2013

Opportunity Fund

Small businesses need capital to grow, but in many low-income communities financing is hard to come by and entrepreneurs struggle to achieve their dreams. Opportunity Fund believes everyone, regardless of economic background, deserves a chance to succeed. California’s leading microfinance provider has developed a loan product—EasyPay—that’s putting capital in the reach of small business owners in even the most underserved communities.

Capital Impact Partners

Detroit faces tough odds. Since 2000, the city has experienced a drastic drop in population. Thousands of abandoned homes and vacant lots create a desolate urban landscape in an area where the average home value is well below the state’s average. And residents, disproportionately low-to-moderate income, confront a 20% unemployment rate. Yet in this seemingly hopeless situation, Capital Impact sees tremendous opportunity, and it is working to revitalize the city that at one time embodied the American dream.

Housing Partnership Network

Across the country, as the demand for rental housing increases, the amount of money available for the preservation of affordable housing is shrinking. Real estate developers are buying up unsubsidized affordable housing with the aim of taking it out of the affordable stock and increasing the rents. In the process, low-income families who live there are being displaced.