A susu fund for Black- and womxn-owned businesses

Whether you’re running a tiny business full-time or part-time alongside your day job, this economy leaves so many business owners in financial uncertainty. Outside of grants, there are very few financial supports that come without some kind of repayment plan or caveat. 

Earlier this year, I met an innovative entrepreneur who created a community-centered solution. The business world has a lot to learn from Jalyn Gordon, a business strategist and consultant based in the Dallas Fort Worth area. In 2021, Jalyn started a susu fund for Black- and womxn-owned small businesses and nonprofits. A susu fund is a collective savings method that originated in West Africa.

Jalyn is the founder of Communiversity Village, an online and IRL network for “activistpreneurs,” entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders who are building organizations guided by their activism. The Village, which Jalyn calls “a radical chamber of commerce,” is comprised mostly of Black women and gender-expansive folks based in Texas. “It’s a place where folks can get activist-based professional development and have soul-stirring fellowship with like-minded individuals,” Jalyn tells Queer & Trans Wealth. Members include parents, queer folks, abolitionists, reproductive justice practitioners, and spiritual leaders practicing hoodoo. Every Village member is invited to contribute and request funds from the susu at any time, with some important parameters.

How the Communiversity Village’s susu works

As the steward of the susu, Jalyn receives contributions from Village members, or non-members who simply want to contribute to the fund. She keeps track of the contributions, and shares the monthly balance with susu members. “Our average donation is $10,” says Jalyn. The largest donation came from a member who got an influx of money, and decided to put $400 in the susu. Jalyn also requests donations at the end of the events that she hosts for Village members.

To receive funds, a Village member must make a formal request with Jalyn’s help. Here are the steps they need to follow to access the money:

1. Complete a checklist before making a request to the group. The checklist ensures that the person making the request is an engaged member of the community. They have to answer these four questions:
   • Is your profile updated on our online platform?
   • Have you attended 3 events?
   • Have you contributed to the susu before? Jalyn adds, “Again, [your contribution] could be a dollar. It’s completely community-driven.”
   • Have you attended at least one other susu voting session for someone else’s request?
   • There may be additional questions depending on the request.
2. Members submit the checklist to Jalyn via email before making a request to the whole group. If a member hasn’t completed the checklist, Jalyn asks them to do so before making a request to the whole group. 
3. With Jalyn’s approval, the Village member can make a formal request in front of the whole group.
4. Village members are invited to vote on whether or not to approve the request.
5. Once approved by the group, Jalyn disburses the funds to the requester.

Since the susu’s inception in 2021, Jalyn says none of the Village members’ requests have ever been denied. Jalyn says, “Part of the reason is… you have to be an active community member to request, so everybody knows you. I know what you do. We all do the same thing, and we all know when something’s off.”

Jalyn adds, “It took a full year before someone was brave enough to request funds from the susu. People are just afraid to ask for money, so I’m doing coaching work on the backend to support people to just make a simple ask for funds that are theirs.” Today, Jalyn gets about one request per month to access the susu funds.

Micro-withdrawals from the susu make a significant impact

Most entrepreneurs think they need big rounds of seed funding — anywhere from $10,000, to $50,000, to $200,000, depending on the type of business. For people who start businesses that need a physical space, a commercial vehicle, or staff (think: restaurants, coffee shops, pet grooming vans), that might be true.

Communiversity Village members usually provide goods, services, and resources on a smaller scale. Jalyn says, “Sometimes, you just need $200, right? For something that you need that doesn’t cost five figures, and it’ll propel you forward. Our susu has been great for that.”

Here are some examples of how Village members used their susu withdrawal:

• The first person to request a withdrawal from the susu used the money for a formal photoshoot for their nonprofit. Jalyn says, “I got their annual report last year. They are still using those photos! It’s a good investment for grants and foundations to see the work in action, so it worked for them.”
• A business owner who runs matcha pop-ups requested money to buy a new bar cart. The bar cart now enables this matcha queen to travel, host more pop-ups, and, in effect, make more money.
• Village members also request money for spiritual coaching sessions.

A $300 withdrawal from the susu helped a birth worker strategize her business

Desiree’ Yumi has been a Village member since 2022. “I love the Village down. I love Jalyn down,” she tells Queer & Trans Wealth. “It really has given me so many tools to be able to step into entrepreneurship in a really empowered way. I love the space. I love the programming.” 

Desiree’ owns Divinely Aligned Holistic Health and Healing, a care work ecosystem helping Black mothers be well, grounded in reproductive justice and Black creative thought and spirituality. Besides offering full-spectrum doula services, Desiree’s business also offers social support, such as a homeschool co-op, a book club, and cleaning services for new parents.

With consent from fellow Village members, Desiree’ withdrew $300 from the susu to pay for spiritual guidance. “Doula work and birth work is such heart-centered work. Whenever I don’t feel well-positioned within my own life, my whole self, it’s hard to then hold space for other people,” says Desiree’. “The person that I went to was able to offer a lot of guidance and affirmation and clarity. It helped me move towards the future, towards my goals for the business, in a more focused and empowered way.” 

Since the susu’s inception in 2021, Jalyn has paid out $2,372 to Village members

There have only been 7 requests in the last five years, and the highest susu request was $600. 

To anyone who wants to steward a susu using the Village as a model, Jalyn says, “Be affirmed and okay that this is a labor of love. There is no profit here. You’re not doing it for that. And if you are not called to do it, then don’t do it.” In conversations with Jalyn and Desiree’, it’s clear that spiritual alignment is a big part of why this susu fund is so successful.

Finally, Jalyn adds, “This particular susu is set up and designed for working-class people. I have remixed the traditional mechanics of the susu. You can put in whatever you want whenever you want. And it’s something I’m really proud of.”