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Navigating Greenwashing in Sustainable Investments
The sustainable and impact investing market has grown to nearly $10T in assets under management in recent years and is expected to grow to over $30T by 2026. These investments, geared towards major societal issues are an opportunity to create transformative change and align investments with your values. The recent proliferation of greenwashing poses significant…
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From Farm To City: How ChoiceOne Bank is Championing Michigan Agribusiness
ChoiceOne Bank’s vision isn’t a secret: it’s front and center on its website. “We want to be the best bank in Michigan,” said Adom Greenland, the bank’s chief financial officer. “That means really making an impact in our communities.” ChoiceOne Bank was established in 1898 as a farm bank, and the bank operates in some…
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How Asian Bank Is Providing Personalized Support To Philadelphia’s Small Business Owners
In a word, Tina Miao-Granatt would describe her life as “blessed.” Her family moved from Taiwan to Philadelphia when she was 12 years old. There, her parents owned and operated a successful Chinese restaurant. As the small business grew and grew, so too did Tina’s list of responsibilities, from dishwasher, to busser, to waitress. Although…
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CNote’s 2023 Annual Impact Report
We are excited to unveil the CNote 2023 Annual Impact Report, documenting a year of robust growth and enduring commitment to economic and social justice! Despite the challenges posed by the SVB Bank crisis and other market turbulences, we’ve advanced our mission through impactful financial solutions and strong community partnerships, and were excited to share…
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Meet Beardstown Savings, The Community Bank That’s Speaking The Same Language As Its Multilingual Community
Rich Eckert never expected to become the president and CEO of a community bank. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-native aspired to work in collegiate athletic administration, which he did for a short while before moving with his wife to her hometown of Beardstown, Illinois to start a family. However, a chance encounter with the then head executive…
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How Labor Credit Union Is Creating Opportunities And Expanding Its Impact With Dora Financial
Thomas Domingue is passionate about opportunities. More specifically, the CEO of Labor Credit Union is passionate about creating opportunities for those around him. It’s a personal mantra that Thomas has woven through his professional journey, which, prior to joining Labor Credit Union, included 13 years working for various multibillion-dollar credit unions. Unsurprisingly, when Thomas joined…
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How Freedom First’s Affordable Housing Program Is Taking A Non-Conforming Approach To Homeownership
Allison Wolf got her start in the financial services industry as a college student in 1998, when she took a job as a part-time teller in Long Beach, California. Many things caught Allison’s attention during those formative first few years; however, she found herself particularly entranced by the work of the branch’s loan officers. “It…
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CNote’s Q4 2023 Impact Report
CNote is excited to share our Q4 2023 Impact Report! Check it out here. You’ll read more about CNote’s proprietary impact framework developed to assess the positive impact made by community financial institutions on our platform. We also share updates on CDFI loan funds’ capital challenges, and how impact-driven depository institutions are embracing fintech partnerships…
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How NYU Federal Credit Union Is Forging Partnerships To Support Their Members
Mira Ness comes from humble beginnings: in her words, she was born into a very big family in a very small town in Kazakhstan. Still, Mira found a way to become the president of one of her country’s biggest banks. However, when she moved to the United States with her American husband, Mira found herself…
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Resources for LID Credit Unions
What are Low Income Designated Credit Unions Low-Income Designated (LID) credit unions cater to communities predominantly falling within specific low-income thresholds, as determined by Census Bureau data and NCUA regulations. The NCUA specifically describes a credit union that can be designated as low-income when “a majority of the credit union’s potential or actual membership qualifies…
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Where finance meets impact.