SBA: National Small Business Week Virtual Summit Highlights Resiliency and Recovery
Prominent small business investors, entrepreneurs, and mentors address nearly 50,000 attendees The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that this year’s National Small Business Week (NSBW) Virtual Summit drew more than 47,000 participants for the three-day virtual summit. Attendees heard from celebrity business owners, investors, entrepreneurs, and lead advisors from across the small business community, and connected with fellow…
FDIC: Mission-Driven Bank Fund Launched
$120 million pledged to support Minority Depository Institutions and CDFIs The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today announced the launch of a new Mission-Driven Bank Fund, a capital investment vehicle being developed by the FDIC to support insured Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). As anchor investors, Microsoft and Truist Financial Corporation…
CDFI Fund: FY 2021 CDFI Program and NACA Program Technical Assistance Awards Announced
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) awarded 191 organizations more than $24.1 million in awards today. The fiscal year (FY) 2021 Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) and Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program) Technical Assistance Awards will allow Certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and…
SBA: Grants Awarded to 33 Organizations to Help Underserved Communities Succeed with the Small Business Innovation Research Program
The U.S. Small Business Administration issued 33 grant awards up to $125,000 each for specialized training, mentoring, and technical assistance for research and development (R&D)-focused small businesses under the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. FAST seeks to improve outcomes in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs for underserved communities…
CDFI Fund: AmeriCorps and CDFI Fund Launch Economic Mobility Corps
More than $2.5 million invested to place 156 AmeriCorps members for two years in Community Development Financial Institutions AmeriCorps and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) today announced three Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) were awarded more than $2.5 million through the inaugural round of the AmeriCorps CDFI Economic Mobility Corps (EMC)…
FDIC & Federal Reserve: List of Distressed or Underserved Nonmetropolitan Middle-Income Geographies Released
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation today announced the availability of the 2021 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies. These are geographic areas where revitalization or stabilization activities are eligible to receive Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) consideration under the community development definition. Distressed nonmetropolitan…
SBA: Council on Underserved Communities Reconvened
Administrator Guzman restores Council to address the immediate needs and concerns of underserved and underrepresented communities hit hard by COVID-19 The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that it is reconvening the Council on Underserved Communities (CUC) under the authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). In conjunction with the Biden-Harris Administration’s agenda, the restoration of…
SBA: $100 Million Community Navigator Pilot Program Launched to Support Underserved Small Businesses
$100 million competitive grant program to strengthen outreach to businesses in underserved communities enacted through the American Rescue Plan The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it is accepting applications for its new Community Navigator Pilot Program. This new initiative, established by the American Rescue Plan, will leverage a community navigator approach to reach our nation’s smallest businesses, with a…
FEMA: Public Comments Sought on Future Program Delivery Regarding Climate Change and Underserved Communities and Populations
FEMA is seeking public comments on how the agency’s programs deal with climate change and underserved communities and populations. Earlier this year, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. released three executive orders, 13985, 13990 and 14008, requiring agencies to assess existing programs and policies to determine the following: If agency programs and policies perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits…
HUD: Secretaries of HUD & VA Issue Joint Statement on Ending Veteran Homelessness
From HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge and VA Secretary Denis McDonough The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress found that on a single night in January 2020, there were 37,252 Veterans experiencing homelessness in America, an increase of 0.4% over 2019. This number does not account for the…