Podcasts by The CRA Podcast with Linda Ezuka
Welcome to the CRA Podcast. I’m Linda Ezuka, your host and Founder of CRA Today and the CRA Hub. This podcast is part of my mission to transform communities through the power of economic development and the Community Reinvestment Act.
For a deeper dive into community development concepts, join your CRA colleagues in the CRA Hub, a membership for bankers to connect and master the art of the CRA.
www.cratoday.com/hub
www.cratoday.com/cra-training
www.cratoday.com
Further podcasts by Linda Lewis Ezuka
Podcast on the topic Gemeinnützig
All episodes
#082: CRA Tips: Less is More - Perfecting Your CRA File by Cutting the Clutter from 2023-11-07T13:00:03
As most of you know, the public file is a straightforward requirement of the CRA. Its purpose is to disclose basic information about your bank, its products and services, and how you serve the comm...
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#081: CRA Tips: 46th Anniversary of the CRA - How will you serve? from 2023-10-31T13:00:38
On October 12, 2023, we marked the 46th anniversary of the CRA. As we reflect on the past, I challenge you to consider your role in extending opportunity within your community. Here, I share a spec...
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#080: CRA Tips: CRA Services Hours, Events, or Instances? What the What?!? from 2023-10-17T13:00:02
In a recent CRA fundamentals office hours session, we discussed current practices around community development services. One bank professional asked why, at her last bank, they counted the number o...
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#079: CRA Tips: You are not alone... from 2023-10-10T13:00:03
In a recent webinar, I received some great tips from a panel of women who shared their journeys in leading their CRA program. I was inspired to pass them along here and share the importance of buil...
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#078: CRA Tips: Finish Strong: How to Prepare for Your Next CRA Exam from 2023-10-03T13:00:02
In case you missed it, I recently published an article in the ABA Compliance Magazine earlier this year. It was all about preparing for your CRA exam in the midst of regulatory uncertainty. We sure...
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#077: CRA Tips: CDCs-Your Partners in Community Development from 2023-09-26T13:50:01
I recently walked a CRA officer through a potential loan transaction in partnership with a community development corporation, otherwise known as a CDC. As a CRA professional, you may be approached ...
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#076: Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Rethinking Community Development Strategy to Address Digital Inequity with Sarah Hope Marshall from 2023-09-19T13:00:03
Sarah Hope Marshall joins me here to reflect upon digital inequity in place-based community revitalization. Our discussion focuses on digital inequity and how community development professionals ca...
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#075: CRA Tip: The Pandemic May Be Over but SBA PPP Loans May Still Have an Impact During Your Next Exam from 2023-09-12T13:00:03
Your previous CRA exam may not have included pandemic activities, but your next one is likely to include activity around the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP. You can get credit for partic...
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#074: CRA Tips: What "hooks" could a loan to a nonprofit fall under? from 2023-09-05T13:00:02
Recently, I was approached by a CRA professional in the industry who was about to be examined. They were working on compiling all their community development loans, and they got a bit turned around...
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#073: CRA Tips: I'm an ISB, do I really need to look at my lending performance? from 2023-08-29T13:00:03
I recently received a question from someone newer to the CRA within an intermediate small bank (ISB). They knew they didn’t have to report their lending data but wanted to know if they needed to ac...
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#072: CRA Tips: Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing and CD Loans from 2023-08-22T13:00:03
Naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) are residential rental properties that are affordable, but unsubsidized by any federal program. The rents are relatively low compared to regional housi...
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#071: CRA Tips: CRA Services-What exactly does the provision of financial services mean? from 2023-08-15T13:00:02
In the past, regulations narrowly defined the provision of financial services. To qualify a community development service, it has to have a primary purpose of community development, be offered on b...
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#070: CRA Services: If It’s Not Documented, It Didn’t Happen from 2023-08-08T13:00:02
I received an email from a CRA officer who recently took over a CRA program. Although this individual is a seasoned compliance professional, she’s new at running a CRA program, and the exam was rig...
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#69: CRA Tips: Regulatory Change Part III: Operational and Financial Risks from 2023-08-01T13:00:02
As referenced in the episode, you may want to download our free regulatory change checklist: https://cratoday.com/regulatory-change-checklist/
We created this checklist to support your f...
