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Meet the Black Hills Community Loan Fund, A Native CDFI Rooted In Its Community, And Growing With It
When Onna LeBeau took the job of Executive Director for the Black Hills Community Loan Fund (BHCLF) nearly six years ago, the odds were stacked against the nonprofit. For the better part of a year, the Rapid City-based nonprofit had sat idle, and its board was only willing to give it — and Onna —…
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How Elevation Community Land Trust is Taking Affordable Housing to New Heights across Colorado
Stefka Czarnecki Fanchi has always been a big believer in homeownership. Both of her parents were teachers; however, her dad “built” every house Stefka’s family ever lived in, whether that meant physically building the structure or making improvements to what was already built. According to Stefka, she has lots of childhood memories as a kid…
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CDFI Loan Fund Capital Needs Survey: Why and What’s Next?
CDFI Loans Fund Capital Needs Survey: Why and What’s Next? The CNote CDFI Loans Fund Capital Needs Survey supports a data-driven approach to investing in communities. What is the CNote CDFI Loans Fund Capital Needs Survey? CNote seeks to empower investors to make informed decisions and target investments where the need is greatest. To specifically…
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CNote survey shows major opportunity for corporations, foundations and other accredited investors to meet demand for capital in underserved American communities
52 CDFIs could pump at least $182M into underserved communities within a year if they could access capital at favorable rates CDFIs serving Black and low- to moderate-income communities report a persistent capital shortfall, with housing and small business lending the most underfunded Oakland, CA—Loan funds certified as community development financial institutions (CDFIs) have an…
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CNote’s 2020 Annual Impact Report
CNote is thrilled to release our 2020 Annual Impact Report. Throughout 2020, CNote investors helped to create or maintain over 950 jobs across the country. In this report you will see: A letter from CNote’s co-founder and COO, Yuliya Tarasava CNote’s 2020 impact metrics A firmwide and portfolio update A CDFI partner profile Three CNote…
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PayPal Announces Investments In CNote’s Wisdom Fund and Promise Account
Today, PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) today announced it will deposit $135 million of its capital into mission-driven financial institutions and management funds that help underserved communities of color to fight barriers to economic equity, including CNote’s Wisdom Fund and various smaller depository institutions through a CNote Promise Account. These investments are part of PayPal’s $535 million commitment to strengthen Black businesses and underserved communities, and help…
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How Treasurers Can Lead Their Company’s Impact Investing
This article, authored by CNote’s co-founder and CEO, Catherine Berman, was originally posted on GreenBiz. When you think about who makes the greatest social and environmental impact with corporate dollars, you probably think of the head of ESG or the chief investment officer, not the treasurer. Today’s corporate treasurers, however, are redefining their role beyond…
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How the Power of a Shared Voice is Pushing the First-of-its-Kind African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs to New Heights
Lenwood Long has been immersed in the world of community economic development since the 1980s, and until 2019, he was the CEO and President of Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF), a North Carolina-based Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) committed to fostering economic development in underserved communities. However, despite a long career in community finance…
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Meet Tawnya Dee Sanford, The Formerly Homeless, Big-Hearted Entrepreneur Behind The Little Engine Learning Center
If you ask Tawnya Dee Sanford what her secret is to running a successful business, she’ll tell you that she’s willing to give people a chance. After all, she wouldn’t be where she is today — as a person and as an entrepreneur — if it weren’t for the chances that people gave to her.…
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Corporate Treasurers Get Serious About Shifting Cash to Communities
This article, authored by CNote’s co-founder and CEO, Catherine Berman, was originally posted on Sustainable Brands. There’s been some skepticism regarding the announcements of big corporate investments in CDFIs and minority deposit institutions — are these one-offs just to generate a press release or first steps on long-term commitments? Shareholders increasingly want to know how…
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