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  • Community Development Lenders Turning to Fintech for a Boost During Crisis

    CNote has provided a source of funding for federally certified Community Development Financial Institutions by pooling cash from foundations, bigger banks, philanthropists, and donor-advised funds to counter the lack of available cash flow experienced by CDFIs, which are lenders but not banks. Federal COVID-19 funding set aside $30 billion specifically for CDFIs that overwhelmingly lend to women- and minority-owned businesses, which face persistent racial and gender biases and are unable to successfully tap into lending and grants such as the Paycheck Protection Program through traditional lenders.

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  • Banking on community, local lenders secure PPP loans for businesses

    Community banks in Wyoming were able to better serve local businesses in securing federal funds from the Paycheck Protection Program. The smaller banks were able to quickly pivot their staffing and operations need to process the overwhelming number of applicants, resulting in an approval rate of 100 percent in some counties. Personal connections in the smaller communities also led banks to work overtime and do everything in their power to help local businesses, in contrast to big banks which appeared to prioritize clients with higher net worth, according to reports.

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  • Working Capital for Economic Justice Comes in Handy During a Crisis

    A nonprofit called Common Future is acting quickly to support business owners during the coronavirus crisis. Their board allocated a set amount of money specifically to keep on hand as a rapid response fund, and by early April 2020, they distributed $250,000 in emergency funding to seven organizations. The recipients are intentionally from disadvantaged communities, like rural, black, Indigenous, and other hard-hit demographics. Each organization used the money in different ways to support their target communities. Common Future also set aside 6 months' worth of operating expenses as a buffer.

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  • Dumplings Against Hate Audio icon

    The NYC-based campaign, Dumplings Against Hate, has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Asian Americans for Equality’s Emergency Small Business Relief Fund by bringing together a virtual community of support. As the COVID-19 pandemic picked up in early 2020, Chinatown restaurants and businesses saw a decrease in revenue because of xenophobia and racism, inspiring the group’s creation. Since then, it’s acted as a model for similar groups across the country, and is creating a toolkit for cities to create their own campaigns.

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  • Who is helping Texas businesses save jobs?

    Community banks in Texas have outpaced much larger national banks in approving and funding loans that are keeping businesses afloat during the pandemic-induced lockdown. The lone star state leads in the number of loans processed totaling $17 billion - saving a reported 200,000 jobs. Businesses in Texas have received more loans than any other state due to community banks that have been working around the clock. The banks have managed to approve as many loans as they typically would in an 18-month period.

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  • How to Rebuild a War-torn Middle Eastern City? Start with the Souk

    A combination of agencies, charities, and business owners have been working toward the goal of rebuilding Syrian cities by focusing on souks, or markets, dating back centuries. Bringing the souks back to life was a relatively easy reconstruction project, free of legal complications, and vital to the communities' return to normalcy. Sticklers for historical accuracy argue that the original medieval architecture of the souks is impossible to recreate, therefore rendering it "totally fake," but those who are more concerned with repatriating refugees and rebuilding war-town Syria disagree.

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  • Will Small Businesses Most in Need Get Help From the Coronavirus Relief Package?

    As small businesses, nonprofits, and independent contractors try to access funds made available through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program, bankers across the country are doing what they can to step up, follow federal guidelines, and process loans as quickly as possible. New features, including the SBA fully guaranteeing PPP loans, are making them more accessible. From typical SBA lenders to community development financial institutions to credit unions, many financial institutions are trying to help as many businesses as possible.

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  • Local banks step up in the fight to keep Covid-19 economic calamity at bay

    Throughout the economic crash of 2008, banks were "vilified" for their response, but as the economy again teeters on crashing during the coronavirus pandemic, regulators have been able to be proactive in their approach. While several banks are making financial contributions to philanthropies, and public health efforts or creating relief funds, others have agreed to temporary forbearance on certain types of loans which enables "local business owners and workers to defer payments without penalty to the end of their loan terms."

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  • First to Feel COVID-19's Impact, Chinatown is First to Deliver Aid for Small Business

    Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit loan fund in New York City, has helped Chinatown small businesses recover through 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy, and COVID-19 is the newest crisis it needs to navigate. It has been able to rely on its larger than standard loan loss reserve to have room for emergency loans to provide swift and integral support to Chinatown businesses.

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  • China's Venture Capitalists Start Making Deals, Amid Signs of Recovery

    China's economy has slowly begun to show signs of reopening and recovering, which has led some companies to begin fundraising. Consumer brands that saw an uptick in usage during the pandemic – such as an online grocery delivery startup, an online education tutor, and even an online makeup retailer – have so far been successful in their efforts to raise funds with investors saying that "in the current climate of uncertainty, they were more comfortable betting on the companies that are leading their industries."

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