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The Buy Local Louisville Foundation (BLLF) is a 501(c)3 sister organization to the Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA).

Money spent at local, independent businesses continues to circulate at a much higher rate than when spent with national companies. These businesses are also an essential part of the fabric of a neighborhood - giving residents a sense of place and pride. We also know that there are more barriers to achieving the American dream of entrepreneurship for under resourced populations.

The Buy Local Louisville Foundation encourages people to view themselves as citizens as well as consumers when they are making purchasing decisions. Every dollar spent is a vote for the type of community you want to live in. While chains and online mega-retailers are part of the economic ecosystem, we do not want them to become the only options. Hence, we promote positive campaigns through our partner (the Louisville Independent Business Alliance) to remind our community of the importance of a thriving local, independent business scene.

We also address equity across neighborhoods. Louisville has many vibrant, bustling neighborhoods that have a common factor: strong independent businesses. However, there are still many neighborhoods that struggle, and they are concentrated in West and South Louisville.

Citizens of these neighborhoods have long been underserved. Studies in both areas show that people must leave their neighborhoods to spend their money. It was estimated that the residents of West Louisville spend approximately $474.8 million on retail goods and services annually, but only $258 million of sales occur in the West End, leaving retail sales leakage at about 46 percent of all purchases made. That's a huge disparity, but also huge potential.

We want more businesses in these neighborhoods - and we want them to be owned by area residents. Particularly in West Louisville where many major projects are on the brink of realization, a strong independent business scene can mitigate the possibility of gentrification.

Your donation will be used to support our "buy local" campaigns and to fund dedicated outreach to connect current/potential entrepreneurs with resources to build their business, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. Projects that have been done on a small scale before and could be augmented include in-person canvassing to contact smaller, hard to reach business owners, resource fairs that bring providers together at locations convenient to neighborhood residents, bus tours for businesses looking for potential locations, directories of local businesses, community events to celebrate businesses, etc.

We believe that "buy in" is the strongest means of showing our commitment, and the Buy Local Louisville Board has a 100% financial commitment from its Board of Directors.

We are asking you to join us by offering your financial support. In any amount. Your contribution will have direct impact in promoting a stronger local economy that contributes to our sense of place and overall quality of life.

Thank you in advance for your contribution, and for everything you do to make our city a place to thrive.