Compliance

Community Vision Capital & Consulting (“Community Vision”) is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a mission to promote economic justice and alleviate poverty by increasing the financial resilience and sustainability of community-based nonprofits and enterprises. Through flexible financial products and sound advice, Community Vision creates opportunities to make socially responsible investments that revitalize California communities. Community Vision has carried out this mission since its founding as the Northern California Community Loan Fund in 1987.

The purpose of this Language Access Policy (LAP) is to identify and communicate Community Vision’s values and responsibilities for providing Limited English Proficient (“LEP”) individuals with meaningful access to our products and services and to establish effective guidelines, consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13166, for our staff to follow when working with or providing services to LEP individuals.

Assessment

Across California, Community Vision’s borrowers are primarily institutional entities, including nonprofit organizations and affordable housing developers. Our operational assessment incorporates two key findings:

• Service Demand: Because our communications occur directly with organizational staff and leadership teams rather than individual consumers or members of the public, interaction with LEP individuals is infrequent, resulting in a low operational demand for translation services.

• LEP Demographics: Recent U.S. Census Bureau data confirms that Spanish is the primary language spoken among California’s LEP population.

Assistance Provided

While our day-to-day demand for translation services is low, Community Vision is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to our financing and services for LEP individuals. Reflecting our core values of equity and respect, we provide the following Language Assistance Services free of charge

• Additional Languages: Pending vendor availability, we provide written translation and oral interpretation into languages beyond Spanish upon request.

• Dedicated Spanish Phone Line: A designated phone extension and voice mailbox allow Spanish-speaking callers to leave a message and receive a call-back in Spanish. This service is integrated directly into our main automated phone directory.

• Website Information & Disclosures: Information regarding available language assistance and instructions on how to request language support are published directly on our website.

• Document Translation: Upon request, we provide attainable written translations of our core materials (such as applications, instructional forms, and informational resources) into Spanish.

• Verbal Interpretation Services: Upon request, we utilize third-party vendor services to provide attainable oral interpretation for Spanish-speaking individuals.

• Additional Languages: Pending vendor availability, we provide written translation and oral interpretation into languages beyond Spanish upon request.

Training and Monitoring

Community Vision will provide guidance and training to frontline staff and managers regarding engagement with LEP individuals on an annual basis. All staff will receive copies of the LAP, and the LAP and information regarding how to access translation services will be posted to the Community Vision staff Intranet. Community Vision has a designated Language Access Coordinator, who will maintain and update the LAP as needed, and provide access to training and resources to staff to support Community Vision’s commitments. Additionally, Community Vision will track all requests for translation services to understand the needs of our clients.