We want to honor the victims and survivors of the violence of Buffalo and Uvalde, the two-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, and the other tragedies happening around the globe. The world seems heavy right now. I recently visited the MLK Memorial in DC and found some solace in the Doctor’s quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” So, let’s be the light.
In This Must Know…
- Workforce Mental Health Playbook
- AB 2314 Passes Assembly!
- Survey Findings: Trust & Access To Capital
- Workforce Mental Health Playbook
- This week’s Goodie highlight is that today is that More than 10,000 Jobs Created or Preserved at California Small Businesses through COVID-19 Micro Loan Guarantees.
Workforce Mental Health Playbook
The world’s collective trauma over the pandemic and the devisiveness in our national conversation has hurt mental health. An overwhelming majority of employers acknowledge that workplace mental health must be a priority for the well-being of their workers and for the health of their business.
In honor of Mental Health Month, our colleagues at Health Action Alliance launched a brand new Workplace Mental Health Playbook, a comprehensive guide to help organizations meet today’s unique workplace mental health challenges.
AB 2314 Passes Assembly
We are excited to announce that our bill to advance responsible small business lending passed the California Assembly this week! The next step is the Senate.
Thanks to all of you who have submitted letters of support! The more the merrier, download a template letter of support for AB 2314 and submit through the legislative portal!
Trust & Access To Capital
Reimagine Main Street asked more than 2,500 small business owners about confidence in their ability to fund common business needs and measured their trust in various sources of capital. Here are some highlighted findings:
- Most entrepreneurs of color lack confidence to fund an unexpected $5,000 business expense or finance a contract or purchase order
- Few respondents are aware of CDFIs or FinTech lenders
- Most respondents know and trust the SBA
Read more about the survey in our blog post “Trust & Access To Capital.”
The Goodies
Industry News
- More than 10,000 Jobs Created or Preserved at California Small Businesses through COVID-19 Micro Loan Guarantees.
- The Department of General Services added a new voluntary supplier diversity data collection opportunity.
Grant Opportunities
- Applications for the 2022 Native CDFI Awards are due on July 15, 2022.
- Apply for the FY 2022 Small Dollar Loan Program Round by July 15, 2022.
Professional Development & New Resources
- Join CBA for Blueprints for Building Credit on June 22-24, 2022.
- New Report from The Federal Reserve: Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2021.
Other Goodies
- Jobs: WEV LISC, PCV, PACE, Norcal VBOC, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, and Working Solutions announced new jobs recently. See who else is hiring!