Restorative
Economics

Focus Areas:

Equitable access to capital
Business Entrepreneurship
Supporting Baby Bonds and investing in our families

PCA works with families and small businesses to continuously gain a better understanding of economic challenges and opportunities to help support success. These initiatives have worked to build a supportive environment that helps small businesses and families thrive and draw upon existing strengths.

Co-op Capital Loan Program

Co-op Capital

The Co-op Capital program flips the traditional lending model and bases lending on trusted relationships between partner organizations – such as nonprofits, community organizations, and educational institutions – and individuals in the communities they serve.

While character-based, community circle micro-lending is not new, especially internationally, the practice of offering loans through member organizations versus a traditional banking institution is a largely untried model in the United States.

This program has been called “the alternative to the alternatives” as it does not require credit, collateral, or status; and shifts the decision-making authority to community organizations, nonprofits, and institutions based on character and goals.

Through this collaborative partnership, PCA has facilitated over $200K in community lending, expanding our capacity to engage community in power analysis, and promote community led solutions related to economic equity, stability and growth.

The Co-op Capital program flips the traditional lending model and bases lending on trusted relationships between partner organizations – such as nonprofits, community organizations, and educational institutions – and individuals in the communities they serve.

While character-based, community circle micro-lending is not new, especially internationally, the practice of offering loans through member organizations versus a traditional banking institution is a largely untried model in the United States.

This program has been called “the alternative to the alternatives” as it does not require credit, collateral, or status; and shifts the decision-making authority to community organizations, nonprofits, and institutions based on character and goals.

Through this collaborative partnership, PCA has facilitated over $200K in community lending, expanding our capacity to engage community in power analysis, and promote community led solutions related to economic equity, stability and growth.

It feels good that someone believes in you and trusts you enough to give you a low interest loan. This opportunity helped my family get out of a loan with very high interest rates, we managed to stabilize with lower payments, and it took a great burden off our shoulders.

Being part of the member circle gives me the opportunity to learn more about opportunities to improve our finances.

It feels good that someone believes in you and trusts you enough to give you a low interest loan. This opportunity helped my family get out of a loan with very high interest rates, we managed to stabilize with lower payments, and it took a great burden off our shoulders.

Being part of the member circle gives me the opportunity to learn more about opportunities to improve our finances.

-Berenice Campos, PCA Leader and Facilitator

Supporting Baby Bonds

Baby Bonds is a policy in which a significant amount of money is set aside for children in an account or trust, usually shortly after birth, and invested for the child’s future. The investment supports children when they begin their adult lives by providing the economic resources they need to build long-term economic security and generational wealth.

Following the lead of our partner organization, Prosperity Now, PCA supports the awareness and implementation of Baby Bonds at a federal, state, and local level to build greater economic equity for families.

Baby Bonds is a policy in which a significant amount of money is set aside for children in an account or trust, usually shortly after birth, and invested for the child’s future. The investment supports children when they begin their adult lives by providing the economic resources they need to build long-term economic security and generational wealth.

Following the lead of our partner organization, Prosperity Now, PCA supports the awareness and implementation of Baby Bonds at a federal, state, and local level to build greater economic equity for families.

Vote Yes for Kids

Working alongside a number of community partners and organizations we rallied in support of Vote Yes for Kids, which was a campaign with the goal of expanding the Permanent School Fund for early childhood education by $250M annually. Along with leaders from New Mexico Voices for Children, NM CAFé, Semilla Strategies, CHI St. Joseph’s Children, Olé New Mexico, the New Mexico Asian Family Center, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, the Center for Civic Policy, the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, and MANY others, we shared the importance of voting YES for our children throughout our communities.

As a result of the concerted community organizing, the measure was passed in the fall of 2022. This investment in families aligns with PCA’s work of supporting family and community engagement and economic equity.

Working alongside a number of community partners and organizations we rallied in support of Vote Yes for Kids, which was a campaign with the goal of expanding the Permanent School Fund for early childhood education by $250M annually. Along with leaders from New Mexico Voices for Children, NM CAFé, Semilla Strategies, CHI St. Joseph’s Children, Olé New Mexico, the New Mexico Asian Family Center, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, the Center for Civic Policy, the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, and MANY others, we shared the importance of voting YES for our children throughout our communities.

As a result of the concerted community organizing, the measure was passed in the fall of 2022. This investment in families aligns with PCA’s work of supporting family and community engagement and economic equity.