In celebration of National Dog Day, we had the pleasure of speaking with Alise Jarvis, founder of Sidewalk Dog. Sidewalk Dog is a media company that caters to dog-loving locals in Seattle, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver, and Chicago. The company provides content and resources for both first-time and long-time dog owners, along with dog-friendly recommendations for activities, events, […]
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Board Member Spotlight: Calvin Holmes
CRF’s Board of Trustees is made up of leaders with extensive experience working in community development, financial services, and other sectors. Each board member brings a unique perspective to CRF and helps the organization achieve its mission to improve lives and strengthen communities through innovative financial solutions. We want you to get to know our board members! Read our ongoing Board Member Spotlight series to learn more about each member, including why they joined the board, what goals […]
CRF’s Krysta Pate Reappointed to Land Bank Authority Board of Directors
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has reappointed Community Reinvestment Fund, USA’s (CRF) Krysta Pate to serve on the Michigan State Land Bank Authority Board of Directors. Congratulations to Krysta and to all the other appointees! Krysta is the Midwest Program Director at CRF and the principal for The Homeownership Initiative Consulting, LLC. Krysta dedicates her time to helping others and has a strong commitment to helping people […]
Community Reinvestment Fund, USA Names Mac McNeil SVP of Operations
CRF has named Mac McNeil Senior Vice President of Operations. This new role will support the organization’s current and future business growth by leveraging team skills, customer experience, systems, and processes to integrate operations. McNeil is a longtime banking industry executive with a strong background in process improvement, compliance, risk, and management. As VP of Operations for Synchrony, McNeil led optimization initiatives for the consumer bank, which included robotic process […]
Celebrate National Ice Cream Month: Azucar Ice Cream Company
In July we celebrate ice cream all month long in the U.S. We had a special treat speaking with Suzanne Batlle, founder of Azucar Ice Cream. Batlle started AzucarIce Cream Company back in 2011 and the business has been growing ever since. Suzanne specializes in serving traditional Cuban ice cream and treats in both Miami’s […]
Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund Featured in Recent Report by the Impact Investing Alliance
The Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund was featured in a recent Impact Investing Alliance (the Alliance) report titled Impact in Place. The Alliance strives to create and promote better understanding of capital sources within the impact investing community. The report illustrates the disproportionately negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on historically underinvested communities. However, the report also highlights several collaborations working to reverse […]
CRF Receives a $1.83 Million Rapid Response Program Grant from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s CDFI Fund
CRF has been awarded a $1.82 million Rapid Response Program grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury CDFI Fund. The grant will help CRF quickly respond to the economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in underinvested communities. “Many businesses are still feeling the impact of the COVID-19 economic crisis, particularly businesses in […]
CRF Welcomes Gary Cunningham to Board of Trustees
MINNEAPOLIS – June 28, 2021 Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF), a national nonprofit organization with a mission to improve lives and strengthen communities through innovative financial solutions, is excited to welcome Gary Cunningham, President and CEO of Prosperity Now, as the newest member to its Board of Trustees. Cunningham holds extensive community development experience, with […]
Kinfe Argaw Named 2021 Notable BIPOC Executive by Twin Cities Business Magazine
Congratulations to Kinfe Argaw, credit manager at Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF), for being named a 2021 Notable BIPOC Executive by Twin Cities Business Magazine! Kinfe has been an instrumental part of CRF’s lending activities since he joined the team in 2018. His efforts have increased CRF’s ability to deploy capital to more small businesses across […]