#068: CRA Tips: Regulatory Change Part II: Reputational Risk from 2023-07-25T13:00:02
Regulators are continuing to enhance their focus on oversight, supervision, and enforcement, and the CRA is no exception. We expect this increased scrutiny to ramp up throughout 2023. What was acce...
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#67: CRA Tips: Regulatory Change Part I: Compliance Risk - The Only Constant is Change from 2023-07-18T13:00:02
It’s going to be a year-end like no other, and regulatory change continues to be front and center. There are several key compliance risks to be aware of and elements to reflect upon as a CRA office...
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#66: CRA Tips: Revisiting the Fundamentals: The Most Overlooked CD Hook from 2023-07-11T13:00:02
We’re taking a deeper dive into the economic development hook, which is often an overlooked aspect of community development loans. However, it plays a crucial role in strengthening local economies....
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#65: CRA Tips: Revisiting the Fundamentals: A Community Development Loan Primer from 2023-07-05T13:00:02
This episode will lay the foundation for community development loans as it relates to your CRA program.
Community development loans must have a primary purpose of community development....
#64: Bridging the Racial Wealth Divide with NCRC's Community Development Fund from 2023-06-27T13:00:02
NCRC Community Development Fund, a subsidiary of the Listen
#63: CDFI Partnership with Joshua Kummer from 2022-10-04T07:00:02
This episode of the CRA Podcast highlights the community development work of Joshua Kummer of Bankers Trust. Joshua is the bank’s CRA and Fair Banking Officer overseeing the bank’s Fair Banking Pro...
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#62: What exactly is the BLS and how does it relate to the CRA? from 2022-09-08T06:00:03
Hi, it's Linda with CRA today and the CRA Hub. I thought I'd hop back here and give you a quick tip. So many of you have asked "what exactly is BLS (hint, it is the Bureau of Labor Statistics) and ...
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#61: Community Development Loans Demystified from 2022-07-07T09:00:02
CRA Podcast Episode 16: Community Development Loans Demystified
with Krista Shonk, VP & Senior Counsel, Regulatory Compliance and Policy, Fair & Responsible Banking, ABA
Are...
#60: How to Leverage Internal Expertise to Drive External Impact from 2022-05-31T10:00:02
Are you looking to take your community development services to the next level? If so, don’t underestimate the breadth and depth of internal expertise that lies right at your fingertips. Your bank i...
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#59: Economic Development as a Key to Community Development Services from 2022-05-24T10:00:03
There are a wealth of opportunities to serve aspiring entrepreneurs and established small businesses!
Consider the following opportunities to diversify your portfolio of existing communi...
#58: How to Increase your CRA Services By Partnering with Impactful Organizations from 2022-05-17T10:00:02
After collecting information about existing employee involvement through board service and volunteerism, it’s apparent you need to increase your bank’s community development services…but where do y...
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#57: I Bet You Are Underreporting Your Community Development Loans… Most Banks Are Too! from 2022-05-10T12:15:02
I estimate that at least 90% of banks under report their community development loans. Yes, that’s an alarming statistic, but I believe it's true. As I often say, the art of the CRA is not creating ...
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#56: Key Departments Critical to A Sound CRA Training Program from 2022-05-03T10:00:02
A key element of your CRA program is understanding that CRA is not always about creating new opportunities, but is about finding the opportunities that already exist. To do this, you should aim to ...
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#55: From Elementary School Principal to Community Development Banker from 2022-04-27T10:00:03
“One of the things that are appealing to me about being a Community Reinvestment Officer is helping those who are underserved,” says Melvin Hugans, a Community Reinvestment Officer at Thomasville N...
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#54: Inspiring Our Next Generation of Financially Literate Students from 2022-04-19T10:00:03
“11% of students from low-income households graduate college,” says Abby Coyle. As a former educator for Teachers for America, Abby realized the equity gap in the education system. To close the gap...
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#53: It’s National Financial Capability Month…Where Do I Begin? from 2022-04-12T10:00:07
April 1st marked the start of National Financial Capability Month, a month during which organizations (especially financial institutions!) across the country focus on supporting programs that expan...
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#52: Inspiring You to Greatness with Tawalla Simmons from 2022-04-05T10:00:03
For the last thirty years, Tawalla Simmons has dedicated her career to serving others through CRA-inspired programs. Today, she is the president of Inspiring You to Greatness, a 501(c)3 nonprofit d...
