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Celebrating Black Entrepreneurs: 6 Stories of Resilience and Impact
Black History Month is a time to honor the profound contributions of Black individuals to our society. Throughout history Black entrepreneurs have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation, driving economic growth and fostering community development. However, disparities persist. In 2022, Black-owned businesses constituted about 3% of U.S. firms, with over 194,000 enterprises employing 1.6 million people
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CNote’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Program: Supporting Underserved Communities in Times of Need
Natural disasters strike without warning, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. In the United States, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters have been steadily increasing, affecting millions of individuals and communities each year. These events disproportionately impact underserved communities, as they often lack the resources and financial stability to prepare for and
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The Wealth Revolution: Why Investors Are Choosing Impact Investing
In recent years, people have increasingly embraced impact investing, blending financial returns with meaningful social and environmental outcomes. This shift reflects a growing desire to align wealth with values and leave a lasting legacy that goes beyond financial success. Visionaries like Mackenzie Scott have amplified the spotlight on impact investing by directing significant resources toward
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Supporting Small Businesses:The Critical Role of Community Banking
Small businesses are the lifeblood of local economies, driving innovation, creating jobs, and building community identity. However, they often face significant challenges—chief among them is access to affordable financing (source: sba.gov). This is where community banks step in, playing a critical role in helping small businesses thrive, fostering local economic growth, and building resilience. Small
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Measuring Impact in Community Finance: The Cooperative Fund of the Northeast’s Innovative Technical Assistance Approach
By Tamra Thetford, VP of Impact Evaluation CNote engages with CDFI Loan Funds in impact diligence as part of CNote’s fixed income investment underwriting process. The impact diligence process allows CNote to learn about loan funds’ impact measurement and management practices. The following highlights the work the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast (CFNE) has done
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What is a CDFI? – Community Development Financial Institutions Explained
Community Development Financial Institutions, more commonly referred to as CDFIs, are private sector, primarily nonprofit, financial institutions that provide loans and other financial resources to communities that are often underserved by traditional financial institutions. CDFIs are federally certified entities. That certification comes from the CDFI Fund, an agency within the U.S. Department of Treasury, which explains that “certification is
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Meet Carver Federal Savings Bank, The Harlem-Headquartered CDFI Offering Tailored Small Business Lending
Lloyd Doaman has dedicated his life to community development. He began his career in finance at JPMorgan Investment Management before pivoting to community development financial institutions (CDFIs), where he helped to provide access to capital and technical assistance to small businesses, nonprofits, and credit unions. Over three years ago, Lloyd had the opportunity to join
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Small Business Spotlight: A Check-In with Cortaiga Collins
Cortaiga Collins: Redefining Community Impact When we first introduced Cortaiga Collins in 2021, she was on the verge of a major milestone: opening the doors to a new, state-of-the-art facility for her thriving childcare business, Good Shepherd Preschool and Infant/Toddler Center. At the time, her story captivated readers as she shared her journey from being
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Great Lakes Credit Union: Filling a Banking Desert in Chicago’s Austin Neighborhood
The Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, home to nearly 100,000 residents, has long been a financial services desert. For decades, its residents were forced to rely on predatory payday lenders or travel outside their community to access basic financial services. This lack of access perpetuated cycles of poverty, leaving residents vulnerable to financial insecurity.
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Small Farms: Meet Brooklyn Packers Connecting Farms to the Big Apple
Steph Wiley has been an entrepreneur almost as long as he’s been a New Yorker—and he’s been a New Yorker his entire life. At first, Steph owned a dog-walking business in lower Manhattan for more than 10 years before starting a community organizing business with his partner. In addition to being an entrepreneur, Steph is
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