September 5, 2020
I know during this pandemic, and long before the coronavirus was a reality, many of you have been working on efforts to secure national, local, and community investments in small businesses and CDFIs. I wanted to be sure you saw a recent op-ed in the Washington Business Journal written by Gary Cunningham, the president and CEO of Prosperity Now on this issue, Viewpoint: CDFIs look for help to close lending gap.
If this is an area you would like to learn more about, I encourage you check out a report we published in May titled, The Cascading Impact of COVID-19 on Microbusinesses and the U.S. Economy. Another great resource to check out is Creating Viral Impact In Black Communities Through Small Business Expansion. Please feel free to share this op-ed and additional resources with your networks and others working on these issues.
With that being said, we would love to learn about what’s happening in your state. Let’s start up a conversation on the listserv and share what you’re seeing in your community.
- How have your local CDFIs supported Black and Brown owned businesses during the pandemic, especially following the Paycheck Protection Program?
- What has been the impact of the lack of funding on small business of color in your community?
- Do you have relationships or partnerships with CDFIs in your community?