In this Must Know…
- Join TODAY’s webinar, “Advocacy Day Prep & Policy Updates” at 2:00 pm.
- Federal Update
- 25 Reasons to Value CAMEO
- This week’s Goodie highlight: the CDFI Fund opened applications for the 2019 CDFI Program.
Advocacy Webinar TODAY
There’s still time for you to join today’s webinar, “Advocacy Day Prep & Policy Updates” at 2:00 pm.
With so much going on in Washington and Sacramento, we have gathered our policy friends to keep you informed of all the excitement. We’ll have Ann Sullivan talk to us about federal policy, Jesse Torres on state policy, and our very own Heidi Pickman will train you on how best to conduct your meetings with legislators and what to say.
Federal Policy Update
Two relevant bills were introduced by the Senate Small Business Committee this month.
Senator Duckworth’s Microloan Program Enhancement Act eliminates the 1/55th rule and requires SBA to report its work to Congress.
Senator Cardin’s NEW START Act creates a program with SBA to award grants to organizations that provide business counseling and training to formerly incarcerated individuals.
25 Reasons to Value CAMEO
Speaking of advocacy, here’s another of the 25 reasons (or more!) you value CAMEO.
Reason #4: CAMEO successfully advocates for legislation that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs. Last year was a particularly momentous one, with the passage of SB 1235, the first Truth-In-Lending bill for small business in the country, and a historic state investment in small business development.
The Goodies
Professional Development
- Join the launch session of Samaschool’s new Virtual Classroom offering on April 30, 2019 at 1:00 pm PT.
- Save the date for Opportunity Finance Network’s Small Business Finance Forum on June 18-19, 2019 in Chicago.
For Your Clients
- Small Business Majority wants anonymous stories from real small business owners who have dealt with predatory lending practices.
- SBA will host a Virtual Conference for National Small Business Week on May 7-8, 2019.
Funding Opportunities
- JP Morgan Chase’s PRO Neighborhoods Competition will make investments up to $5 million to CDFIs. The deadline to apply is April 22, 2019.
- The Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund has opened the application process for the 2019 CDFI Program awards. Deadline to apply is June 6, 2019.
Other Goodies
- Member Kudos: Pacific Community Ventures, CDC Small Business Finance, and Opportunity Finance Network are partnering with CNote on its Wisdom Fund for women-owned businesses.
- Jobs: California FarmLink, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, and Feed The Hunger announced new jobs recently. See who else is hiring!