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This Bank Hired a Community Organizer and Here's What Happened Next

Oscar Perry Abello

January 28, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Reducing inequality in the financial sector requires creating connections to underserved communities of color. In Boston, Berkshire Bank has begun an initiative to reach those who are “underbanked.” The bank’s new Reevex Labs facilities use coworking and event spaces to facilitate connections between communities and financial institutions. At Reevex locations, community members can connect to organizations like The Runway Project, which facilitates low-interest loans to entrepreneurs of color.

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Honeycomb Credit expands to Philly to help small business owners get crowdsourced loans

Jessica Press

January 14, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Founded in Pittsburgh, Honeycomb Credit expands to Philadelphia as a way to offer small businesses help with microfinance challenges. The company hosts a platform that allows businesses to create fundraising profiles; community members can watch a video about the business and decide to invest and receive monthly payouts from their contribution.

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Microlending Sparks Hope and Renewal in Rochester, N.Y.

David Kidd

January 07, 2020 |

Governing |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

In 2016, the city of Rochester, NY partnered with Kiva—a crowd-funded microlender—to serve aspiring or established small-business owners. Their partnership offers interest-free loans, and already 20 of the loans have been fully repaid. This article looks at six different case studies of residents who have benefitted from the program.

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Baltimore crime crisis: How about trying something that worked before?

Dan Rodricks

January 01, 2020 |

The Baltimore Sun |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

When Baltimore put the necessary resources behind a “call-in” program that intervenes with people likely to commit gun violence, from 2006 to 2012, homicides dropped by 30% and shootings by 40%. The program, which no longer is used in the city consistently enough or with sufficient resources, summons people on probation or parole for gun crimes. A panel of law enforcement, social workers, and community members pairs the threat of federal prosecution and imprisonment with social services to help people build a new life. This approach has been shown in many cities to be effective at reducing violence.

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'Fixing this takes more than arrest': Riverside County forgives warrants, fines to help homeless

Nicole Hayden

December 27, 2019 |

Desert Sun |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Indio, California

In Indio, California, the Community Outreach Resource Program (CORP) partners law enforcement with social supportive services as a way of holistically working with people experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, or drug abuse. The collaboration partners select officers, mental health professionals, transition and homeless shelters, detox centers, affordable housing, caseworkers, amongst other services, to make sure that those enrolling in the program have the highest probability of sustained success.

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Are 'ableist' economies depriving themselves of the purple pound?

Mathilda Mallinson

December 20, 2019 |

Pioneers Post |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Indonesia, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta

Although Indonesia is making efforts to improve disability rights, progress is slow. In the meantime, a group called Economic Empowerment for Entrepreneurs with Disability (EEED) was formed in partnership with the British Council’s DICE (Developing Inclusive Creative Economies) program. Participants in the program learn entrepreneurial skills by creating their own social enterprise, supplemented by lessons in things like marketing and management. This helps those in Indonesia with disabilities become socioeconomically independent and able to envision a develop a meaningful vision of the future.

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Seattle program makes homes affordable in a pricey market. Is it a model for Charlotte?

Lauren Lindstrom

December 10, 2019 |

The Charlotte Observer |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

The Homestead Community Land Trust offers affordable home ownership in Seattle and the rest of King County, Washington, ensuring that there is always permanently affordable homes available. This opens up homeowner opportunities for those who have historically been excluded and serves as a stem in the tide of gentrification. This article includes personal testimony from people who live in the housing, and already the program has reduced buyers' costs by 30%.

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A New Kind of Cooperative in Oakland Fights Against Speculative Development

Oscar Perry Abello

December 03, 2019 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oakland, California

Real estate cooperatives are able to raise capital from their members, ensuring re-investment in the communitie they serve. In Oakland, California, the East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative (EB PREC) finances real estate acquisitions through California’s cooperative ownership model. EB PREC also works with partners from the Sustainable Economies Law Center and the People of Color Housing Network, which provide additional resources and expertise.

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This Program Teaches Arts Organizations How to Scale Wisely

Zoe Sullivan

November 22, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Coaching in strategic partnership allows arts nonprofits to build their capacity. Based in Minneapolis, Artspace offers its capacity-building workshop program, Immersion, to nonprofits in several cities, in including Detroit and Memphis. The workshops connect local art organizations to specialists in real estate and financing, allowing them to build partnerships or find new space in which to operate.

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Making a More Democratic Economy, One Revolving Loan Fund at a Time

Oscar Perry Abello

November 14, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

Advancing the model of worker ownership requires expanding access to loans for cooperative businesses. In California, Berkeley City Council recently adopted changes to its Loan Fund for small businesses, allowing businesses without a CEO to apply for a loan. The City Council and Loan Administration board approved an idea put forth by the Sustainable Economics Law Center (SELC), which will permit coops to appoint a panel of owners to serve as guarantors of a loan, in lieu of a single CEO.

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