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#51: CRA Plan Checklist Inside! from 2022-03-29T10:00:02
It’s time to build your 2022 CRA strategy and action plan! Here are your next steps:
Sign up to download the CRA plan resource. This list of questions will help prompt you as you start t...
#50: Haven’t Developed a CRA Plan Yet? from 2022-03-22T10:00:02
Build your CRA plan.
You aren’t required under the Community Reinvestment Act to build a plan, but it’s an industry best-practice and will help take your CRA program to the next level. K...
#49: Congrats! Take The Day Off!! from 2022-03-01T11:00:03
Data submitted…now what? Now that you are confident in the reliability of the data, revisit your goals for the new performance year. It’s never-ending, I know!
First, you’ll want to alig...
#48: Just 120 Business Hours Left... from 2022-02-22T11:00:03
Why does February only have 28 days? It seems so wrong as we are up against our March 1st CRA data reporting deadline!
For those of you with CRA data reporting requirements, by now you ...
#47: Just 10 Business Days Left... from 2022-02-15T11:00:03
As you know, time is ticking away and soon you will be faced with scrubbing your CRA data to ready your small business, HMDA and community development loans data submission. Over the next few weeks...
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#46: You Only Have Three Weeks Left... from 2022-02-08T11:00:02
Let’s refocus our time on your CRA data integrity and, for some of you, your annual CRA data submission.
For small and intermediate small banks, this means making sure your data is coll...
#45: Three Ways to Supplement Your CRA Program Today from 2022-02-01T15:56:51
Let's say you don't get to add to your CRA staff. What can you do to accomplish all of the work that you have before you? Today, I have three ways to support and supplement your CRA program.
...
#44: How to Build the Culture of Compliance Within the Bank from 2022-01-25T11:00:03
So, how do you actually build the culture of compliance within your bank?
When you're looking at identifying your internal stakeholders, you'll want to look at the small business departm...
#43: How to Add a Team Member to Your CRA Mighty Team of One from 2022-01-18T11:00:02
So, how do you best go about dividing and conquering the work of a CRA officer? Many people inherit the CRA program and still have compliance responsibilities or dabble in BSA or share the titles o...
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#42: How to Grow Your Team Without Adding Staff from 2022-01-11T11:00:03
Let's say you can't “add to staff” given resource constraints and you have to remain a mighty team of one doing “all of the things.” Sometimes you might feel like throwing in the towel…but not so f...
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#41: How to Do the Undoable Deal from 2021-12-28T11:00:02
We spent the last few CRA tips talking about community development finance. Today’s episode focuses on filling the gap when a seemingly undoable deal is before you.
Our commercial lende...
#40: It Takes a Village...Do You Know Who You Can Trust? from 2021-12-21T11:00:02
The best and most impactful community development finance projects are not done by any one bank, CDFI or community partner. The most monumental community-based projects are forged over time with st...
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#39: Community Development Finance: Yes, It’s Part of Your Job Too! from 2021-12-14T11:00:02
Once you have a good understanding of the technical aspects of the CRA and have stabilized your CRA program, now it's time to expand your reach into the community. Oftentimes, that will involve wor...
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#38: Bank On: Bringing the Unbanked and Underbanked into the Financial Mainstream from 2021-12-07T11:00:03
Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund: https://cfefund.org/
The CFE Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; our programmatic, research and policy efforts focus on designing, embe...
#37: I Failed My CRA Data Integrity Exam – Now What? from 2021-11-30T11:00:02
Take a deep breath. There is life after a failed CRA data integrity exam. I’ve been through a few rough ones over the past 27 years, and every bank ends up with a stronger program as a result. Whil...
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#36: Best Practices to Ensure CRA Data Integrity from 2021-11-23T11:00:11
Gather all of your data-related resources into one place.
Review the data-related policies and procedures. Review the content. What is missing? Is it accurate? When was it reviewed last?...
#35: The Secret to a Smooth CRA Data Integrity Exam! from 2021-11-16T11:00:10
I’ll bet you didn’t guess this one! The secret to a smooth CRA data integrity exam is...your loan operations team. Yep, loan ops! Wait, what?
These team members are masterful at detail ...
#34: How to Ace Your Next CRA Data Integrity Exam! from 2021-11-09T11:00:17
As you know, before each exam, your regulators will conduct a review of your lending data to ensure that it is accurate enough to determine your lending performance. The regulators have a very spec...
