Partnership for Inclusive Innovation’s Post

Grant $$ available to Maryland Small Business Owners! Through $10 million in small business and community development grants, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development plans to target investments to activate vacant spaces in business corridors and support small businesses with start up or expansion funds while creating jobs and increasing local economic activity. There are two paths that the grant funding can be accessed: economic development entities can apply for Project Restore 2.0, which will incentivize commercial investment in downtowns, Main Streets and other business districts by providing funding for entities to subgrant to businesses. Or eligible new and expanding small businesses in designated Sustainable Communities can apply for funding directly through Business Boost. https://lnkd.in/e-AYvsMX

More exciting news coming out of Enterprise Community Partners!

The work started long ago, but today, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) celebrates 30 years of impact. The Book below, which I picked up a number of years ago, highlights what many industry peers see in practice today. The production of very meaningful projects like affordable housing and community facility financing that would not come from anywhere else but the various programs offered by the CDFI Fund. Cheers to the next 30 years of incredible work ahead! #themarathoncontinues

Check out this awesome case study in blended & #innovativefinance used to support community-led revitalization:

Puerto Rico’s community development financial institution (CDFI) sector has grown 15-fold over the last decade following a collaboration among leaders from government, community development finance, and Puerto Rico’s credit unions, known as cooperativas. In this article, the authors explain what led to that growth and its impact. https://nyfed.org/3xwvAPq

By influencing where and how community development dollars are spent, we can help drive capital to communities with low incomes and make the community development finance system more durable and equitable. There are many points of entry to the community development finance system, each with its own strengths based on the intended impacts. RWJF worked with BWB Solutions to develop a useful graphic with examples of how each type of community development finance organization can build healthier, more equitable communities. Our team is working with a variety of these types of organizations to advance health and racial equity, including: 🔴 The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders: a network of community development finance institutions working to provide loans to affordable housing developers and small businesses in Latino communities. 🔴 Inclusiv: a nonprofit that funds community development credit unions, increasing their capacity to provide capital to families and communities with low incomes. 🔴 The Council of Development Finance Agencies: a national association that provides capital to development finance agencies to foster job creation and economic growth for small businesses of color. And many more! Learn more about each of these types of organizations below.

Clarence was right. An individual can make a difference. And collectively, we can make a HUGE difference. That's what the Ellavoz Family of Funds are all about - bringing positive community development to neighborhoods in need of workforce and affordable housing. Want to learn more about our Funds and the power of our Impact Angel Network? DM me. Ellavoz.com. #ellavoz #impactinvesting #sustainablecommunities #sharedvalues

Community Transformation Starts from Within – Let’s Build Together! Change begins in a single neighborhood and grows outward. Imagine one resident saying, “I live in Dougherty County, and we just elected someone who is ready to collaborate on key issues in our community.” That spark can ignite a broader conversation. When neighboring communities realize they share the same challenges—whether it’s affordable housing, economic development, or educational opportunities—they come together to find solutions. This is how real transformation spreads. It starts in one place and moves across streets, neighborhoods, counties, and beyond. At RCI Community Funds, we believe in the power of communities to solve their own challenges. Together, we can take that first step and amplify it. What can we do for our communities? Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s build the future we all deserve, one neighborhood at a time. #CommunityCapital #LocalLeadership #NeighborhoodTransformation #CountyCollaboration #ImpactInvesting #SocialImpact #CommunityDevelopment #AffordableHousing #EconomicEmpowerment #RCICommunityFunds #GrassrootsMovement #TogetherWeRise

Please take a few moments to read our interactive 2023 Impact Report! Real change is happening.

An idea is just an idea until the right people rally behind it and mold it into reality. How do we combat the displacement of communities? How do we promote local control, ownership and wealth building in our models of neighborhood investment? How do ensure that we maintain space in the long-term that is affordable and accessible? These are the questions that come up every day in our work -- HOW to invest in underserved communities and build long-term, thriving neighborhoods. And the answer is complex -- there is no silver bullet. Which is why expanding the tools available to neighborhoods, developers and cities is critical. The Kensington Corridor Trust is a leading tool in an expanding tool chest -- taken from theory, molded in passion and thrown into practice. However, it wouldn't be where it was today without the key ingredient -- a group of cross-sector leaders came together to give it form and then to attract the best leadership and... step aside. This four-year introspection from the Nowak Metro Finance Lab, led by Karen Black and supported by The Barra Foundation brought us down memory lane. This was hard work, molded by the intensity needed to get this right - as stakeholders, partners and leadership for the City of Philadelphia and in the national context of community work. It wasn't easy, but I am so proud of how this organization, led by the indefatigable and community-grounded Adriana Abizadeh, continues to break new ground nationally, accomplishing this in the difficulty of the complex, underinvested, yet strong and resilient community of Kensington. Adriana Abizadeh Kensington Corridor Trust Casey O'Donnell Jonathan Arrieta, CSM,CSPO John Grady Jennifer Crowther Tayyib Smith Nancy Gephart Jeffrey Kahn PIDC Impact Services The Barra Foundation Joseph Margulies https://lnkd.in/e5guX9Dx