FUND Consulting to Present at Upcoming Conferences

We are excited to announce that FUND partners Ruth Barber and Lolita Sereleas will present on panels at two upcoming conferences in October.

First, Ruth and Lolita will be speaking on two panels at the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) Annual Conference in San Antonio on Wednesday, October 18 including:

• Identifying Opportunity: Using Market Analysis to Guide Strategic CDFI Expansion (Expanding Coverage Track)

Session Description: Making decisions based on reliable information is a vital component of strategic management. Conducting market studies to obtain such data is a strategy that is supported by funders and other key stakeholders.  Funders such as the CDFI Fund, the NEXT Award, and private foundations encourage this practice by providing funding to complete this type of strategic research. This session will provide participants with approaches in using data collection and analysis to inform strategies for expanding product or geographic coverage of a CDFI. The session will include a brief introduction to market study methodologies, and then a presentation of three case studies.  Participants will leave the session with an understanding of what a market analysis can and can’t inform, how to narrow data collection and analysis to support key research questions, and how market analysis is integral to ongoing and sustainable strategic management.

•  Diversifying Your Funding Base (Native CDFIs Track)

Session Description: As the Native CDFI industry grows and matures and federal and bank funding sources contract, Native CDFIs need to explore options for diversifying their funding base and stabilizing their funding streams to support their growth. In this session you’ll learn about some of these options including: the pros and cons of selling loans to the secondary market or other financial institutions including those supported by the CDFI Bond Guarantee program; using the Bank Enterprise Awards (BEA) program to generate investments; developing re-lending pools through program related investments from banks or foundations; adding new programs or products such as real estate development, fee-for-service income, or other related activities; and raising funds from individuals. This session will combine both research and analysis from consultants as well as real world experience from practitioners.

In addition, Lolita will be a featured speaker for a panel on Native CDFIs at the Midwest Native American Economic Development Conference in Chicago on Thursday, October 18.

More information on these conferences can be found on FUND’s opportunities page.  If you’ll be attending either of these conferences, we look forward to seeing you there!