Welcome!

This year we are celebrating Croatan Institute’s 10 year anniversary. We deeply appreciate your support and partnership over the years. Over the past decade, Croatan has been working to transform finance through research and action to build ecological resilience and social equity.

To date, we are proud of

  • authoring +40 applied research publications,
  • supporting +110 projects nationally and internationally,
  • unlocking over $5 million in capital and project finance,
  • convening +30 in-person and online dialogues,
  • and collaborating with +200 sponsors, partners, and land stewards.

Browse our existing initiatives and featured reports, plus exciting new developments and ways to engage with our work. We look forward to continuing the journey towards flourishing economies and communities together with you!

Explore our work

BIPOC Leaders Advancing an Inclusive and Sustainable Economy (BLAISE)

  • Diversify the sustainable and impact investing industries
  • Match BIPOC high school students with partners for paid, 8-week summer internships

North Carolina Soil Wealth Areas

  • Coordinating financial and nonfinancial technical assistance to agricultural producers and value chain businesses
  • Organizing regional stakeholders to build stronger collaboration and decision-making in place

Financial Health Investment Project

  • Financial health coaching for farmers, households, entreprenuers, and communities of color
  • Develop the FARMWISE program in collaboration with BIPOC farmers and land stewards in North Carolina

Explore our research

Finance for Resilience: An Overview of Risk Mitigation in Agricultural Systems for Farms, Lenders, and Governments

This report explores major on-farm, off-farm, and systemic risks that the agricultural industry faces and how finance can increase the resilience of those systems while providing other benefits.

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Soil Wealth

The Soil Wealth program provides resources, case studies, and on-the-ground technical assistance to demonstrate how a total portfolio, multi-asset class approach can be used to effectively unlock capital and finance ecologically resilient and equitable farms, forestry, food, and fiber systems.

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Total Portfolio Activation Tools for Racial Equity Investing

To grow opportunities in black and brown communities, significant long-term investments are necessary.

Read More

support our work

Interested in Becoming a supporter?

Consider our Canopy Community with 7 different avenues of support for long-term impact.

looking for other ways to engage?

We understand not everyone is in a place to financially contribute - but there are still ways to make an impact!