What is the MCF?

The Mycelium Clearinghouse Fund is an innovative revolving loan fund designed to provide affordable, flexible financing for environmentally and socially impactful projects. Through partnerships with philanthropic organizations, ESG initiatives, and financial institutions, the MCF helps bridge the funding gap, ensuring that projects can launch and succeed without financial disruptions.

Why the MCF?

The Mycelium Clearinghouse Fund was developed to address a critical gap in financing for ecologically beneficial projects, particularly those centered on agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and the circular bioeconomy. Many small- to mid-range projects in these sectors face financial barriers due to the limitations of traditional funding mechanisms, especially reimbursement-based grants and loans that often have prohibitive fees and interest rates. The Mycelium Fund offers a sustainable alternative, providing low-cost, accessible capital to initiatives that drive ecological sustainability, resilience, and social equity.

Mycelium as metaphor

Much like the underground networks of mycelium that quietly sustain entire ecosystems by connecting plants and facilitating nutrient exchange, the Mycelium Clearinghouse Fund acts as a financial network, linking mission-driven projects with the resources they need to regenerate communities and landscapes. It aims to build a resilient and interconnected ecosystem of regenerative practices, enabling projects to flourish and thrive.

  • How does the MCF work?

    The MCF operates by providing no-interest or low-interest loans, focusing on three primary areas:

    1. Grant Gap Financing: For organizations that rely on grants with delayed reimbursements, the MCF provides upfront capital, allowing them to continue their work without delays.

    2. Agricultural Program Funding: Targeting small and medium-sized farms, the MCF supports projects promoting sustainable farming, soil health, and regenerative practices through USDA and state programs like NRCS and CDFA Healthy Soils.

    3. Working Capital Loans: Offering working capital to producers in the regenerative agriculture space, particularly those within underserved communities, ensuring they have the resources to operate and expand their practices. Loans are repaid as projects receive reimbursements, allowing the fund to continuously reinvest in new initiatives, multiplying its impact over time.

  • Who does the MCF support?

    The MCF fund primarily supports non-profits, small- to mid-scale producers and organizations in underserved and marginalized communities. These groups often face barriers in accessing conventional financial services, and the MCF is designed to provide them with the patient, affordable capital they need to grow and thrive.

  • What is our impact?

    Through its support of regenerative agriculture and the bioeconomy, the MCF fosters:

    • Ecological Resilience: By promoting practices that enhance soil health, restore ecosystems, and contribute to carbon sequestration.

    • Community Empowerment: Supporting local, community-led initiatives that create green jobs, improve food security, and foster environmental stewardship.

    • Sustainable Economic Growth: Encouraging the growth of a bioresource economy that keeps natural and financial resources in place through composting, responsible biomass management, and other nature-based solutions.

    The MCF is not just a fund; it is a movement toward a sustainable, equitable future for agriculture and rural communities.