Community Lending Fellow

Fellowship Term: 7 months - November ‘26 - May ‘27

Stipend: $7,500

Location: New York City-based; must reside in NYC and be familiar with Central Brooklyn

Reports to: BEJP Fund Manager

Program Area: BEJP Community Loan Fund

The Brooklyn Economic Justice Project is building a community-centered economic infrastructure rooted in the values, leadership, and lived experiences of Central Brooklyn residents, small businesses, and grassroots organizations. Through its emerging community loan fund, BEJP seeks to expand access to non-extractive, relationship-based capital for small businesses, community-serving enterprises, cooperatives, and other neighborhood-rooted projects that advance economic justice, stability, and shared prosperity.

The BEJP Community Loan Fund is designed to support borrowers who are often excluded from traditional lending systems, while centering trust, community accountability, technical assistance, and democratic decision-making. The fund will prioritize businesses and projects that are rooted in Central Brooklyn, serve low- to moderate-income communities, and contribute to long-term community wealth building.

BEJP is seeking its first Community Lending Fellow to support the launch and early implementation of the BEJP Community Loan Fund. The Community Lending Fellow will serve in a lending associate-style role and work closely with the Fund Manager to support borrower outreach, intake, diligence, loan packaging, borrower support, and loan fund administration.

This fellowship is ideal for someone who is interested in community development finance, small business lending, cooperative economics, reparative capital, neighborhood-based economic development, and non-extractive lending models. The Fellow will gain hands-on experience in the full lifecycle of community lending, from outreach and relationship building to borrower intake, underwriting support, loan review preparation, and post-closing borrower support.

The Community Lending Fellow must reside in New York City and have familiarity with Central Brooklyn, including its neighborhoods, small business landscape, community organizations, and economic justice priorities.

The Community Lending Fellow will support BEJP’s efforts to identify and build relationships with potential borrowers, community partners, and neighborhood-based small businesses.

Responsibilities may include:

• Supporting outreach to Central Brooklyn small businesses, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, nonprofit partners, and community-serving projects.
• Helping maintain a pipeline of prospective borrowers and community partners.
• Participating in community events, borrower information sessions, workshops, and partner meetings as needed.
• Supporting culturally grounded, accessible communication about the BEJP Community Loan Fund and its lending approach.
• Helping explain loan products, eligibility criteria, application steps, and borrower expectations to prospective applicants.
• Gathering feedback from community members and borrowers to help improve the fund’s outreach and lending processes.

The Fellow will help prospective borrowers understand and move through the early stages of the loan application process.

Responsibilities may include:

• Supporting borrower intake calls and initial eligibility screenings.
• Helping applicants understand required documents, application questions, and next steps.
• Assisting borrowers with gathering basic financial and organizational information.
• Reviewing applications for completeness before they move into diligence.
• Maintaining accurate notes and records of borrower…