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Consider a VISTA fellowship with the Community Growth Fund (CGF) and position yourself at the forefront of change. Witness the impact of real estate and transportation loans that strive to meet the needs of under-resourced communities. CGF is a visionary community development financial institution (CDFI) empowering communities through flexible capital to create thriving, equitable neighborhoods in Southwestern PA. The CGF VISTA Fellow will be part of the PCRG VISTA cohort, alongside 9 other dedicated change makers supporting community organizations’ economic justice and racial equity work.

To this end, the VISTA’s core responsibilities during their service year with Community Growth Fund will include creating a comprehensive process to communicate our array of lending products to potential low- and moderate-income borrowers, assisting with purchase/rehab/project development for affordable housing, and Ways to Work loan programs marketing. The VISTA will research and analyze processes, procedures, and documents to improve the effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of our programs. They’ll also create and implement processes to build capacity and capital to meet the financial needs of underserved communities. Additionally, the VISTA will refine office management protocols to increase the use of loans, technical assistance and other products that we deploy to reduce poverty through strategic investments in organizations and individuals. Finally, they will generate materials for product training classes to increase the number of borrowers. The VISTA will learn about CDFI operation, grant writing, and assessing community capital needs. 

The PCRG VISTA program has been successful in advancing the careers of its VISTA members, who are given opportunities for professional development (i.e., classes, conferences, etc.) while gaining experience in nonprofit operations. About 70% of VISTAs that complete their year with one of PCRG’s host sites go on to staff positions at community non-profits, while the other 30% have pursued higher education, often supported by the end-of-service education award. A VISTA year also provides benefits such as student loan deferment, healthcare, childcare assistance, relocation assistance, and more. Learn more about VISTA benefits on the AmeriCorps website.