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#33: The Devil Is in the Details but Don’t Let It Get to Your Data, Too! from 2021-11-02T10:00:15
The purpose of CRA data collection and maintenance is to enable examiners and the public to evaluate (through issuance of a CRA Performance Evaluation) whether a bank is helping to meet the credit ...
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#32: Creative Items to Add to Your CRA Committee Meeting Agenda from 2021-10-26T10:00:18
Are you looking for creative ways to reinvigorate your CRA committee meetings?
It is crucial to foster communication and collaboration during these meetings, so people leave inspired and...
#31: Three Documents You Must Have for Your CRA Program from 2021-10-19T10:00:08
When it comes to CRA program governance, there are three documents that every CRA program should have: a CRA policy, a CRA program plan and a CRA self-assessment.
The CRA Policy: This do...
#30: Repurpose Your CRA Self Assessment To Build Awareness and Buy-In from 2021-10-12T10:00:16
Once you have a solid self-assessment document, now it is time to socialize it. Not only will you increase awareness of your CRA program, but you will also be using it as a training tool. Make sure...
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#29: 5 Key Resources To Inform Your CRA Self Assessment from 2021-10-05T10:00:11
Does a blank page make you nervous? Yes, us too.
Here are some documents you may want to reference (and even borrow the framework of!) to get you started on your CRA self assessment.
#28: Choices. Make One and Let’s Get to Work! from 2021-09-28T10:00:15
There just aren’t enough hours in the day. We get it. Many institutions believe they don’t have time to perform a self-assessment. What you may not know is that there are many types of self-assessm...
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#27: Look Back to Learn How to Look Forward from 2021-09-21T10:00:12
Many banks make the mistake of spending too much time over-analyzing their performance history without giving equal airtime to formulating new strategies to address performance gaps within their CR...
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#26: Strategy Is a Commodity, Execution Is an Art from 2021-09-14T10:00:10
Do you know what your bank’s strategy is? If this is not something that has been shared with you, reach out to leaders within your organization’s hierarchy to learn more. Ask questions like, “What ...
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#25: Don’t Leave This for the Examiners to Decide from 2021-09-07T10:00:16
The single most important CRA exam prep tool for you to consider is a CRA self-assessment.
CRA self-assessments are assessments you perform on your own institution to understand your CR...
#24: CDFIs Are Changing The World. Will You Join Them? from 2021-08-31T10:00:19
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) were created to deliver responsible, affordable lending to help low-income, low-wealth and other disadvantaged people and communities join the e...
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#23: $2.2 Billion Is at Stake for Low-Income Taxpayers from 2021-08-24T10:00:12
Join the network of thousands of volunteers that ensures millions of low-income taxpayers receive billions of dollars in refunds, a network that helps the community meet their civic obligations as ...
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#22: The Average American Has $90,460 In Consumer Debt from 2021-08-17T10:00:15
According to Experian data, if you have a credit card or two in your wallet, you're not alone. There is over $756 billion in outstanding credit card debt in the U.S., and approximately 95% of adult...
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#21: 1 Super Simple Community Development Service You Might Be Under-Reporting from 2021-08-10T10:00:02
The low-hanging fruit of community development services is…boards and committees!
Many bank executives and employees are or could be serving on nonprofit boards and committees. These se...
#20: Can the Countless Hours We Spent on the SBA PPP Count? You Might Be Surprised... from 2021-08-03T10:00:15
Can the countless hours you’ve spent on the SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) count as a community development service?
The answer is yes and no! Although your bank worked seemingly ...
#19: 3 Community Development Services You’d Be Surprised Don’t Count from 2021-07-27T10:00:12
On this week’s CRA Tip episode, we explore three community development services you might be surprised don’t count as CRA activities. Here is a brief overview:
1. Serving food at your lo...
#18: Are You Unintentionally Under-Serving Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) Communities? from 2021-07-20T10:00:18
Take a second look at the retail distribution of your branches, ATMs and deposit-taking ATMs. Sometimes, it is helpful to map these data points to visualize how far away your branches and ATMs are ...
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#17: 3 Ways to Inspire More Community Development Loan Activities from 2021-07-13T10:00:02
Last week, we talked about community development loan identification best practices – the low-hanging fruit that may already exist at your institution.
Now, we switch our attention to pr...
