Download this trailblazing report from Stepping Stone Partners and Tern Strategies here.

Congratulations to Senior Consultant Andrew Porter for having his research on publicly traded CDFI banks published by ImpactPHL. Read all about it here: IMPACTPHL 
As previously reported, this research looks at CDFI Banks that were awarded ECIP grants and identifies those that are publicly traded. Andrew then shares his analysis of them as investment opportunities.

Stepping Stone Partners Senior Consultant Andrew Porter has just published original research on publicly traded CDFI Banks. Download the paper here.  

At Stepping Stone Partners, we love it when we have opportunities to partner with colleagues in new ways. And our partnership with Liz Rogers and Tern Strategies is a great example! We got to know Liz in her role as head of Investor Relations at CEI, one of the CDFIs on the Impact Investments platform that we oversee for our partner Baldwin Brothers Investment Advisors. Last summer, Liz left CEI to start Tern Strategies. One area of mutual interest is bridging CDFIs and mission- and values-aligned investors. So we are collaborating on two exciting initiatives together. First, we are launching an updated Investor Note Program survey later this year, in association with American Sustainable Business Network. Second, we are developing a curriculum for CDFIs to understand the Investor Note product and learn how to start their own program. The first "class" will be offered to members of the Appalachian Community Capital network in early 2024. 

We were thrilled to work with Appalachian Community Capital to help design and implement a grant program funded by the Truist Foundation to support minority- and/or women-owned enterprises across Appalachian. The goal was to support these business owners with technical assistance and pass-through grants to help them recover, survive, and thrive coming out of Covid-19. ACC members put forth proposals for how they would use these funds to support the entrepreneurs in their communities. Each approach was unique to the entrepreneurs in each community and innovative. Fourteen ACC members were selected and awarded nearly $1 million. And boy did they put that money to good use!! In the report we drafted the outcomes of these efforts are documented with both metrics and stories. It's an uplifting read!

In response to the enthusiastic response to our first survey of CDFIs with Investor Notes programs, we updated the research in early 2022. This paper identifies over 70 CDFIs with Investor Notes programs based in 33 states. This provides individuals, foundations, faith-based organizations with a wide range of options for investing in mission-focused CDFIs focused on place-based community revitalization and specific impact areas such as small business, disability, health, food-access, and climate change.
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We are happy to welcome Cassandra Archbold to Stepping Stone Partners as an Advisor.  Cassie is the founder of Aligned Solutions and brings deep expertise in complex community development transactions and will work with us on risk management and due diligence. Cassie held senior roles at Cinnaire, Opportunity Finance Network, and Nonprofit Finance Fund, where she has deployed and managed nearly a billion dollars of capital into distressed communities.  She holds a B.A. from University of Virginia and M.A. from University of Pennsylvania. Welcome Cassie!

We are thrilled to share the 2022 version of our report on CDFIs that accept investments from individuals.  Working with the American Sustainable Business Network, our report lists over CDFI Loan Funds that accept investments from individuals.  For those who would like to learn more, see the range of webinars and other activities put forth through ASBN.