About the Program

Own It: Building Black Wealth is a private sector network of Madison area professionals in the real estate, banking, and financial industries. Our mission is to increase generational wealth in Black communities through homeownership.

We are committed to exposing and eradicating structural barriers and systemic racism embedded within financial systems, practices, and policies. By empowering, educating, and guiding communities of color toward financial freedom and homeownership, we can make the Madison area a better place for all.

Education Program

With a solid educational program, we are able to offer a personal finance course and homeownership course that is rooted in social justice and includes: understanding credit, a cohort to build credit, real estate and home ownership education, plus post closing support and a network to provide continued education around refinancing, home maintenance, building equity, and more, in an attempt to disrupt oppressive systems designed to perpetuate racism and the large wealth gap that exists. Relevant, engaging classes taught by local experts. To launch this program, we are starting with a pilot partnership with One City Schools with the goal of expanding and seeking other partnerships in the future.

Down Payment Fund

Access to money is one of the biggest barriers to homeownership. Down payment assistance programs frequently create unnecessary barriers and we aim to change that by working with the banks, realtors, and other systems in place to eliminate unnecessary restrictions. In this pilot phase, we will be offering $18,000 grants based on an application process for families and staff at One City Schools who go through the educational program. What would it look like if the community became the family wealth that Black families have been denied? Donate to the fund!

Community Partnerships

This initiative is developed, and made better, by strong relationships and partnerships within the community based on abundance, creativity, and insight from experienced professionals who are honest about the real issues, understand the implications of race based policies and restrictions and are motivated to see change happen.