A.G.

"When I learned about the vision and mission of BCIF, I immediately saw the need and purpose of contributing and investing in small businesses. I know too well the challenges of starting or taking a business to the next level and believe that the funds provided by BCIF can make an impact for some good, deserving, hard-working people. These funds are not a hand-out but instead a hand-up. If we don't help those right here in our community... who will?"

~ BCIF Member M.S.

"The African American small business community has been hampered historically by lack of access to traditional capital sources that tend to be accessible to other groups. Given this, it then becomes incumbent upon all of us to either be a part of the solution or acknowledge that we don't really care about the disparities. I became a BCIF member because it is an organization led by people that see injustice and instead of waiting for others to propose a remedy, it is insisting on jumping in and leading the charge for solutions. Those type of organizations are rare so supporting BCIF is very important to me."

~ BCIF Member T.S.