#16: Internal Stakeholders: Who They Are And Why They Matter from 2021-07-06T10:00:05
You can’t do this work alone. In fact, the best CRA programs are built around key stakeholders working together towards the same CRA goals.
As you know, mining for community development...
#15: Community Development Loans.... How Much Is Enough? from 2021-06-29T10:00:08
Regulators are currently revisiting the way they define a community development loan (CDL) through CRA modernization efforts. So until there is more regulatory certainty, how do you determine how m...
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#14: Community Development Loan Mining Strategies You Don’t Want to Miss from 2021-06-22T10:00:16
When looking through your loan portfolio for qualified community development loans, it is essential to have a strategic approach given limited time and resources to conduct a 100% review. A tactica...
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#13: 5 Must-Have Strategy and Implementation Documents to Guide Your CRA Program from 2021-06-15T10:00:15
As you start building or refreshing your CRA program, these internal documents can serve as a guiding light. Gather these core documents and make sure you revisit them often as you initiate new pro...
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#12: CRA Tips: A Series Created for CRA Practitioners from 2021-06-08T14:00:18
Managing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program for your financial institution can be challenging, especially if you’re new to the CRA. To support you in your CRA journey, CRA Today and Kadin...
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#11: The Catalytic Impact of a $40 Million Investment in the CDFI Sector from 2021-05-19T16:24:58
BB&T and SunTrust formed Truist with a shared purpose – to inspire and build better lives and communities equally and equitably across all geographies. By providing grants in support of nonprof...
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#10: EBA Fund Converting the promise of entrepreneurship into assets that build economic inclusion and equity from 2021-01-30T20:45:56
CRA Podcast Episode: EBA Fund: Converting the promise of entrepreneurship into assets that build economic inclusion and equity
This episode interviews Brett Simmons, Fund Manager, and Jo...
#09: findCRA and First Western Trust-Partnering for Impact from 2021-01-06T17:16:49
CRA Podcast Episode: findCRA and First Western Trust-Partnering for Impact
This episode interviews findCRA Co-Founders, Ben Loehle and Brian Waters, and Ted Gerbick, Director of Marketin...
#08: Demystifying Community Reinvestment from 2020-11-15T06:03:46
This is a replay of an an CRA Files podcast interview. In this episode of the CRA Files, Ron Brooks interviews Linda Ezuka: Consultant. Community Advocate. Committed to transforming communities thr...
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#07: Jenny Flores of Wells Fargo and The Power of Diversity in Community Development from 2020-09-23T17:33:34
This episode interviews Jenny Flores, who leads the Wells Fargo Foundation as their Head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy. Jenny joins me in a community development conversation and Wells Farg...
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#06: Ken Thomas: CRA Modernization and COVID Recovery Efforts Collide from 2020-05-26T21:18:28
This podcast interviews Ken Thomas, Ph.D., one of our pioneers of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to share a high-level overview of CRA Reform now that the Office of the Comptroller of the Cur...
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#05: Community Action and Partnerships Prevails as Banks Mobilize to Respond to COVID-19 from 2020-03-25T23:27:05
Just when we were all getting ready to sit down and draft our OCC and FDIC CRA Comment Letters in preparation for our April 8th deadline, the unfathomable happened: our world shifted to all things ...
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#04: The Power of Impact Investing with Richard Woo from 2020-03-04T22:20:55
Our guest for this episode is Richard Woo, retired CEO of the Russell Family Foundation. During his tenure at the foundation, he learned first-hand the power of impact investing and shares his earl...
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#03: Michael Delucchi with Elevate Chats About Regulatory Reform from 2020-02-23T06:23:17
Welcome to this episode and launch of a new series of podcasts around regulatory reform. Most of you know that we are in the midst of regulatory reform and things are heating up! In today’s episode...
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#02: Mark Pinsky's CDFI Friendly Cities and More Community Development Inspiration from 2018-07-31T23:55:43
Community development financial institutions or otherwise known as CDFIs are powerful tools that are an important player within the continuum of credit spectrum to strategically deploy capital with...
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#01: Maurice Jones of LISC Highlights Opportunity Zones... a Freshly Minted Community Development Tool from 2018-06-14T06:34:01
PC101 Opportunity Zones... a freshly minted new community development tool poised to incentivize private investments in low-income and distress communities across the nation.
Welcome to ...