Giving Thanks to Our Grantors and Impact Capital Investors

Company News

November 20, 2019

We cannot accomplish our mission alone, nor could we impact the small business community as deeply as we do without the commitment, investment and belief of our grantors and impact capital investors. For that, we offer our deepest thanks.

We greatly admire our many partners who prioritize investing in small business owners and also in their communities. Their efforts help entrepreneurs prosper, and create jobs, as well as drive economic development in underserved neighborhoods.

One thing we know for sure is that small business owners face many barriers when trying to access financing. Above all, the dollars from our partners help sustain these critical efforts to:

Provide access to responsible and affordable capital for ALL small business owners, especially those left behind.
Bridge the racial wealth gap with a focus on people of color and underserved communities.
Offer education and business advising to build financial acumen that contributes to smarter business decisions.
Increase opportunities for commercial real estate ownership.

Robert Villarreal, executive vice president of CDC Small Business Finance, leads our capital raising efforts, along with our CFO, Catherine Riddle. To that end, he is inspired by our partners and their desire to invest with us to make a difference for entrepreneurs and their communities.

“We work hard to ensure our funders see an impact,” he said. “We listen to what is important to them and we hear over and over how they value aligning with us because they know we are going to deliver on what we say we will do.”

Keeping pace with entrepreneurs’ needs

With more than four decades of experience as a mission-based lender, CDC Small Business Finance always has focused on the ever-changing needs of small business owners.

“As the financial and business landscape changes, different obstacles arise and we shift our offerings to meet entrepreneurs where they need help the most. That mindset is a key driver of our impact,” Robert said.

CDC’s Chuck Sinks, left, visits with entrepreneur George Thornton of The Homebrewer. Our supporters make it possible to provide qualified borrowers with business advising services, in addition to other vital programs.

As we look forward, we are developing two programs that will provide greater resources to our clients and assist them as they set out to build strong foundations for their small businesses. For instance, through our research, we have determined that by monitoring start-ups early and closely tracking their progress, we can expect to better assist them in achieving long-term sustainability and success. We also are leveraging technology in new ways to help borrowers with money management and to connect them to more revenue-generating opportunities.

Policy + advocacy

Part of what also attracts many grantors and impact capital investors to CDC Small Business Finance is our commitment to being a voice for entrepreneurs through our deep leadership in policy and advocacy.

“Not only can we assist a small business owner who has taken on over-priced debt or help someone who needs guidance on getting loan ready, but through our advocacy efforts we have supported legislation to require small business lenders to be transparent in their pricing,” said Robert, who also serves as President of the Bankers Small Business CDC of California (CDFI). The CDC affiliate offers lending programs for low-moderate income and underrepresented communities.

This past year, Robert also testified in front of both House and Senate committees to represent our industry.

Our thanks to you

This Thanksgiving, we want to express our gratitude to our grantors and impact capital investors. You allow us to broaden and deepen our reach in the small business community. As a result, we make a difference in people’s lives every day. We offer our thanks, and most importantly, we acknowledge each of you and your commitment:

Impact capital investors

Bank of America – $10 million
Union Bank – $3 million
CIT Bank – $2 million

Support for over a decade

Grantors

CDC Small Business Finance received grants from these generous supporters, for a combined total of more than $1.4 million:

Government partners

In addition, other support for our programs provides even more resources for capital and business advising:

Small Business Administration
City of San Diego

“We are grateful and pleased to offer thanks to our partners who continue to support us and share our vision of making opportunities available via capital and services,” Robert said. “We’re excited to continue our work with them and also to align with new organizations who are looking to make an impact.”

Giving thanks for making a difference together

For more than 40 years, CDC Small Business Finance has remained committed to the needs of small business owners. We’re more than a small business lender. We’re also an advocate for all entrepreneurs, including women, minorities and military veterans.

Tell our loan experts about your business, and they’ll work to match you with a business loan that best suits you. Let’s talk! Reach us at loaninfo@cdcloans.com or (619) 243-8667.