Our hearts have been extra heavy with targeted violence in communities we feel kinship with. Reflecting on Memorial Day and the second anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, it’s easy to feel like we’re treading water as a society. But we believe in the power of freedom dreams and radical imagination to continue building a future that works for all.
Here are a few bright spots helping lift our collective spirits:
Mission Driven Finance is supporting Starbucks in mobilizing capital for racial equity and environmental resilience. Along with Next Street, we are working with Starbucks to activate the $100 million Community Resilience Fund. In January 2022, Starbucks selected seven CDFIs to receive funding as part of the fund.- The Care Access Real Estate (CARE) Investment Trust, an approach to expand the availability of quality child care, has been included in a $1 million federal earmark for child care expansion in the County of San Diego.
- One of our portfolio companies, Hilltop Encanto, broke ground earlier this month on a development that includes 47 middle-income housing units. Not only are the developers adding to the housing supply in San Diego, but more than half of their contracts so far are going to minority-owned subcontractors. The development will support middle-income first-time homeowners.
- Join me in welcoming a couple of new MDF team members! A few more have said YES to coming on board and using finance as a tool for change together, but you’ll have to wait for a future update to meet them.
✨ Stevie Dunning, custom solutions project manager
✨ John Stonesifer, contracts & compliance associate
Stay well and take care of one another,
Lauren Grattan
Co-founder & Chief Community Officer
