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Changing Lives by Building Credit History — One Microloan at a Time

Farida Jhabvala Romero

November 08, 2019 |

KQED |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

A program through the Mission Asset Fund, based in San Francisco, helps low-income communities get loans and good credit from an unlikely source: each other. The initiative pools together funds from family members and neighbors and distributes the loan to one of the contributors each month; the loans are interest free and allow community members to build credit without the difficulties of breaking into the typical microfinance realm.

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Banks Don't Know What to Do With Their Branches

Allison Prang

November 07, 2019 |

Wall Street Journal |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With more users than ever use digital resources to access their bank accounts, banking companies with brick-and-mortar locations get creative with how to balance the digital and physical requests from their consumers. Some companies, like Capital One, have steered away from the traditional teller environment and have instead opened cafes and hosted community workshops to help people feel more comfortable in a bank setting.

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This Conservative City Built a $132 Million Park Using One Weird Trick

Zach Mortice

October 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

After falling behind in urban planning and innovation in the 1990s and early 2000s, Oklahoma City created a limited-time sales tax called MAPS to pay for capital projects, like the new Scissortail Park. The tax consisted of a series of one-cent sales taxes and has brought in over $1.5 billion and has helped fund convention centers, other urban green areas, and more.

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Fill, Build and Flood: Dangerous Development in Flood-Prone Areas

Laurie Mazur

October 08, 2019 |

U.S. News & World Report |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

To combat excessive flooding in low-plain areas, cities like Charlotte are passing critical legislation that regulates fill-and-build development, a type of construction that leads to more intense flooding in vulnerable neighborhoods. Charlotte bases flood control plans off future conditions rather than current or past flooding areas, and the city charges a fee for homeowners that, in turn, provides dedicated funding for stormwater management

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California Just Legalized Public Banks. Will the Rest of the Nation Follow Suit?

Ananya Garg

October 04, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, California

In California, Governor Newsom recently signed into law a regulatory framework for public banking in the state. Public banking, a concept not without its detractors, has been established successfully in North Dakota and California hopes to follow suit to tamp down on frustrations that big banking institutions put profits over social good. Supporters of public banks see them as a tool to create positive community change and support historically marginalized groups.

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How Penn State Is Cutting Greenhouse Emissions In Half — And Saving Money

Dan Charles

October 04, 2019 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, State College, Pennsylvania

Enrolling administrators and financial planners in sustainable projects takes proving that investments pay for themselves. With the help of pressure from students and faculty, Penn State Universities administrators have adopted a long-term strategy to reduce the university’s carbon footprint and implement sustainable practices. Students produced the data that illuminated the university’s unsustainable practices; the numbers now show that their efforts are paying off.

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Free For All: Clarke County School District Provides Free Meals to Every Student

Gabriella Audi

October 03, 2019 |

Grady Newsource |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Athens, Georgia

Clarke County School District in Georgia has 21 public schools that all offer free meals to students, regardless of their financial needs. This is facilitated through a federally-funded program, so even though poverty rates are high in the area, local residents are not footing the bill. While there are still some challenges implementing the program, in general it is received well and allows students to focus on their work and well-being instead of being distracted by hunger.

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5 Decades Later, New Communities Land Trust Still Helps Black Farmers

Debbie Elliott

October 03, 2019 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Albany, Georgia

The New Communities Land Trust was created in the 1960s as a way to build power and equity for and among African Americans in Georgia. The Trust works with Black farmers on many different levels, including helping them strengthen their farming practices and businesses. While the Trust was lost in 1985 due to discriminatory bank practices, it was restarted with a $12 million settlement from the federal government.

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Mongolian nomads create shared funds and financial security

Sarah Trent Khaliun Bayartsogt

October 02, 2019 |

Devex |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Mongolia, Arvaikheer

Herders in Mongolia have resorted to cooperative shared funds to keep their pastures afloat, a sign of a slow tilt towards greater collaboration and trust in the area. The shared funds act as a way for herders to borrow and lend money among themselves, helping local communities build financial security in a time when climate change is negatively impacting their pasture land.

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Bridges to Wealth tackles Philly's wealth gap through smart investment training

Alyssa Biederman

October 01, 2019 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A University of Pennsylvania professor's observation of the wealth disparity in West Philadelphia led to the creation of Bridges to Wealth: a program that teaches financial literacy to marginalized communities who have historically been shut out of building wealth. College students in the program teach financial literacy to high school students alongside computer technology and technical skills. Bridges to Wealth has grown to offer personal finance and investing advice to adults as well as young students.

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