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| JASON LAYNE AT THE HARDROCK |
TODAY'S VISION IS TOMORROW'S REALITY
Some Opportunities For Those Looking For In-Kind And Financial
Assistance.
Opportunity
Finance Network (OFI).
Opportunitye Finance Network targets individuals and projects
for individuals who demonstrate interest in the betterment of “their communities”
with an eye on benefiting “future generations.”
They have a very interesting range of their description of
themselves. “We are CDFIs, banks,
faith-based institutions, foundations, corporations, government, and everyday
people who believe in aligning capital with justice.” Obviously, this organization has focused
assisting individuals with a strong sense of contribution. They describe themselves as “faith-base”
suggesting that individuals who many lender disregard as a greater risk would
ignore and invite them to come back when they have ‘the juice’.
Here are some quotes from their site:
“The opportunity finance
industry finds and finances opportunities that others miss. We see the world
differently. Where others see risks, we see possibilities. To us, people are
people. And every person deserves opportunities—good, family-wage jobs; decent,
affordable housing; healthy foods; locally owned stores; quality schools. We
invest in opportunities.
(Source: http://ofn.org/what-opportunity-finance)
“Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) is a national network of
community development financial institutions (CDFIs) investing in opportunities
that benefit low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged communities across
America.”
In regard to the site itself it is not impossible to navigate
but I found their use of dropdowns to reach sub-sites or pages
distracting. Their color use is fairly
good. The background color is standard
white. Their logo on the top left of
site brings me back home, which is a real blessing when attempting to navigate
through the dropdowns. I imagine this
resource would server the individuals seeking some sort of reform and improving
of communities. If this is something
that interests you check it out more fully.
CDFI
Coalition
The Community Development Financial Institutions have a somewhat
similar interest in funding projects intended to improve the community. It encourages ‘fair access’ to financial
resources available in the outside market.
It also seems that they have connections to resources in the “private
sector” leveraging “loans” that directly flow to investments targeted to
benefit economically distressed areas within the United States. One note of difference between the two is
that this group has some contacts within the private sector that is specific to
“activities in the low wealth community”.
While this is the case the individual creating a more ‘widget’ based
product such as the revamped version of the pet rock my not find open arms in
either of these opportunities.
Here is their mission statement:
“The CDFI Coalition is the unified national voice of community
development financial institutions (CDFIs). Our mission is to encourage fair
access to financial resources for America’s underserved people and communities.
Nationwide, over 1000 CDFIs serve economically distressed communities by
providing credit, capital and financial services that are often unavailable
from mainstream financial institutions. CDFIs have loaned and invested over
billions in our nation’s most distressed communities. Even better, their loans
and investments have leveraged billions more dollars from the private sector
for development activities in low wealth communities across the nation.”
(Source: CDFI)
Their guaranteed bond program stipulates that this benefit be
involved with projects that specifically benefit the community. Thus, a major qualification for this and
other programs requires a very specific sort of project seeking benefits and
monies.
“The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program was enacted through the Small
Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-240) on September 27, 2010. The
legislation directs the Treasury Department to guarantee the full amount of
notes or bonds issued to support Community Development Financial Institutions
(CDFIs) that make investments for eligible community or economic development
purposes. The bonds or notes will support CDFI lending and investment by
providing a source of long-term, patient capital to CDFIs. Treasury may
guarantee up to 10 bonds per year, each at a minimum of $100 million. The total
of all bonds cannot exceed $1 billion per year. The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program
is authorized through fiscal year 2014.”
(Source: CDFI2)
My general statement regarding requirement and qualifications
for both these opportunities is that the project will result in overall
improvement to a community experiencing financial hardship. Further, these sites encourage a sense of
community that include a leadership team and staff that are actively involved
in the notion of investing and interested in such civic minded
opportunities. Both organizations also
focus heavily in reforming and adapting a more even investment balance as well.
Thus, these groups offer advice and
assistance to the individual who would typically have challenges in gaining
financial support from the “Shark Tank scenarios.” I also sense that the monies would not
necessarily come from these two groups directly bur rather from participants in
the group so inclined.
I will be following up on this blog with more possible
organizations that provide other monies for products and services of a more
‘capitalist’ nature. I use that term in
a respectful way. There are all sorts
of ways to be successful.
I have one small note of caution when visiting these sites. Both contain valuable information and
opportunities. They are not however the
easiest to navigate. But its worth that
small challenge.
An upcoming blog on, Kickstarter financing, and EasyShares, microbanks
and partner investors in addition to leverage capital opportunities will be
forthcoming in this blog series.
An
upcoming blog Microbusiness Opportunities
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