Advancing economic opportunity, Affordable housing, Borrowers, Community engagement, Early childhood, Immigrant and New American rights, News, Social determinants of health

First $1.5M Deployed to San Diego County Nonprofits Hit by COVID-19

Posted by Wilda Wong
On October 5, 2020

San Diego-based impact investment fund manager Mission Driven Finance has deployed $1.5M in loans to San Diego County nonprofits that have been impacted by COVID-19, thanks to $5M in seed funding from The San Diego Foundation as part of the San Diego County COVID-19 Small Business & Nonprofit Loan Program.

Advancing economic opportunity, Affordable housing, Community engagement, Early childhood, Investors, News, Social determinants of health, Sustainable systems

Real Estate for Early Care & Education: A Promising Venture

Posted by Wilda Wong
On September 29, 2020

We're honored to share that David—along with early care and education expert Laura Kohn and community finance fellow Essence Rodriguez—has joined the 2020 cohort of the Promising Ventures Fellowship to explore using real estate and finance to improve access to quality early child care.

Advancing economic opportunity, Borrowers, Community engagement, Investors

Building a New, More Equitable Normal for Small Business and Nonprofits

Posted by Tyana Smith
On June 10, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the effects of centuries of racist policies. If we don’t act fast, this crisis will rob our communities of vibrancy, diversity, and strength for many generations to come. The current global recognition of the deep roots of racism reinforces how critical it is to use all the tools in one’s toolbox to advance racial justice. As such, finance can and should be used as a tool for change in advancing economic and health equity in our communities. Together, we can turn the tide.

Advancing economic opportunity, Community engagement, Community Finance Fellowship, News, Team

How the Community Finance Fellows are learning during a pandemic

Posted by Wilda Wong
On April 29, 2020

While sheltering-in-place during a pandemic, we welcomed five Community Finance Fellows to our team in March to begin learning in a virtual environment: Louise Jordan, a renewed San Diegan with a legal background who moved back from Virginia to join us; Andrew Moncada, a financial analyst from Florida who wants to run his own impact investment firm one day; Benson Ochira, a refugee from Uganda with a degree in business management; Essence Rodriguez, an undergrad research fellow with the U.S. Immigration Policy Center; and Crystal Sevilla, an executive assistant from San Diego with a deep interest in economics and finance. See how they are learning during a pandemic.

Advancing economic opportunity, Borrowers, Community engagement, Early childhood, Immigrant and New American rights

Small Businesses & Nonprofits Respond to COVID-19

Posted by Tyana Smith
On April 27, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has forced small businesses and nonprofits around the world, including our Advance borrowers, to forget business as usual and respond in creative ways to best serve their community and survive—quickly. From delivering essential household goods and locally sourced food to staying connected with families by livestreaming nature walks, these businesses and organizations demonstrate the flexibility, resilience, and heart that make small businesses critical for communities to thrive.

Advancing economic opportunity, Borrowers, Social determinants of health

Finding the way back through evidence-based holistic treatment

Posted by Wilda Wong
On April 21, 2020

The Way Back uses trauma-informed care in its client activities—clinical groups, education groups, mindfulness meditation, relapse prevention groups, codependency groups, anger management, emotional regulation, and individual psychotherapy. “We are training men to be better fathers, better husbands, better employees, to stay out of prison, to work, to communicate,” says The Way Back Executive Director Chris Thomas, a licensed therapist who has been sober for 25 years. “Men are an important part of family structure, and addiction is a family disease.”

Advancing economic opportunity, Early childhood, Gender equity, Investors, News

AdvanceHER: Unlocking Opportunities for Women and Girls in San Diego and Abroad

Posted by Tyana Smith
On March 3, 2020

In our quest to increase economic opportunity for underestimated groups, we knew we’d want to emphasize supporting women and girls. With a diverse and largely female team, empowering more women has always felt natural to us. We’ve long wanted to connect the resources and needs of our community in new intentional ways that make a real impact on gender inequality.

Advancing economic opportunity, Borrowers, Resources

5 Things to Know About Impact-Based Loans

Posted by Tyana Smith
On February 20, 2020

If your business is too big for microfinance and SBA loan but too small for traditional banks, our impact-based loans can fill the gap.

Advancing economic opportunity, Community engagement, Investors, News, Racial equity

Making Funding Accessible in the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Community

Posted by Lauren Grattan
On November 22, 2019

AdvanceAPI: A Partnership with the Asian Business Association of San Diego Doing your taxes. Buying a house. Raising a family. Some things are, by nature, challenging. Entrepreneurs in underestimated communities would also add finding investors and accessing startup capital to this list. As an entrepreneur, sourcing start-up capital can be time-consuming. Add in the factor of…

Advancing economic opportunity, Borrowers, Early childhood, Gender equity

Closing education gaps with creative capital

Posted by Tyana Smith
On August 18, 2019

How Advance borrower Bethany Chaffin used creative capital to enrich the lives of more students in North County San Diego When we first met Bethany Chaffin, director of the education enrichment center Friends of Willow Tree, in 2018 she faced a challenging capital gap. Friends of Willow Tree needed a loan ahead of private and…

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