Pictured from left to right: Mayor Bruce Harrell, Alvertis Brooks Jr., Dow Constantine, Bob Luciano, Robert Williams

As we look back on this year, we’re filled with gratitude—for our community, our partners, and our growing team. Together, we continue to strengthen the ecosystem that supports small businesses and builds economic power across our city.

Welcome to Our New Team Members

We’re thrilled to welcome two incredible additions to our team:

Christine Buckley, Business Operations and Technical Assistance Program Manager (supported by JPMorgan Chase), and Tonieh Thompson, Office Coordinator. Their arrival brings our team to eight members, expanding our team by 2.5 FTEs over the last two months. This growth, ultimately, helping us better serve clients and respond quickly to community needs. We also celebrate Andrea Sherwood, our dedicated Portfolio Manager, who marked four years with the organization this quarter. Andrea’s steady leadership and commitment have been essential to our growth and success.

“Our people are our greatest investment. When we grow our team, we grow our impact.”

— Alvertis Brooks Jr.

Small Businesses, Big Impact

This year, our lending shifted to supporting businesses earning under $ 2 million in annual revenue—those at the heart of local economies but often overlooked by traditional lenders. The results speak for themselves:

Fiscal Year       Loans  Total Amount Disbursed

2024    17          $5,632,480

2025    49          $3,306,739

While total dollars decreased, the number of businesses served nearly tripled, underscoring our commitment to reach more entrepreneurs where the need is greatest.

Partnering with Community

We know sustainable impact happens through partnership. That’s why we continue to strengthen our ties with community organizations, including:

• Central Area Collaborative (CAC)
• King County Workforce Development Council
• Office of Economic Development (OED)
• Washington State Black Legacy Institute
• Tubman Center for Health and Freedom

RVCDF continues to work with other community leaders to support economic

development and expand our capacity. Two recent partnerships with the City of Seattle and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation have helped us leverage resources to help small businesses in Rainier Valley expand and thrive.

RVCDF is working with the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development Capital

Access Program (CAP) to improve cash flows and lower the debt of our borrowers. The CAP program purchases up to 20% of the loans RVCDF has deployed to eligible

businesses. This purchase lowers the principal owed on the loan, which lowers

payments made on the loan and frees up capital for borrowers to invest in their

businesses. CAP helps RVCDF support the sustainability of small business owners who have had difficulty accessing capital in the past and allows them to leverage their loan with us to improve their businesses. RVCDF has 8 CAP eligible loans thus far totaling $270,000 in debt potentially paid down.

RVCDF needs to strengthen our infrastructure to support the work made possible with programs like CAP, and to provide services in addition to lending that support small business. The JPMorgan Chase Foundation understands our mission and is supporting it with a grant of $375,000 to fund our Business Operations and Technical Assistance Coordinator. The position was created to consolidate RVCDF business and office operations, making our internal processes more efficient and customer responsive. It also supports one of our highest mission priorities – providing technical assistance to small businesses. Technical assistance includes guidance and education in accounting, marketing, planning and strategy, finance, and a host of other topics that business owners need to understand to be successful. The position has been filled by Christine Buckley, who has taken charge of office procedures and is developing plans for expansion of our technical assistance services.

RVCDF is grateful to the City of Seattle’s CAP program and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation for supporting our services and empowering small businesses! 

A New Space for Community Connection

Thank you for joining us at the Grand Opening of RVCDF’s new office on August 21, 2025! We are grateful to have shared this milestone with so many community members, partners, and supporters.

We’re proud to share the opening of our new community space — a hub for collaboration, learning, and innovation. Since opening our doors, we’ve hosted:

• A press conference with the Mayor’s Office, OED, and City Council celebrating small business support efforts
• A community meeting on activating vacant spaces
• Workshops and listening sessions designed to shape future economic development 

This new space embodies our desire to create places where people come together to build, learn, and lead. Thank you again for celebrating with us and for being part of our journey. We look forward to hosting more opportunities for you to join us in our new space!

Growing Our Knowledge, Growing Our Impact

Thanks to the support of JPMorgan Chase and the Office of Economic Development, our team is investing in professional growth through conferences, trainings, and collaborative learning events such as:

• Cascadia Cooperative Conference
• ABC Gathering for TA CAP Providers
• Community workshops and peer learning sessions

We’re preparing not just for the year ahead, but for the long-term work of building more resilient and sustainable communities.

Showing Up for Community

Showing Up for Community

You’ve seen us out and about—because we believe in showing up for and with the communities we serve! This year, our team joined local celebrations and events across the region, including:

• 98118 Fest
• AfricaTown Land Trust – Juneteenth Celebration
• Othello Park International Festival
• Knockout Kidney Disease Charity Boxing Event
• Brighton Community Gatherings

And as part of our commitment to serve other communities affected by Lightrail Development. We are excited to expand our presence in West Seattle through membership with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. More to come in the coming months. 

Looking Ahead

The year ahead promises continued momentum, new partnerships, and even greater community connection. We’re energized by what’s next and grateful for everyone walking alongside us in this work. Together, we’re building the ecosystems that make Seattle, Seattle.

With gratitude,

Alvertis Brooks Jr. and the Team