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CDFIs: America’s First Responders to Economic Crisis
Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) have consistently operated on the front lines of economic disasters such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Harvey, and the 2008 financial crisis, providing economic relief to American communities when they need it most. As “first financial responders” CDFIs have demonstrated their expertise in helping communities survive and rebuild.…
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Meet Christine Uwimbabazi, The Entrepreneuring Immigrant Behind The Wheel of Prime Care Transportation
When Christine Uwimbabazi came to the United States from her home country of Rwanda in 2000, she didn’t plan to open a small business. Instead, she came for college. Christine enrolled at LaRoche University, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Six years later, she married Reverien Mfizi, one of her classmates. The two had gone to the same…
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The Impact Investment Case For Cash- Featuring San Francisco Foundation
CNote is happy to release our Impact Investment Case For Cash Case Study, which discusses how the San Francisco Foundation (SFF) partnered with CNote to put pre-deployment program-related investment (PRI) dollars to good use. SFF, which is committed to improving life in the Bay Area through its Bay Area Community Impact Fund, realized in 2018…
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How a PPP Loan From a Low-Income Designated Credit Union Gave This Bay Area Nonprofit The Promise of a Brighter Tomorrow
Barbara McCullough knows a thing or two about nonprofit management. She’s been the CEO at Brighter Beginnings, a nonprofit created in 1984 to respond to the needs of families in resource-poor neighborhoods across Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, for nearly 24 years. With that level of experience comes the understanding that government funding is anything…
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Latino Community Credit Union Case Study
CNote is proud to share a new case study: The Case for Reaching More Impact Investors which explores how the Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) was able to increase its deposit base by partnering with CNote. The case study highlights how CNote works with low-income designated credit unions and CDFI banks to grow their deposit…
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Why CDFIs Often Create Better Lending Outcomes for Small Businesses
Small businesses that need financing often find themselves at a crossroads: apply for a traditional bank loan that’s difficult to get but has lower-interest rates or an online loan that’s quickly approved but can end up being inordinately more expensive in the long run. But some business owners don’t realize that there’s an additional option:…
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Ebony Harris, The Entrepreneur Putting Children — And Parents — In Good Hands
Ebony Harris has a special way with children — it’s a gift. She thought about pursuing a career as a pediatric nurse, but that didn’t appeal to her entrepreneurial spirit. Instead, in 2015, set her sights on opening a childcare center, where she could educate, support, and influence kids. Her and her husband, John, had…
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CNote’s 2019 Annual Impact Report
CNote is proud to share our 2019 annual impact report. In 2019 CNote investors helped to create or maintain over 1,100 jobs! Additionally, of every dollar invested *Note, there can be an overlap where a borrower fits into multiple of the above categories! In the report, you’ll also find details about CNote’s 26 new impact…
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Meet Dr. Ira Mandel, The Retired Physician Opening Up Recovery Residences Along Maine’s Midcoast
Dr. Ira Mandel self identifies as “the nut” who runs into a burning building to help people when everyone else is running in the opposite direction. That’s exactly what happened in 2006, when Ira moved to Maine to take over the Pen Bay Medical Center’s hospice program. During his first week on the job, a…
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CNote’s Q1 2020 Impact Metrics
We know one of the main reasons you invest with CNote, is because of the impact your investment has. We’re proud to share our Aggregate Q1 2020 impact data. In Q1 2020, our members helped create/maintain 173 jobs! Over half of all invested capital was deployed with minority-led businesses. If you’d like to see our annual…
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Where finance meets impact.