Language Assistance Plan

Capital Impact Partner’s (CIP) service area is national. With regard to assisting program participants who may have limited English proficiency, CIP has completed a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) assessment utilizing Census Bureau and American Community Survey data to identify LEP populations. LEP populations include:

National:

  • 21.7% of the United States’ population age five and older speak a language other than English at home, including 8.2% — representing 25,704,846 persons — who speak English less than “very well” (LEP), according to 2022 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates Data Profiles (DP02, Selected Social Characteristics).
  • LEP households comprising the 8.2% who speak English less than “very well” include:
    • Spanish, 5.2% (16,175,851 persons)
    • Other Indo-European Languages, 1.1% (3,550,294 persons)
    • Asian and Pacific Islander languages, 1.6% (4,878,471 persons); and
    • Other Languages, 0.04% (1,100,230 persons).

CIP takes the following proactive measures to ensure meaningful access for LEP persons:

  1. Staff have the Census Bureau “I Speak” card with which to identify the primary language of the LEP person. Available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/ispeak
  2. CIP posts required notice(s) describing the Federal laws prohibiting job discrimination based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, religion, age (40 and older), equal pay, disability or genetic information (including family medical history or genetic tests or services), and retaliation for filing a charge, reasonably opposing discrimination, or participating in a discrimination lawsuit, investigation, or proceeding.
  3. CIP posts the required Title VI non-discrimination policy on its website indicating that CIP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and provides information on how to make a complaint of discrimination. Available at https://www.capitalimpact.org/nondiscrimination-notice/
  4. For all LEP populations identified above, CIP has Equal Opportunity brochures and non-discrimination posters in the applicable languages (Spanish). Also available at https://www.eeoc.gov/poster
  5. CIP staff includes persons who can provide verbal or written translation of vital documents, if requested by LEP persons.
  6. CIP posts notices to staff, borrowers and program participants of availability of translation services for LEP persons of the threshold population(s) in the language(s) spoken (Spanish).
  7. CIP will provide translation services during program meetings, on-site visits and loan closings, if requested to do so by LEP persons.
  8. CIP staff has access to fee-based interpretation and translation services to assist with LEP populations and / or provide translated vital documents on an as-needed basis. A document will be considered vital if it contains information that is critical for obtaining services, is a legally binding document, or is required by law. CIP will provide a translation of vital documents, free of charge, to LEP individuals.
  9. CIP will source translators and interpreters, as needed, through the American Translators Association (ATA). Translators work with the written word, converting text from a source language into a target language. Interpreters work with the spoken word, converting speech from a source language into a target language.

    The ATA maintains a directory where users can search for a translator or interpreter by language pair for seventeen different languages including Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Ukrainian. Users can also conduct an advanced search for specialty field, geographical location, and other parameters. ATA’s Language Services Directory includes more than 7,000 individuals and companies offering professional translation and interpreting services.
  10. CIP trains staff to properly respond to individuals with limited English proficiency who contact the organization.
  11. CIP monitors and updates the Language Access Plan annually to evaluate its effectiveness in serving LEP individuals and modify it accordingly. The evaluation assesses demand for services delivered to LEP individuals, documents LAP training received by staff, and evaluates complaints, if any, regarding assistance provided.