November 19, 2025
So much of our economy, and who has power in it, is tied to land—who has access to it, who controls it, and who owns it. A nonprofit that owns its own building, for instance, has an asset that can help ensure stability and sustainability in hard times. Yet land ownership is not without its risks and burdens. In today’s Resourcing the Field newsletter, we look at how community land ownership can resource nonprofits, communities, and movements.
In an interview that explores these nuances, I spoke with Rudy Espinoza, CEO of Inclusive Action for the City, and nonprofit financial advisor Alison Wagstrom of Propel Nonprofits, about whether nonprofits should own or rent—but within that is a deeper conversation of how organizations balance capacity building, operational, and mission goals.
Next, Nikishka Iyengar covers a model of community ownership of commercial real estate called a community stewardship trust. The Guild, the Atlanta-based organization she leads, is developing this model in which residents in a zip code invest in a local company to co-own and steward land together.
Then, on the topic of Native land ownership, A-dae Romero Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa) of First Nations Development Institute, writes about how to return land to Native Americans but also how to develop capital flows that enable Indigenous communities to manage those lands in a regenerative way.
Lastly, a recent Economy Remix column examines an Indigenous business network in Mexico. Cecilio Solís Librado (Nahua), a founder of the network, noted that Indigenous communities in Mexico have resource-rich lands, but the wealth has typically been extracted. Community-owned businesses are changing this situation, by ensuring that the value generated by Indigenous lands stays in their communities.
In reading these articles, I encourage you to reflect on how land intersects with your work and how land ownership might relate to your resourcing strategy.
Steve Dubb
Senior Editor
Economic Justice
