The Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) is a  non-profit organization in Durham and Orange Counties of North Carolina. CEF’s mission is to cultivate opportunities, assets, and communities that sustain transitions out of homelessness and poverty.

Founded in 2009, CEF provides person-centered support, financial education, and asset building tools to individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

Our approach combines person-centered support with financial services that pursue equity in order to reduce the racial wealth gap. CEF Members receive sustained one-on-one support from volunteer Advocates, trained in racial equity and trauma-informed care, to help achieve their chosen goals.  Working with Advocates, Members secure housing, gain employment, and build savings in order to increase assets and sustain transitions out of poverty.

CEF creates a community of support that empowers Members, offers experiential learning opportunities for Advocates to grow and learn, and advocacy and collaboration to address the systemic causes of homelessness and poverty. CEF’s work is grounded in recognition of the detrimental impacts of systemic racism on Black and Brown members of our communities. We leverage the combined resources of passion for sustaining transitions out of homelessness, dedicated volunteers, partners with shared values, and cross-spectrum collaborations to offer holistic support to each Member.