Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States and is a celebration of culture, history and pride for Black communities across the country. At CRF, we are celebrating Juneteenth by highlighting the tremendous contributions that Black-owned businesses have made on our country. As of the 2020 census, there are approximately 124,551 Black-owned businesses in the United States making an economic […]
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It’s Pride Month: Let’s Stand with Trans!
June is Pride Month in the US. It’s the perfect time to embrace our LGBTQIA friends and communities. We were delighted to speak with Roz Keith, the founder of Stand with Trans an organization dedicated to developing programs educational events, and support groups to serve transgender youth. Their mission is to provide the tools transgender youth need to […]
Diversity Equity and Inclusion: CRF Stands Against Anti-Asian Hate and Violence
By: Frank Altman, founding CRF CEO The violence we have seen against Asian Americans and immigrant-owned businesses is abhorrent to everything we stand for at CRF. In 2020, racial-based bias crimes against people of Asian descent increased by 150 percent nationwide and as much as 800 percent in places like New York City. Sadly, even as we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander […]
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: How Asian-Owned Businesses are Transforming Communities
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, a month to celebrate the history, culture, and traditions of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month started between 1978 and 1979, when Congress designated the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The celebration was expanded to a month in 1990. Today, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated across […]
MinnPost Community Voices Features CRF’s Anisha Murphy
CRF’s Director of Community Advancement, Anisha Murphy, Esq., wrote a compelling opinion piece for MinnPost in the wake of the Derek Chauvin murder conviction. The article pinpoints the role economic racism plays in driving social and institutional racism. We need a financial system that priorities equity and access to capital for BIPOC-owned businesses. We can do this by […]
This Mother’s Day Celebrate Mom-Owned Businesses and the Women Behind Them
Mother’s Day is a great time to remember and celebrate moms—both our own mothers, and others around the world. Moms who run their own businesses bring a compassionate, caring, and practical approach to what they do—balancing the needs of theirs and other children with running a successful organization that helps their customers and communities. Mom-owned […]
U.S. SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund Information
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is awarding funding through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to restaurants, bars, and other eligible businesses. The purpose of this funding is to provide support to eligible entities that suffered revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11, 2021 the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) became public […]
Environmental Poverty is a Real Problem: Here’s an Organization Trying to Change it
The health of our environment and the welfare of our people are inextricably linked—something that we’re becoming increasingly aware of through events like Earth Day. Environmental justice is key to providing underinvested communities with access to clean air, clean water, and open, natural spaces. A lack of funding and income, particularly in communities of color, has a […]
Justice has been served
Justice has been served. This verdict is a step in the right direction during a divisive time. We all know there is so much more to do to remedy institutional racism. CRF is committed to fighting systemic inequities – both social and economic – as the repercussions of this verdict will be felt far and wide. As we move forward as a community, let us do […]
