Greetings! Here in our offices and in neighborhoods throughout the Bay Area, Opportunity Fund staff members - and our inspiring clients - are working hard to ensure everyone has the chance to build a dignified life, regardless of their economic background. Below is an update about some of our work and our clients' accomplishments of late. Enjoy and let us know what you think! -Eric Weaver, Founder & CEO
|
|
2011 Microfinance USA Conference | May 23-24 | New York City
| | The U.S. microfinance movement is growing. Join us! |   Opportunity Fund is gearing up for our 2011 Microfinance USA Conference in New York on May 23rd and 24th. The microfinance movement is growing in the United States, and we invite you to join us for our two biggest days of the year!
Microfinance USA is where expert practitioners and frontline researchers from around the country and across the globe get together for two days to network, learn, and set the agenda for the future of our field. And it's your chance to get involved.
 You'll see our CEO, Eric Weaver, on the main stage for the plenary session, "Balancing Act: Mission, Profit and Impact in Microfinance," moderated by NPR Planet Money's Adam Davidson and featuring experts representing all perspectives in the mission-profit debate, including Compartamos' Carlos Danel and Reuters Blogger Felix Salmon.
Register today. We hope to see you in New York!
www.MicrofinanceUSAConference.org
|
Expanding Economic Opportunity & Improving the Environment
| |
2011 is off to a roaring (and eco-friendly) start!
|
Business continues to boom for our microlending team as Opportunity Fund invests in more Bay Area small businesses than ever. We've made twice as many loans in the first three months of 2011 than in the same period last year. All the while, we remain committed to ensuring the social impact of these loans.
 Since launching our new GreenforGreen loan earlier this year, a growing number of loans are helping businesses go green and grow greener. One green loan went to Jesus Sepulveda, the owner of Taqueria El Mezcal in San Lorenzo. Jesus wanted to reduce waste in his kitchen and installed a new grease trap to cut down on water pollution. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by for a taco or two!
Thanks to Chevron and JPMorgan Chase - and all of our investors and donors - for supporting our microlending work. |
IDA Microsavings Partner Spotlight
| WANDA's innovative philanthropy
|  Opportunity Fund is a national leader in the IDA microsavings field, and it takes more than a village to help so many people save and invest in their future. Today, we recognize the special contribution made by our friends at WANDA. Since 2008, WANDA has provided financial support, life skills training and a sense of community to 80 of Opportunity Fund's IDA microsavings clients.
Earlier this year, WANDA co-founder Dianne Giancarlo opened The 3RDOOR, a Palo Alto fitness center and café that donates all its profits to support WANDA which, in turn, supports a group of Opportunity Fund's IDA microsavings clients. In March, we gathered at The 3RDOOR to celebrate the graduation of the first class of WANDA-sponsored savers - 11 clients who bought a new home, went back to school, opened a college savings account, or started to build retirement security.
Congratulations to these amazing clients, and to all the WANDA supporters for their innovative and hands-on philanthropy!
|
| Job Openings: Seeking Small Business Underwriter & Loan Consultant | Join our growing team!
| 
A warm welcome to our three newest staff members: Tony, Aleksandar, and Missa!
We are currently recruiting for two positions:
+Small Business Underwriter
+Small Business Loan Consultant
Visit our Careers page to learn more - and please spread the word to your network!
p.s. Join our group on Linkedin to stay connected. 
|
Brower Center LEED Platinum Certified!
| |
Opportunity Funded Community Facility Receives Highest GREEN Honor
 Opportunity Fund's community real estate investing is pioneering responsible urban development. The David Brower Center, which received an $18M investment from Opportunity Fund, was recently awarded a Platinum LEED certification! Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification assures that approved buildings meet all the environmental standards that matter most: energy, water, CO2 emissions, and indoor environmental quality. This project also supported the construction of an adjacent 97 unit affordable housing apartment complex, Oxford Plaza.
 The Brower Center rents office space to dozens of environmental and social justice organizations; boasts prime conference space in the downtown corridor; and houses Gather restaurant on the street level. Next time you pass through downtown Berkeley, stop to marvel at this green building innovation, grab a bite to eat at Gather, and celebrate Opportunity Fund's groundbreaking investment that helped make this remarkable community facility a reality for our community!
| |
|
From Our Blog: What makes microfinance effective?
| | Microfinance Powered by the People
by Casey Strong, Opportunity Fund staff
Published April 1, 2011
 What powers microfinance? People. In my year at Opportunity Fund, I've shared an open office on the 17th floor of 785 Market Street in San Francisco and listened all day long to what makes microfinance effective: taking the time to talk.
Every day loan officer William Cardenas, who sits across from me, talks to entrepreneurs from all corners of the Bay Area in search of capital to grow their small business. Sometimes they come into the office, sometimes William heads out to "walk the block" and meet with them, and sometimes they have a conversation on the phone where he sits down with a client and talks to them. Looking over the loan application, he asks questions and learns what's behind the numbers and answers on the form. When a credit score looks poor, he asks what's behind it. (continue reading >>) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
